Tonya Horn

A homeless shelter in Kalispell has reopened its doors after the city shut it down earlier this year. A judge ruled that the shelter can operate while the court case over the city’s actions plays out.

Homeless people in Kalispell say they could freeze to death on the streets this winter after city officials closed a warming shelter. The shelter is suing the city to reopen before the snow flies.

A homeless shelter in Kalispell is taking the city to court after the city council revoked its permit to operate. The shelter’s lawyers expect this to be an important case nationally.

The Kalispell City Council will vote on whether or not the Flathead Warming Center will be permitted to stay open.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ruling on Friday that prevented cities from fining or jailing unhoused people for sleeping in public if the city didn’t have another option for them.

Flathead County commissioners have penned an open letter asking city councils in the area to reject the empowerment of "the homeless lifestyle," and to deny permits to build or expand homeless shelters. Advocates for homeless people are pushing back.

The Flathead Warming Center in Kalispell is set to open its doors next week for its second season after an extensive remodel. The shelter expects a busy winter season due in part to the Flathead Valley’s housing crisis.

Community leaders across the state are preparing for more people who might need access to a homeless shelter this year. The state’s moratorium on evictions amid the pandemic expires this month and shelters in Montana have already seen greater demand from years of cost of living increases in the state.