Document Type

Research Report

Publisher

Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities

Publication Date

4-22-2025

Disciplines

Demography, Population, and Ecology | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology

Abstract

The Just Home project in Missoula County, Montana, is a collaborative initiative supported by the MacArthur Foundation to address the intersection of housing instability and justice system involvement. Led by Homeword, Inc. and the Missoula County Community Justice Department, the project seeks to develop sustainable, community-driven solutions that reduce incarceration and improve housing outcomes for vulnerable populations. To inform this work, the University of Montana’s Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities conducted a comprehensive community needs assessment using mixed methods, including administrative data analysis, qualitative interviews with service providers, and community engagement with unhoused and justice-involved individuals.

Findings show that housing instability and justice involvement are mutually reinforcing, with unhoused individuals frequently incarcerated for low-level offenses. Native Americans and Black residents face disproportionate impacts, and transition-aged youth are at heightened risk due to systemic gaps in support. Structural and bureaucratic barriers such as legal exclusions from federal housing vouchers, lack of income, and administrative hurdles further marginalize justice-involved individuals. While innovative local programs offer promising models of collaboration between the justice system and local service providers, significant gaps remain, particularly in transitional housing, culturally responsive services, and behavioral health supports.

The report offers recommendations for addressing the intersection of homelessness and justice involvement through expanding Housing First and transitional housing models, developing youth-specific supports, and advancing Indigenous-led housing initiatives. The report also calls for reducing criminalization of homelessness, strengthening reentry services, and addressing stigma through public education and inclusive employment practices. This assessment provides a critical foundation for systemic reforms aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness and incarceration in Missoula County.

Keywords

homelessness, housing instability, justice involvement, incarceration

Rights

© 2025 Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities

Granting Agency

Homeword, Inc.; MacArthur Foundation

Acknowledgement

This report was prepared by the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities at the University of Montana as part of the Just Home initiative, in partnership with Homeword, Inc. and the Missoula County Community Justice Department. The findings and conclusions presented herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or official policies of the University of Montana, Homeword, Inc., Missoula County, the Urban Institute, or the MacArthur Foundation. The information in this report is intended to support community understanding. It is not intended to serve as legal advice or as a prescriptive policy document. This report is the result of the collaborative efforts of many individuals and organizations committed to understanding and addressing the intersection of housing instability and justice involvement in Missoula County. We extend our deepest appreciation to the individuals who shared their time, expertise, and lived experiences through interviews and community conversations. Your insights are the foundation of this work. Special thanks to Homeword, Inc. and the Missoula County Community Justice Department for their leadership of the Just Home initiative and for their support throughout this needs assessment. We are also grateful to the Urban Institute for their guidance and engagement. We acknowledge the invaluable contributions of community partners, service providers, tribal organizations, and local government staff who offered their perspectives and data to inform this report. We are especially grateful to the young people and community members who participated in community pop-up conversations—your voices are vital to this effort. Thank you to the staff at the Poverello Center, Missoula Municipal Court, Willard Alternative High School, and Andrea Graham at Youth Homes, Inc. for your collaboration and support with the community pop-ups. This work was supported by the MacArthur Foundation’s Just Home initiative. We thank the Foundation for its support and for creating opportunities for local communities to better understand and address the complex relationship between housing and the justice system. Finally, this work was conducted on the traditional lands of many Indigenous peoples, including the Selis (Salish), Ksanka (Kootenai), and Qlispe (Kalispel). In the context of a report on homelessness and justice involvement, we are mindful that these issues cannot be fully understood or addressed without reckoning with the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and the systemic exclusion of Native peoples. As non-Native scholars, we also recognize that acknowledgements like these must be accompanied by tangible action. Our inclusion of local histories of settler colonialism and Indigenous resilience in this report reflects our commitment to ongoing efforts to rectify and repair these injustices.

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