Quick Answer: What Did Missoula Accomplish?

From mid-November 2024 to mid-January 2025, Missoula housed 12 homeless veterans in just 60 days through the "Housed for the Holidays" sprint. The campaign doubled the city's average monthly veteran housing rate from three to six placements. The effort was part of Missoula's participation in "Built for Zero," a national campaign to reduce homelessness through data-driven coordination. Partners included the Poverello Center, Volunteers of America, the Department of Veterans Affairs, United Way of Missoula County, and even the Walmart on Mullan Road, which provided move-in funds and materials.

What Is Built for Zero?

Built for Zero is a national campaign led by the nonprofit Community Solutions that helps communities use real-time data and coordinated outreach to reduce — and ultimately end — homelessness. The approach focuses on making homelessness rare and brief for specific populations, then scaling up to address the entire community.

Missoula joined Built for Zero with a specific focus on veterans first. The strategy: prove the model works with one population, then expand. Mayor Andrea Davis and city staff have championed the program as a way to bring measurable results to a complex challenge.

"The sprint, of course, is twofold," said Emily Armstrong, Missoula's houseless programs manager. "It's very important to house folks. That's its primary purpose: Let's get some folks in housing as it's cold. But the other purpose is really to better understand our system and to understand where are the barriers that are really holding us up."

The "Housed for the Holidays" Sprint

Missoula was one of six communities in the Northwest selected to participate in the intensive 60-day housing sprint. The challenge: move as many veterans as possible into stable housing before the coldest winter months.

City staff started with a list of 15 veterans to focus on, including:

• Veterans newly identified as homeless
• Those with income but not enough for move-in costs
• Veterans ineligible for federal vouchers due to other-than-honorable discharge or past convictions

This last group often falls through the cracks of traditional housing programs — making the sprint's success even more significant.

How They Did It: Removing Barriers

The sprint revealed key barriers that slow down housing placements — and showed how to overcome them.

Move-In Costs: Many veterans had income but couldn't afford security deposits, first month's rent, or application fees. The sprint used flexible funding to cover these upfront costs.

Holding Units: Property managers often won't hold vacant units while paperwork processes. Dylan Barbash, the city's Built for Zero specialist, used a $30,000 Community Solutions grant to hold units and offer incentives like signing bonuses.

Housing First Approach: The team focused on getting veterans housed first, then addressing other needs. "You get them into housing first," Barbash explained. "Then you work on everything else."

Coordination: Regular meetings between all partners kept cases moving and prevented veterans from slipping through the cracks.

The Numbers Behind the Success

The sprint produced measurable results:

• 12 veterans housed in 60 days
• Monthly housing rate doubled — from 3 to 6 placements per month
• 15 veterans on the initial target list
• 80 veterans — average number experiencing homelessness in Missoula at any given time

The real victory isn't just the 12 veterans housed — it's proving that the system can work faster when barriers are removed. Armstrong said the sprint makes her more confident Missoula can achieve its goal of making veteran homelessness rare and brief by Veterans Day 2026.

"It's just figuring out how we can sustain that as a community," she said, "but we know it's possible."

Who Made It Happen: Local Partners

Several local organizations were critical to the sprint's success:

The Poverello Center
Missoula's primary homeless shelter provided housing navigation and case management services. The center has also announced plans for a new veterans transitional housing building expected to break ground in 2025.

Volunteers of America
Operates rapid rehousing programs that help veterans transition from homelessness to permanent housing with support services.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Provided healthcare connections, benefits assistance, and eligibility guidance for VA housing programs.

United Way of Missoula County
Manages the Veteran Housing Fund, which provides flexible financial assistance for move-in costs and other barriers.

Walmart (Mullan Road)
The local store provided move-in funds and materials — showing how businesses can directly impact community challenges.

What's Next: The Path to Functional Zero

Missoula's goal is to reach "functional zero" for veteran homelessness by Veterans Day 2026 — meaning any veteran who becomes homeless will be housed within 30 days.

The sprint taught city staff valuable lessons about system barriers that they hope to apply to the broader homeless population. The housing-first approach, flexible funding for move-in costs, and coordinated case management could all be scaled up.

The Poverello Center's planned veterans transitional housing building, expected to begin construction in 2025, will add more capacity to the system. This facility will provide temporary housing and support services specifically for veterans transitioning off the streets.

How You Can Help

Missoula residents can support the Built for Zero effort in several ways:

Donate to the Veteran Housing Fund: United Way of Missoula County accepts donations specifically for veteran housing assistance. These flexible funds cover move-in costs, application fees, and other barriers that traditional programs don't address.

Landlords and Property Managers: If you have rental units available, contact Dylan Barbash at barbashd@ci.missoula.mt.us. The city is actively seeking property partners willing to work with veterans exiting homelessness.

Volunteer: Organizations like the Poverello Center and Volunteers of America rely on community volunteers to support their housing programs.

Spread the Word: Share success stories like the "Housed for the Holidays" sprint to build community support for homelessness solutions.

FAQ: Built for Zero and Veteran Housing

Q: What is "functional zero" homelessness?
A: Functional zero means that homelessness is rare and brief. When someone becomes homeless, the community has the capacity to house them within 30 days. It doesn't mean zero people ever experience homelessness — it means the system responds quickly.

Q: How many homeless veterans are in Missoula?
A: On average, about 80 veterans experience homelessness in Missoula at any given time. The Built for Zero campaign is working to make that number as close to zero as possible.

Q: What barriers prevent veterans from getting housed?
A: Common barriers include move-in costs (deposits, first month's rent), lack of income documentation, other-than-honorable military discharge status, and past criminal convictions that make them ineligible for federal housing programs.

Q: How can landlords help?
A: Landlords can partner with the city to rent to veterans exiting homelessness. The city offers incentives like guaranteed rent, damage coverage, and case management support. Contact Dylan Barbash at barbashd@ci.missoula.mt.us.

Q: What's the difference between Built for Zero and regular homeless services?
A: Built for Zero uses real-time data and coordinated outreach to track every person experiencing homelessness by name. This allows communities to identify bottlenecks and measure progress toward specific goals — like housing all veterans.

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