(Havre) As previously reported by New Media Broadcasters, the Salvation Army Emergency Services Center of Havre has seen an increase in requests for housing and rent assistance over the last two months amid homelessness rates rising across the country by nearly 20 percent in just the last year.
New Media Broadcasters spoke with Havre Mayor Doug Kaercher about how city and fire codes in Havre handle housing those experiencing homelessness.
“Unfortunately we’re finding that codes will restrict just any building [from] being used as housing for homeless. That building has to meet certain codes. What the city would be offering out there would be: if you’re an entity that’s looking into doing this for temporary housing of homeless, come to us and we will help you get through those codes to make sure that the building you’re looking at meets those codes”
Kaercher says that the city is currently not equipped to solve the homeless problem in the area, and that the assistance will fall onto local non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army Emergency Services Center.
Director of the SAESC Trina Crawford says that in that last couple of months, she has seen a large uptick in requests for rent and housing assistance.
