Founders Tonya Horn and Luke Heffernan started the Warming Center in the basement of a local church in 2019 to provide warm and safe beds for homeless individuals during the winter. With the generosity of local benefactors, the Warming Center bought a vacant car repair shop in a commercial area at 889 North Meridian. The Warming Center renovated the building and opened in December 2020 with a 40-bed bunkhouse (later expanded to 50), showers, laundry, a kitchenette, and places for social services providers to help struggling Kalispell residents get back on their feet. In 2023–24, the shelter was open for overnight shelter for 205 nights. Its 50 beds sheltered 324 people, many suffering sudden economic emergencies.
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Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Right to Shelter | Zoning Justice Project
Flathead Warming Center
The Flathead Warming Center—an emergency shelter in Kalispell, Montana—suffered a cruel blow as winter approaches. On September 16, 2024, the Kalispell City Council voted 6-3 to revoke the Warming Center’s permit, even though it has…