Housing Displacement: Invest Health Missoula
Tina and her two-year-old granddaughter had to leave Missoula, the city she has lived in for 45 years, and move to Great Falls to find affordable housing. Ethan and his family of five had to find emergency housing after their rental home was nearly sold out from under them. It took from March to July for Natalie and her roommates to apply for a rental, get a “lucky” bite from a landlord, and move into a safe apartment, all while trying to do so during quarantine.
Thanks to Common Good Missoula and Invest Health Missoula, the rate of housing displacement in Missoula came to life at the City Council meeting on December 2nd. The displacement risk ratio (DRR), more commonly known as the likelihood that a person may lose their living situation due to rising housing costs, is concerning in Missoula: 4.35. The score comes from dividing the rising housing costs over two years in Missoula by the median household income. The high DRR is startling for such a small town as Missoula!
More importantly, the DRR is not just a set of statistics, but it affects real-life people all around Missoula’s neighborhoods. Here is a map where the darker areas show the largest DRR’s:
It is clear that the DRR is high in several neighborhoods in which UM students and staff live: the University District, Heart of Missoula, and River Road neighborhoods.
Aging and non-white Missoulians, as well as Missoulians with low-wage jobs are also extremely likely to experience displacement on top of the DRR.
With the help of the stories and data from Invest Help Missoula, it will push the deficit of housing resources felt by everyday Missoulians into the hearts and minds of City Council and state representatives. In addition, keep Common Good Missoula, the Missoula Housing Coalition, and news about City Council meeting with inclusionary zoning consultants on your radar.
On Tuesday, December 8th Common Good will be offering a training “to share what we’ve learned in our research, teach you how to design an engagement and power building campaign, and line out our plan to take action.” There will be two options for the training:
· Tues, Dec 8th, 1:00–2:30 PM — registration link
· Tues, Dec 8th, 5:30–7:00 PM — registration link
Work with the Housing Advocate Network
If you are a community member who wants to get involved but are not already connected to a Common Good member organization, you can team up with the Housing Advocate Network (HAN). The Housing Advocate Network is a group of volunteer community members that advocate for and support individuals through the challenges of finding housing in Missoula.
If you are interested in participating in this upcoming engagement season or are struggling with housing issues, contact Kaya Juda-Nelson at kaya.juda-nelson@umontana.umt.edu
Further resources to explore:
City of Missoula Invest Health Page
Presentation to City of Missoula
Data from Invest Health Missoula
Displacement Ratio Powerpoint Presentation
