Downtown Kalispell businesses look at program aimed at reducing homelessness

Members of the Kalispell Business Improvement District board on Tuesday discussed starting a charitable fund to reduce homelessness, as well as training downtown business employees in mental health de-escalation techniques.

Similar to the “Spare Change for Real Change” program in Billings and elsewhere, the program would donate funds collected at downtown businesses to local nonprofits working to reduce homelessness.

In considering the program, board members said they were looking for solutions to Kalispell’s growing homelessness problem, while also protecting businesses and employees.

Discussion centered around topics raised during a June workshop facilitated by Kyle Waterman, a Western Montana Mental Health Center board member and former Kalispell City Council member. Waterman said that issues surrounding the impacts of homelessness in the city were on the front of downtown business owners’ minds.

He said he facilitated the meeting to “brainstorm” potential solutions with community members.

Waterman pointed to the Billings program, which is organized by the Downtown Billings Alliance and has existed for around 15 years. The program has been used to fund programs that help homeless veterans, the housing authority and addictions services.

Waterman said that such programs not only can raise funds, but also increase awareness through donation boxes and information visible at downtown businesses.

In addition to discussing the donation program, he also wanted to inform people about mental health resources available in Flathead County.

“It’s important that people know that there are resources,” Waterman said. “I wish they were more available and deployable in the community, but they exist.”

Waterman said he is willing to help downtown businesses train their employees on how to deal with in-progress mental health or addiction crises in or around the workplace.

“I think it’s good for people to have deescalation training,” he said.

Marshall Noice described the workshop as productive, and said discussion during the event broached the topics of finding places for homeless residents to sleep overnight, especially in the summer months when there are fewer overnight shelter beds available.

“Depot Park is not the right place for them to be living,” he said during the Tuesday meeting. “What can we do to help the people find a better place to be?”

For Waterman, having these conversations with all members of the community is a critical step to improving the situation.

“If we aren’t talking about homelessness and these issues we won’t get somewhere where we can have solutions,” he said.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.