A group of local Flathead County shelters, mental-health providers, churches, homeless teens and domestic violence organizations, law enforcement and other entities are working to secure a location to provide additional temporary shelter for homeless individuals during the coronavirus outbreak.

The new group is known as the Flathead COVID-19 Emergency Shelter Collaborative. The collaborative hopes to lock down a new site from now until one month after Gov. Steve Bullock’s shelter-in-place order is lifted to “allow time for transition of clients and the breakdown and clean-up of the site,” according to a press release.

As of Tuesday, Bullock’s order is set to expire on April 10, meaning ideally, the temporary shelter would be in place until at least May 10. However, recent state discussions suggest Bullock may extend the order.

According to Chris Krager, executive director of the Samaritan House in Kalispell, in a perfect scenario the new location would house about 80% of the county’s homeless population, but because they have been unable to secure a large location, he said “realistically” the site will probably efficiently house closer to 20% of the population. Krager said stakeholders estimate there are currently about 200 homeless individuals in the valley, therefore the temporary site would need to have adequate isolation space for about 40 people, give or take.

“This will make a huge difference in our county’s ability to stop the spread of the virus, if we can give these individuals a space where they can socially distance and isolate,” Krager said. “For unsheltered people, the restaurants and libraries and other places that closed are areas they would normally congregate. Now we need to a find a new place for them, but in a location where they can be distant still from one another.”

According to the press release, the collaborative is looking for locations for three phases: a shelter in place area with sanitation facilities for social distancing, an isolation space for those awaiting test results or for those who have non-acute symptoms, and a congregate-living area for those who have tested positive and need medical support but don’t need a hospital-level of care. Ideally, these would be indoor locations.

According to Krager, the stakeholders have asked numerous locations to consider housing the homeless. Thus far, none have confirmed, but Krager said they are “getting closer” to nailing one down.

This effort to find additional housing amid the COVID-19 outbreak is one that many other communities have launched as well.

Krager pointed to Billings as one example — an area that has been hit particularly hard by Montana’s COVID-19 outbreak. A few days ago, Yellowstone County’s United Health Command announced the MetraPark Pavilion in Billings is being set up as an isolation unit. In addition, the Billings Gazette reported St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation has provided $50,000 to help local leaders establish the site.

Krager said aside from the community donating any sanitizer, toilet paper and food items to accommodate those in the pending temporary housing unit, financial assistance would be greatly appreciated.

“As always, we are very grateful for our donors. If you can spare finances at this time, it would go a long ways,” Krager said.

Krager also gave thanks to local hospitals and the Flathead City-County Health Department, which have also come on board to help the collaborative find a location. The collaborative is working with the health department to connect the temporary housing project with the Flathead County COVID-19 Response Plan.

“They will really be here to assist with much-needed medical advice on how we can care for these individuals during this time,” Krager said.

If you are interested in volunteering with or donating to the Flathead Emergency COVID-19 Emergency Collaborative’s efforts, contact the Samaritan House at 406-257-5284 or 406-257-5801.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com