Thank you to the The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for your support of many incredible organizations across the state of Montana.
Eviction report highlights issues facing renters in Montana
Helena Independent Record A significant portion of people in Montana who faced eviction during the pandemic were either single mothers, very low-income, had mental illness issues in their household before they lost their housing or fell into all those categories. Many also ended up homeless, according to a new report from a team of data …
Montana groups receive $1.2M in grants from Bremer trust
Two Helena-based groups were among the 190 grants that will share $20.3 million from the Otto Bremer Trust, it was announced Tuesday. bremer.PNG Nearly two dozen Montana organizations were awarded $1.2 million, the trust reported. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana, Helena will receive $45,000 for general operations to create and support one-to-one youth …
Tough times: Local organizations shoulder bigger burden as pandemic-era support programs end
Pandemic era programs supporting human services have begun to sunset this year, including one supporting people struggling to pay rent. The ramifications of that program’s sunset have not yet come fully to light, but local nonprofits and national tracking programs seem to signal that it’s beginning to affect the Gallatin County community, though the degree …
Medicaid ‘unwinding’ clogs call centers, blocking access to other safety-net programs
The bottleneck caused by states’ reevaluation of Medicaid enrollees has swept up low-income families that rely on other public assistance programs. MISSOULA, Mont. — An hour before sunrise, Shelly Brost walked a mile in freezing rain to the public assistance office. She was running out of time to prove she still qualified for food aid …
Report: Montana renters faced eviction challenges during pandemic
HELENA (KPAX) — Housing affordability and availability have remained major concerns across Montana over the last few years, and that’s put added pressure on people dealing with evictions. The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) released a report this week, highlighting some of the ongoing impacts for people who went through the eviction process during the COVID-19 …
MLSA in the News: Evictions and What MLSA Can Do to Help
As MLSA’s recent eviction report confirmed, eviction can have a devastating impact on households and families already struggling to make ends meet. MLSA attorney Daniel Webster spoke with KTVH about the challenge eviction poses to households and how MLSA can help. Click here for more information about MLSA’s eviction report.
MLSA in the News: Montana Eviction Report
In MLSA’s recent eviction report, MLSA found that the majority of families who faced eviction were already struggling to make ends meet, with 82% of survey respondents spending more than 30% of their income on rent (49% of respondents spent more than 50%). MLSA Director of Advocacy Bill Hooks spoke with NBC Montana about …
MT launches $1 million family mediation program
The state of Montana has allocated nearly $1 million to help settle domestic cases before they ever get to court. The Montana Family Transition Project is for couples who are separating and have children. The program offers mediation, a formula for calculating child support, and legal advice for parents who need a parenting plan as …
Montana Justice Foundation gives over $600K to improve justice
Thank you Montana Justice Foundation for helping ensure MLSA and all these exceptional organizations can continue to improve access to justice for Montanans!