[MissoulaGov] panhandling ordinance

[Eric Taylor]

A clash over access to resources is notheng new in this part of the west. For example the non-treaty Nez Perce clashed with whites after the 1865 treaty reduced their land holdings previously guarenteed them in the treaty of 1855. The 1865 treaty opened up Nez Perce land to white gold prospectors. The gold prospectors resource grab from the hard working people of the Nez Perce was aided by the U.S. Government.
 
Poor Farm / County Hospital – was located in the lower Rattlesnake on property where
The Rattlesnake school operated for many years. In the early 1880s, Missoula was
developing as the ‘Garden City’ and a major industrial hub. Along with the industry
came transients who could not always care for themselves. As these indigent workers
grew in number, citizens petitioned the County Commissioners to find a place to house
them so as not to deflect from Missoula’s ‘quality of life’. Henry C Hollenbeck sold the
County 40 acres in the lower Rattlesnake to develop housing and care facilities for this
group. A Pauper’s Application for County aid was necessary for admittance onto the
farm. Length of stay depended on individual circumstances. Most residents had
physical, emotional, or addiction disorders. Residents were given three meals a day,
shelter, and medical attention. Able workers assisted the resident Superintendent with
chores on the farm. Those that died on the property were buried there. The Poor Farm
burned down in 1936 and was not re-built.
 
As outlined above Missoula COUNTY government has a long history of dedicating financial resources to the valleys poor. 
 
Below, is an outline of the County Poor fund which still exists today.
 
Fund 2120
Poor



Departmental Purpose
The County Poor Fund has been established by the Board of County Commissioners to provide human services not otherwise available through state or federal funding and to establish a safety net or continuum of services to meet basic human needs. Services are provided under contract with various community service providers through the Community Based Organization (CBO) Program, administered by the Grants Division of the Office of Planning and Grants. Projects awarded funding through the Poor Fund meet needs identified by relevant community-based needs assessments and serve at-risk populations at the most basic levels of food, shelter, medical care, and transportation. These projects pass the "SUGR" test for Severity (the problem that the project addresses is severe); Urgency (the need to address the problem is urgent); Growth (if the problem is not addressed now, it will worsen significantly); and Resources (the resources requested for the project are adequate to meet the need).

 

If BID and the CITY want to address the issue of access to resources in the Missoula Valley, as the city annexes more land and the population of the city grows, perhaps they should step up to the plate and offer some money from city coffers to address the underlying causes of poverty and chronic diseases suffered by the poor.  

 


 
 
 
 

 



 
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