Missoula Homeless PopulationMissoula should work harder to help Missoula's homeless population. Driving around downtown Missoula, you can see a homeless person on every corner. Missoula is a tourist destination, but having homeless people on the corners of downtown Missoula begging for money seems unappealing and makes Missoula look like a garbage pit. Missoula is doing nothing to combat this situation; instead, people will drive or walk by and ignore the problem. The real question about the homeless on the streets of Missoula is: Do the homeless really want help? Missoula offers five housing options for homeless people to have their own place to live and transition into society. In addition to these five options, homeless people have the opportunity to stay at the Poverello center for a certain period of time. The Poverello has 70 beds and will be able to accommodate 100 people each night. (Poverello Center 2012 Annual Report, 2012) The City of Missoula stated in its “Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness” that Missoula has 1,242 homeless individuals and 603 homeless families. (Reaching Home: Missoula's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, 2012) Of the 1,242 homeless individuals and 603 families, only 100 of them will receive overnight shelter. This leaves 603 families and 1,142 people on the streets. The first option for homeless families is the Joseph Residence at Mclay Commons. Joseph Residence at Mclay Commons is for homeless families with children. Résidence Joseph offers two and three bedroom units, with a unit lease available for a maximum period of 2 years. Résidence Joseph requires rental fees equivalent to 30% of the monthly income of the residence for the rent of the establishment. The Joseph residence offers support......middle of paper......absence. (2012). Retrieved May 7, 2014, from Missoula United Way: http://www.missoulaunitedway.org/sites/missoulaunitedway.org/files/10-Year%20Plan-Final-Amended.pdfHomeless Programs//Missoula Housing Authority. (2014). Retrieved May 7, 2014 from Missoula Housing Authority: http://missoulahousing.org/housing/homeless_programsShelter Plus Care // Missoula Housing Authority. (2014). Retrieved May 8, 2014 from Missoula Housing Authority: http://missoulahousing.org/housing/shelter_plus_careYWCA Missoula. (2014). Retrieved May 7, 2014 from YWCA Missoula: http://www.ywcaofmissoula.org/Joseph Residence. (nd). Accessed May 7, 2014 from Poverello Center, Inc.: http://www.thepoverellocenter.org/joseph_residence.aspxOutreach Services. (nd). Retrieved May 8, 2014, from The Poverello Center, Inc.: http://www.thepoverellocenter.org/outreach_services.aspx