Funds approved for new homeless, domestic violence shelter

The city of Missoula soon will have a new, $10.9 million YWCA homeless and domestic violence shelter.

The Missoula Redevelopment Agency's board approved up to $144,404 in Tax Increment Financing to assist in the building of the emergency shelter.

It will include a domestic violence shelter capable of securely housing up to 13 individual families with children. And it will have a central facility jointly operated by YWCA and Family Promise that will be able to provide shelter for up to 31 homeless families each night.

The project also will include a service center made up of offices, meeting rooms and program space for counseling, support groups, and a walk-in crisis center.

Missoula Redevelopment Agency Assistant Director Chris Behan says construction of the 36,000-square-foot  facility is expected to begin in the summer of 2020.

It begs the question of whether Billings is in need of an update or addition to help curb this problem.