Missoula Council Approves $211K Homeless Contract Despite Split Vote on Accountability

MISSOULA — The Missoula City Council approved a controversial $211,000 contract with the Poverello Center for homeless outreach services Monday night, but not before a heated debate over accountability and performance metrics that split the council 9-1.

Councilman Bob Campbell cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the contract lacks measurable outcomes and questioning whether taxpayers are getting value from their investment in the city’s primary homeless service provider.

“Taxpayer funds should only support programs with measurable outcomes such as the number of people housed or employed,” Campbell said during the meeting. He criticized the contract for having no clear performance metrics despite the substantial public investment.

Campbell also revealed that the city has spent over $20,000 in recent cleanup costs around the Poverello Center facility, including breaking up encampments, removing graffiti and trash, and clearing car campers from the facility’s parking lot and surrounding neighborhood.

“The Poverello Center benefits from city-funded security and cleanup services without contributing financially,” Campbell noted, arguing the organization receives additional indirect subsidies beyond the contracted amount.

The $211,000 contract funds the Housing Outreach Team (HOT Team), which provides street outreach to Missoula’s homeless population. The debate comes at a critical time as the city continues managing homelessness challenges following the closure of the Johnson Street Shelter earlier this year.

Councilwoman Kristen Jordan defended the program, arguing the team helps reduce taxpayer costs “by diverting people from jails and emergency rooms.” She emphasized that cost-cutting discussions should happen during the budget cycle, not after funds are already allocated.

“All city programs—not just select ones—should be evaluated using consistent performance metrics,” Jordan said, pushing back against singling out the Poverello contract.

Councilman Daniel Carlino expressed strong support for the Housing Outreach Team, calling their work “compassionate, effective, and essential to city goals.” He opposed any funding cuts and instead urged expanding the program.

Several council members noted the contract was already approved in the city budget and emphasized the timing sensitivity with winter approaching.

“Withholding it would harm a vital community service for vulnerable residents,” said Councilwoman Amber Sherrill, expressing surprise the issue was being debated since “performance metrics are already included in the contract and reviewed annually.”

Public commenters offered mixed perspectives during the meeting. Katie Leahy, the HOT Team lead, spoke about improvements in data collection and reporting standards, while others questioned the program’s effectiveness and called for better metrics to demonstrate value.

The contract represents a small portion of the Poverello Center’s overall $5.8 million budget, but Campbell argued the city missed an opportunity to negotiate stronger accountability terms given the organization’s reliance on municipal services.

Councilwoman Sandra Vasecka, who voted to approve the contract, acknowledged future agreements should include “measurable performance metrics” while emphasizing that cutting funding now “would harm vulnerable people during winter.”

The council also approved a park development agreement for the Wildroot Subdivision during the October 27 meeting, held just a week before the November 4 municipal election.

The heated debate reflects broader community frustration with Missoula’s approach to homelessness, which has expanded rather than reduced the problem despite millions in taxpayer funding. Missoula’s 10-year plan to end homelessness, launched in 2012, expired in October 2022 with the problem worse than ever.

Western Montana News reported in October that the Poverello Center has allowed dozens of homeless individuals to camp around its facility and in surrounding neighborhoods, “effectively operating as a scofflaw to city regulations designed to address public camping.”

Combined with the $20,000 in recent cleanup costs and lack of performance metrics, Campbell’s concerns highlight growing questions about whether the city’s homeless services bureaucracy has made Missoula a magnet for transient populations rather than solving the underlying crisis.