Samaritan House to Break Ground on $16.9 million Expansion in October
The “Building Stability” project will bring 18 family apartments, 15 single-occupancy veteran-dedicated units and communal space to the Kalispell homeless shelter
By Maggie Dresser
Providers at the Samaritan House are preparing to break ground on a $16.9 million “Building Stability” expansion project that will bring family apartments, veteran-dedicated units and community space to the nonprofit homeless shelter on Second Street West in Kalispell.
Crews with Swank Enterprises will begin construction for phase one in October, launching the roughly three-year project into motion.
The Samaritan House has raised $7.4 million through various grants and programs; fundraising continues as officials raise money to complete the expansion.
As part of phase one, crews will build 18 two- and three-bedroom apartments that will be priced at fixed affordable rates, with plans for them to be subsidized under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program.
Located across from Peterson Elementary School, sidewalks will also be installed for kids to safely walk to school.
“The bulk will be elementary school-aged kids,” Samaritan House Executive Director Chris Krager said. “That was the nature of the letter of support from Kalispell schools — they can walk right across the street to school.”
“Building Stability” will also include the construction of 15 handicap-accessible, single-occupancy units and a community center for veterans. Kalispell has the second-highest population of homeless veterans in the state of Montana, only ranking behind Missoula — a leading factor in Samaritan House’s goal to increase veteran-related services.
“We are fixing gaps in the community,” Krager said.
In phase three, the former armory building that currently houses administrative offices will be remodeled to condense the office space while also serving as overflow space for pop-up shelter beds during emergencies, such as severe cold weather or during wildfire season.
The expansion will add to the studio and one-bedroom units on its second campus two blocks away, which also offers emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, a homeless veteran’s program, case management, and a cafeteria.
As part of the expansion, the cafeteria on the main campus will be reallocated to serve a capacity of 126 people for three meals per day.
Krager says the Samaritan House expansion has received widespread support from the community as demand for services continues to grow. The Kalispell City Council unanimously approved the expansion in recent years and a wide range of local leaders have stepped up to promote the capital campaign.
“We have good community support,” Krager said. “Our services are always at a high, all year round, and we are running full steam all the time. Homelessness in Montana at certain times of year is pretty serious and can be fatal.”
The Samaritan House is hosting a carnival-themed groundbreaking celebration on Sept. 26, which will feature food, games and live music. There will also be a dunk tank where attendees will have the opportunity to dunk local officials like Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino and Kalispell City Council members.
