Sign up for the free Missoula This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Missoula city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 03/13/2026 “Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected]. New owner of historic Howard’s Apartments plans rehabilitation project When Hannah Frommelt was given notice to vacate her apartment in January, she wanted to move immediately.  Frommelt lived downtown in the building known as Howard’s Apartments for 12 years and paid about $500 in monthly rent, half the average studio rent in Missoula. To avoid doubling her rental costs, Frommelt and her mother, Sarah Sandoval, planned to move to a new place together. But after “getting the runaround” from two property management companies only to have her applications denied, Frommelt said she’ll have to couch surf until she can find a home within her budget.  “At the end of this week, I’m not going to have a place to live,” Frommelt said Monday. “I can’t fault anyone except the housing circumstance in Missoula.”  Frommelt is one of the 35 households living in the Howard’s Apartments that were given notice to vacate to allow for “substantial” rehabilitation of the 135-year-old building. The property’s new owner, Nick Caras, told Montana Free Press the work is needed to address deferred maintenance, structural deficiencies, plumbing leaks and other needs.  “It’s simply not safe for the building to continue in its current state,” Caras said in an email. “The intent is to address long-standing physical problems, stabilize the property, modernize essential building systems, and preserve as much of its historic character as possible.”  Credit: Katie Fairbanks/MTFP The building originally opened as the Missoula Hotel in 1891. Along with the apartments, it currently houses the Rhino Bar, the Missoula Club and several other businesses on the ground floor. Caras bought the property in January after the former owner, Howard Horton, died in October, according to county property records.   Caras said the building includes 73 apartments, although nearly half are uninhabitable due to plumbing or electrical failure. Caras said his team is still evaluating how the work will affect ground-floor commercial tenants, but he doesn’t anticipate significant disruption to the Rhino or the Missoula Club, which are located in newer portions of the property.  Of the 35 tenants living in Howard’s Apartments in January, 30 have secured other housing, two are applying for rentals and Caras Property Management is assisting the remaining three to find housing, Caras said. Caras Property Management helped place 12 households in its own properties and created a $50,000 tenant relocation fund to help pay for deposits, moving costs and other hardship-related needs, Caras said.  “Everyone recognizes that Missoula remains a very challenging rental market, especially for lower-income households,” he said. “That reality is exactly why we have tried to approach this transition with direct support rather than simply issuing notices and stepping away. We know that does not erase how difficult this is, but we have tried to respond to the situation in a way that makes this building safe again.”  The Missoula Tenants Union reached out to Howard’s Apartments residents after hearing about the notice to vacate in mid-January, organizer Josh Decker told MTFP. The group held tenant meetings and spread the word about the relocation fund, he said. Many tenants were on fixed incomes and paying rents that are “impossible” to find on the market, Decker said.  “We would like to see people spending less than one-third of their income on housing, which is basically unattainable for folks leaving that building,” he said.  Decker said it’s tricky when the previous owner neglected the building’s upkeep for so long. But the renovation will likely mean the apartments return to the market at rates out of reach for former residents and other Missoulians with limited income, he said.  Frommelt said it was nice that her rent remained affordable, but she recognized the building needs to be updated. Caras Property Management is being “generous” with offering to pay for moving expenses, and the staff has been supportive, she said.  While Frommelt said she has enough savings to afford a security deposit, other barriers have made finding housing a slow process. The rental market is more difficult to navigate than it was 12 years ago, including finding a property management company or a landlord with a good reputation, she said.  “I’m really lucky,” Frommelt said. “I know I can figure this out. I hear from other neighbors that worry about the people that don’t have the cognitive or financial abilities to navigate a situation like this; it’s a real concern.”  By the Numbers  The decrease in veteran homelessness in Missoula between February 2023 and January 2026, Dylan Barbash, the city’s Built for Zero specialist, told the Missoula City Council Wednesday. The city aims to reach “functional zero” veteran homelessness by Nov. 11, 2026, meaning that fewer veterans are experiencing homelessness than can be routinely housed in six months.  “We’re not ever going to completely end veteran homelessness,” Barbash said. “But our ability to house those that are in the system can be quick, responsive, and we can make sure veteran houselessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.”  The city joined Built for Zero, a campaign to reduce homelessness through the nonprofit Community Solutions, in 2022. Missoula’s Built for Zero team includes the city, Veterans Affairs, Volunteers of America, Veterans Inc., the Poverello Center, Missoula Housing Authority and United Way of Missoula County.  In late 2024 and early 2025, the city helped 12 homeless veterans find housing during a 60-day “Housed for the Holidays” sprint. As of January, Missoula had 49 homeless veterans, down from 96 in February 2023. Veterans have access to two different federal housing vouchers that cover rental costs and include case management, Barbash said. Other veteran housing programs include the Missoula Housing Authority’s Valor House, which provides 17 apartments for veterans through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program, and the Housing Montana Heroes program operated by the VA and Poverello Center. Barbash said those resources are fantastic, and it would be great to have more programs that provide veteran-specific support.  For those not eligible for vouchers or with other needs, the United Way operates the Veteran Housing Fund, which can help pay for housing or other related costs, Barbash said.  “This flexible fund helps address individual needs, it helps fill gaps in our system, it helps kind of just makes sure we can at least provide some help to every single person on our list,” Barbash said.  Barbash said he has raised $12,000 of his $60,000 goal for the fund. To move closer to the city’s functional zero goal, donations are needed, along with more private landlords and property management companies willing to work with houseless veterans, he said.  While it might be harder to house a veteran with a voucher, landlords “know a check is coming” and have a case manager to talk to if issues arise, Barbash said.  Several council members expressed support for the program.  “I think there’s huge potential for you to reach your goal in November,” Council Member Gwen Jones said. “But you need landlords to work with who want to engage on this topic, and then also looking for some additional funding. The more funding you have, the more flexibility you have.”  5 Things to Know in Missoula  The Missoula County commissioners Tuesday approved a settlement for a lawsuit over their 2024 decision to allow the expansion of a gravel pit near Carlton. In the fall of 2023, Western Materials requested a variance to expand its gravel operation off Old Highway 93 between Lolo and Florence. Nearby residents opposed the expansion because of potential effects on the quality of life and the environment and questioned the legality of the mine’s existence in the residential zoning district. After several public meetings, the commissioners approved the expansion with several conditions. The neighbors’ Carlton Protection Trust sued the county in September 2024 over the decision. Western Materials joined the county in the case. As part of the settlement, which did not include a financial payment from the county, the county agreed to provide a letter of support to the Montana Department of Transportation regarding safety concerns on Highway 93 and Old Highway 93 near the property and to conduct inspections required by law. The county is not part of ongoing discussions between the Carlton Protection Trust and Western Materials regarding operations of the gravel pit, Brian West, the county’s chief civil deputy county attorney, told the commissioners.  Four of the five trustees for Missoula County Public Schools were elected by acclamation after no challengers filed for election earlier this month. Elementary school trustees Jeffery Avgeris, Denise Juneau and Lodon Meservy, and Leslie McShane, representing high school district C, the Hellgate area, are set to serve another term. Lisa Davey, who represents high school district D — Seeley Swan, Potomac, Clinton and Sunset areas — didn’t file for reelection. On May 26, her seat will be declared vacant. Davey previously told MTFP she hopes to be appointed for another year.  On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners approved a letter to Sen. Tim Sheehy in support of the county’s request for congressionally directed spending to replace Boy Scout Bridge in Seeley Lake. The bridge has been closed since 2023 due to structural deficiencies. Boy Scout Bridge provides critical access for homes, recreation, businesses and industry, and the closure has impacted emergency response times, the commissioners wrote. Last month, the county applied for a $14.6 million federal grant to replace the bridge, and the commissioners sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in support of the application. The county’s 2024 grant application for Boy Scout and other rural bridges was unsuccessful. Grant awards will be announced in June, said Jason Mitchell, the county’s public works director, during a March 2 meeting.  The Missoula County Public Schools board Tuesday awarded a $319,000 bid to Western Montana Roofing to replace the Jefferson school roof, which was damaged during the December windstorm. The building is no longer an elementary school but houses an after-school program and a daycare. Burley McWilliams, the district’s director of facilities and operations, told the board that the district’s insurance will cover the cost, minus the roof’s depreciation as determined by the insurance company. The district could pay the remaining cost with building reserve funds or potentially request tax increment financing from the city of Missoula, McWilliams said.   Live storytelling organization Tell Us Something is accepting pitches for its upcoming event, “Power of Place.” Community members are invited to share personal, true stories about the locations that have shaped, challenged or defined them. Pitches are due by May 1, and selected storytellers must attend a group workshop on June 6. The live storytelling event is June 16. Those interested can call the pitch line at 406-203-4683 and leave a voicemail with a summary of their story, which should include a beginning, middle and end. Deaf storytellers can pitch their stories via email at [email protected].  St. Patrick’s Day Weekend  St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are scheduled throughout Saturday, hosted by the University of Montana’s Irish Studies Program, the Friends of Irish Studies and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Events begin with an 8 a.m. mass at St. Francis Xavier, followed by a parade through downtown at noon. Free carousel rides will be available at Caras Park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and spectators can watch a free Irish Hurling Match at 1:30 p.m. at the Washington-Grizzly Stadium.  Those interested can join a whiskey tasting at the Rhino Bar from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for $65 or a banquet and auction at the Holiday Inn downtown starting at 6 p.m. for $45. Banquet tickets are available online. The auction benefits the Friends of Irish Studies, which supports UM’s Irish Studies Program and promotes Irish culture.  Registration is open for theRun for the Luck of It! race Saturday at Missoula County Fairgrounds. The day begins with a Little Leprechauns Dash, a free 400-meter race for kids aged 10 and under, at 8:45 a.m., followed by the seven-mile route at 9 a.m. and the 5k at 9:30 a.m. All races start and finish at the fairgrounds. Post-race festivities include traditional Irish food and beverages, as well as performances by the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band and the Carol Henderson School of Irish Dancing. Registration information and race details are available online.  The post Residents vacated from downtown building face housing challenges appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less