Kalispell mayor to coordinate with colleagues on Flathead Valley homelessness summit

Mayor Mark Johnson pledged Monday to speak with his counterparts in Whitefish and Columbia Falls about ideas for a potentially forthcoming summit on homelessness in Flathead Valley.

Kalispell City Council had expressed support for a possible county-wide gathering during a meeting in October. The idea grew out of discussions on how best to address homelessness in the municipality. City Councilor Chad Graham at the time lamented what he saw as the responsibility for handling the valley’s homeless population falling on Kalispell. 

“We’re the only community in this valley creating opportunities and beds for the homeless community,” Graham said last month. “Kalispell is not a flophouse. And we’re not a doormat to Whitefish.”