Missoula renters, landlords squeezed by COVID-19

Bree Soper is in a bind. She's currently working from home, supporting her significant other and 3-year-old son by teleworking for a Missoula call center. Despite all the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing, she's determined to make the $780 rent payment she owes on April 1.

Bullock suspends evictions, foreclosures, utility shutoffs

"As Montanans take seriously the responsibility to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, they shouldn't also have to worry about whether they can keep a roof over their heads or if they'll have running water. They shouldn't have to worry about having the heat turned off, (or) if they can't pay the rent or make a monthly utility bill," Bullock said.

Montana Landlord Association opposes governor's order to postpone evictions

A state landlord advocacy group has demanded Gov. Steve Bullock end his order barring landlords from evicting tenants during the COVID-19 crisis. If the governor refuses, the group said it will sue. The governor's directive "puts Montana landlords in a very vulnerable position," the attorney for the Montana Landlord Association argued in the letter.