Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-10-25 Public Comment - J. LeBlanc - Family Promise SupportFrom:City of Bozeman, MT To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]*NEW SUBMISSION* Public Comment Form - City Clerk Date:Tuesday, June 10, 2025 11:39:02 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Form - City Clerk Submission #:4108974 IP Address:69.145.95.205 Submission Date:06/10/2025 11:38 Survey Time:5 minutes, 32 seconds You have a new online form submission. Note: all answers displaying "*****" are marked as sensitive and must be viewed after your login. Read-Only Content Full Name Jaclyn LeBlanc Email leblancjaclyn.20@gmail.com Phone (832) 795-2073 Comments My comments are attached in a document below. If you would like to submit additional documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .gif, .jpg, .png, .rtf, .txt) along with your comment, you may alternately address comments@bozeman.net directly to ensure receipt of all information. FPGV Support - Public Comment.docx Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email. June 10th, 2025 Dear City Council, On behalf of Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, I write to urge your support for our funding request of $120,000 from the City of Bozeman to sustain the operations of our family emergency shelter rooms—a critical service for families in crisis in our community. Last fiscal year alone, Family Promise served over 391 families, marking a staggering 1017% increase since 2019. The need is urgent, and growing. Housing costs in Gallatin County are now 62% higher than the national average, with average monthly rent exceeding $2,300. In contrast, the average family we serve nets only about $2,400 per month—leaving roughly $100 for all other necessities like food, transportation, and utilities. This gap leaves too many parents and children on the brink—or in the reality—of homelessness. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count documented the highest number of unhoused families in our county’s history. Without stable shelter, these families face compounding trauma, particularly for children, who suffer lasting developmental and educational setbacks when their basic needs go unmet. With support from the City of Bozeman, Family Promise will be able to meet families where they are and help them move forward with dignity and hope. Emergency shelter is not a handout—it’s a foundation from which families can rebuild their lives. Last fiscal year, it cost just $2,816 to provide emergency housing for a child in our care. A modest investment, but one that ensures that child has the chance to sleep in safety and wake up with stability. City investment in this work is not only a compassionate response—it’s a fiscally responsible one. By preventing homelessness from becoming chronic, we reduce strain on public systems like healthcare, policing, and education. Most importantly, we uphold our shared value that all children deserve a safe place to sleep. Thank you for considering this request and for your continued partnership in ending family homelessness in Gallatin County. We are ready to continue doing our part—and we hope the City of Bozeman will join us in this vital work. Sincerely, Jaclyn LeBlanc