MISSOULA, Mont. – The Missoula City Council is set to hold a public hearing on December 2 after discussing a potential amendment to the urban camping ordinance. The current ordinance , implemented in late July, allows overnight homeless encampments in most of Missoula's 65 city parks between 8:00 p.
m. and 8:00 a.m.
However, enforcement has been challenging due to limited staffing, leading to frustration among nearby residents. The proposed amendment aims to ban homeless encampments from all city parks and elevate ordinance violations from civil infractions to misdemeanor offenses with a $50 fine. Public opinions on the amendment are divided.
During today's recent meeting, some residents expressed concerns for safety due to encampments in parks. Susan Reneau, a Missoula resident, shared her apprehensions, stating, "I no longer take my children to the park. And I no longer take my dogs to the parks.
Because I have seen hypodermic needles in parks. And I am concerned about their safety." Others argued that the changes would criminalize homelessness in Missoula.
One resident remarked, "These amendments are not Missoula. These penalties are not Missoula. If you have more people living on housing, you have shelter beds, regardless of whether those shelter beds are being used, and you provide a penalty for sleeping unhoused, you have criminalized poverty.
" Councilman Mike Nugent responded to concerns about criminalizing homelessness, stating, "By having rules at the very end for t.