ZAHP! The Zootown Affordable Housing Podcast

I recently moved to Hot Springs, MT, to begin research on a project that I am starting called MAP (the Missoula Attainability Project).  I have taken an interest in hemp, and the first name that came to my ears in regards to making use of this plant was Frances DeForrest.  Frances has been a nurse for 20 years and currently works from home as a triage nurse, helping people who call in from all over the country.  She is also an active hemp advocate.  She has a nearly completed gypsy bardo made with hempcrete and other hemp products that she can travel with and use for educational purposes.  She also has plans for her own hempcrete home, and has experimented with many other uses for this versatile plant.  In this episode we talk about Frances's diverse body of work with hemp, building with hempcrete, and the MAP project.  Thank you for listening to ZAHP! and for your continuing referrals for amazing interviews!

Amy Allison Thompson has been the Executive Director of the Poverello Center, Missoula’s homeless shelter, for 3 years. She has her BA in Psychology and Masters in Social Work, both from the University of Montana. She has an extensive background in social work, and spent many years working with the homeless and other vulnerable groups at the Pov and other locations before filling her current position. In this episode we talk about the importance to society of housing the homeless, and how the Poverello center helps those who live without a permanent and safe place to take shelter. We also discuss changes caused by Covid and how isolation works when you don’t have a secure place to hunker down. Amy also spends some time talking about changes she would like to see occur, that would help alleviate Missoula’s housing crisis and provide more and better options for the local homeless population.

For more information about the Poverello Center, visit their website at https://www.thepoverellocenter.org/.

For this 14th episode of ZAHP! I had a virtual conversation with Emily Withnall, a local Missoula writer who has conducted many housing related interviews around town, and has a personal history of growing up in poverty in northern New Mexico. She talks about it in detail in "The Snack Shack Blues", recently published in Gay Magazine. Find it at: https://gay.medium.com/the-snack-shack-blues-9b0df6f13042?source=friends_link&sk=a8fd73d331e30dda2908369f0cd54374 

Another of her articles is about the housing crisis in Missoula, called "Shelter from the Storm", and was recently published in Progressive Magazine. Find it at:  https://progressive.org/magazine/shelter-from-the-storm-withnall/. We talk about Emily's experience finding housing in Missoula as a newly arrived single mom graduate student with 2 children, 2 cats, and a low credit score.  Her experience in Missoula unfortunately is not unique and provides a good example of what many people experience when first looking for a home in our town.

This is the 13th episode of ZAHP! Andrea Davis is the Executive Director of Homeword in Missoula, MT.  Homeword is a local organization that offers the Missoula Community low cost home buyer education as well as free home buyer and financial counseling opportunities. Homeword also works hard to bring more affordable housing options to Missoula and Montana home buyers and renters in the lower income ranges.  For more information, please visit homeword.org .

This 12th episode of ZAHP! is another converted bus interview with Chris Cawley. He has a construction business in Missoula called Earthwalk Environmental, and is registered with the state for construction and environmental restoration. His current project is to convert a 20 year old school bus into a beautiful, low impact mobile living unit that is almost finished! I had a wonderful time touring the bus and talking to Chris about all the work and materials he has chosen to put into it. If you want to find out more about Chris Cawley, check out earthwalkschool.org or email him at [email protected].

This 12th episode of ZAHP! is another converted bus interview with Chris Cawley. He has a construction business in Missoula called Earthwalk Environmental, and is registered with the state for construction and environmental restoration. His current project is to convert a 20 year old school bus into a beautiful, low impact mobile living unit that is almost finished! I had a wonderful time touring the bus and talking to Chris about all the work and materials he has chosen to put into it. If you want to find out more about Chris Cawley, check out earthwalkschool.org or email him at [email protected].

For this 11th episode of ZAHP! I sat down with local hip-hop and spoken word artist Tahj Kjelland. Check out the wonderful work he does with school kids across the state via his non-profit Express 2 Speak, at express2speak.org. Tahj is also a handy man who finds creative ways to be a living part of the alternative home movement. Among other things, he has a well-traveled bus called La Rana that he has been converting into a living space. Following you will hear a 2 part interview, the first recorded off the bus, and the second recorded on it. If you enjoy this interview or have an interest in mobile living spaces, check back with ZAHP! next week for a tour of another converted school bus.

In the 10th episode of ZAHP! I met and spoke with Casey Valencia, Executive Director of MUD, the Missoula Urban Demonstration Project.  We talked about how the tool library makes DIY home projects more affordable, and Casey updates me on the recent work to their shipping container spaces.  Also we touch upon the future of MUD, education opportunities for the community, and how to get involved!  For more information, visit mudproject.org.

Dan Kemmis has a very impressive resume.  He is originally from Eastern Montana, attended Harvard and received a Bachelor of the Arts in Government, graduating with high honors in 1968. In the 90’s he served as Mayor of Missoula, and prior to that he was the Minority Leader and Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, a position that he left to earn a degree in law from the University of Montana. He has also authored several books exploring community and democracy, including Community and the Politics of Place, The Good City and the Good Life, and Citizens Uniting to Restore our Democracy, and his writings have also appeared in many journals over the years. He has received numerous awards for his work, and he is easy to find online if you want to know more.  I had a wonderful time speaking with him, even if I didn't get to meet him in person, and I hope that you enjoy our interview as much as I did!  Thank you for listening!

In this eighth episode of ZAHP!, I visit with Laval Means (Planning Services Manager) and Aaron Wilson, Transportation Planning Manager) at Missoula's Department of Development Services. . Aaron Wilson tells us about transportation costs and how they tie into the affordable housing issue. Laval Means elaborates on long term planning for the city of Missoula and what changes are being made since Missoula signed its housing policy in June, 2019.  For more information, refer to episode 1 of this podcast..