Skyrocketing Montana Homelessness Prompts Proposals to Ban Urban Camping, Supportive Housing Approaches Met With Resistance

Since she lost her home, the four walls of Chloe Carlson’s tent have served as her sole source of shelter.

Carlson’s two cats serve as her heaters during winter storms. She pitches her tent on a slight incline to prevent flooding in rainy weather. She knows a thing or two about surviving in harsh conditions.

“I like when it is actually snowy, because it tends to be warmer out,” Carlson said. “Because those clouds trap a lot of the daytime heat.”

In 2022, Carlson joined the swelling ranks of people without homes in Montana after losing her job in a restaurant in West Yellowstone. Carlson return...