The Flathead Warming Center rolled out a series of new initiatives on Tuesday, including a hotline, law enforcement liaison position and a care team that welcomes guests into the facility.

As part of the rollout, shelter officials released what they’re calling a “Community Connection Guide.” The document details the North Meridan Road shelter’s guiding principles as well as existing and new initiatives meant “to foster stronger communication and collaboration between the shelter, the Kalispell City Council, the Police Department, and the broader community," according to a statement issued by the Warming Center. 

The initiative comes two months after a federal judge in Missoula ruled that the low-barrier shelter could reopen for overnight stays while its lawsuit against Kalispell winds through the court system. Kalispell City Council last year voted to strip the shelter of its conditional use permit, citing neighbors who deemed it a nuisance and accused it of increasing criminal activity along the North Meridian Road corridor. 

The new hotline allows residents to contact shelter staff by phone or via an online form, though comments cannot be left anonymously. Shelter leadership have also tapped Ray Young, the facility’s program manager, to liaise with law enforcement agencies. 

“Ray has some experience in law enforcement and in serving vulnerable populations too,” Executive Director Tonya Horn said of the decision. 

Details on how collaboration with Kalispell Police Department will look are still being worked out, but Chief Jordan Venezio expects to meet with Warming Center staff this week.   

Horn said that throughout the city’s permit revocation process, the shelter never received names that could identify individuals conducting criminal activity in the neighborhood.  

"With some of these initiatives, we’re hoping to open those lines of communication so that we do have a better understanding, so that we can do all that we can do and be a part of the solution,” she said. 

Venezio testified in federal court last year that the Warming Center contributed to illegal activity along the North Meridian Road corridor, saying it adversely affected the neighboring community. 

While shelter officials said they have maintained an open-door policy when it comes to the larger community, they now plan to host periodic open forums for residents to share their perspectives with staff and guests.  

Warming Center officials are also working on developing a care team made up of individuals who use the shelter services, volunteers and staff members. Adorned in orange vests, the care team will be stationed outside of the property to greet guests “and keep an eye on how things are going with the transition of people moving into the neighborhood,” Horn said. A few will wield trash bags to pick up any garbage.  

Horn hopes that Kalispell City Council will also collaborate with the shelter, criticizing the city’s elected leaders for focusing on where homeless individuals shouldn’t be rather than where they can be.  

“Our elected officials don’t believe that they need to be part of the solution,” she said.  

Still, Councilor Ryan Hunter recently sought to revive a stalled plan to meet with leaders in Columbia Falls and Whitefish to address homelessness in the Flathead Valley. His request received the blessing of Mayor Mark Johnson on Jan. 6. 

SO FAR this year, fewer people have used the shelter’s services as compared to past years, Horn said.  

“Last winter we were turning away a lot more people than we have so far this winter,” she said.  

Though the shelter still reaches capacity on some nights, it has not occurred as frequently. 

Horn suspects that warmer weather may be a factor, but points to the shelter’s efforts to help people out of homelessness as well.  

“I would also like to think that the initiatives in our community connection plan that we’ve always had in place are helping,” she said.  

Shelter guests meet weekly with a staff member to set individualized goals to surmount homelessness.    

Horn said over the holidays the shelter saw an outpouring of support, with community members donating goods and money.  

“It was very encouraging to us and inspirational to us,” she said.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 or [email protected].