Sean Carter is sitting at a table at the Flathead Warming Center soaking up the last bit of warmth before he leaves into the rainy morning.
Carter says he left Missoula to come to the Flathead Valley in hopes of a better opportunity to get services. He says it was too crowded in Missoula, and it became harder to find places to sleep as the city cracked down on urban camping.
But the Flathead didn’t provide the reprieve he was hoping for.
“People are very inhospitable, and it's not very accommodating, you might say.”
Kalispell has also limited sleeping in public. Carter says the city’s attempt to revoke the shelter’s permit made it feel like the homeless population shouldn’t be here at all.
At another table, Brett Hermann feels like he is being pushed out of his hometown. The 66-year-old is a former construction worker and can’t physically do the job anymore. He says the last month of sleeping outside was brutal as temperatures dipped into the low 30s.
“All I can do is cover up with my coat, … rain pants and stuff.”
He says he’s incredibly grateful to have a warm bed at night. He hopes getting better rest will help him find a job and get back on his feet.
Still, he worries about the future of the Warming Center. The court case over its permit is expected to last several months. He’ll have a warm bed for at least as long as the case plays out.
