HRDC advances the construction of the Homeward Point permanent homeless shelter

Bozeman, Montana – After the Gallatin County Commission authorized funding under the American Rescue Plan Act, the HRDC is continuing with the construction of its homeless shelter at their Community Commons campus.

According to HRDC CEO Heather Grenier, this was a requirement of the agreement that, if local business leaders contributed $2.25 million to the project, the commission would equal that amount with an ARPA grant.

They currently have enough money on hand to begin building the year-round refuge, known as Homeward Point.

According to Grenier, the shelter will have additional services to assist persons facing homelessness in finding long-term housing in addition to interim lodging.

Although it is a vital and needed landing site, it is not the end. Therefore, we want to be able to ensure that all of those wraparound services are available on-site at the shelter so that we can help people get home as soon as possible, she said.

To begin the building permit procedure, the HRDC met with the Bozeman City Commission on Wednesday, according to Grenier. They intend to start construction on the project in July or August.

Since the project’s initial blueprints were filed a few years ago, the final construction bids are still being processed, and there will probably be a financing gap for some time, according to Penny Johnson, HRDC’s public information officer.

However, the HRDC is satisfied with the level of funding they have and will be able to begin building while they complete the last round of fundraising.

The Marketplace, which will provide access to inexpensive food, launched the Community Commons’ first phase last year. A shopping section, a pay-what-you-can restaurant, food storage, and a commercial kitchen are all located in this structure.