KALISPELL, Mont. – The Flathead Warming Center has won a crucial early victory in its legal fight to stay open overnight. Federal Judge Dana Christensen issued a preliminary injunction allowing the shelter to continue its overnight services while a lawsuit challenging the city of Kalispell’s permit revocation is underway.
This decision comes as temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s. The court found that Kalispell’s process for revoking the permit was “subjective, nebulous, and thus a meaningless basis for rescinding the” permit. The injunction allows the shelter to provide essential warmth and safety to the homeless throughout the winter until a final decision is made in the lawsuit.
The shelter will open tonight for overnight stays, and staff and volunteers are spreading the word about the reopening.
Tonya Horn, Executive Director of the Flathead Warming Center, expressed her relief at the decision. “We’re elated that we can keep helping people through the worst of the winter,” she said. “With this decision, we will be here to provide warmth, safety, and support to those who need it most. We plan to do so with our community’s continued support as we work with everyone to take care of our most vulnerable neighbors.”
The lawsuit, filed by the Institute for Justice on behalf of the Flathead Warming Center, challenges Kalispell’s decision to revoke the shelter’s conditional use permit in September.
