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A new federal effort aims to end homelessness among people released from prisons. Communities in Wyoming and Idaho, and a tribe in Montana, are part of the initiative.
One team is in Wyoming’s Natrona County. It’s the top destination for parolees in the state since there’s lots of temporary housing and re-entry services there.
According to the Wyoming Department of Corrections, more than a third of parolees released in the state in 2024 came to Casper, but only about half of them found permanent housing.
“We definitely see an influx of individuals who come here for assistance and who don’t qualify for as much as they think,” said Kristy Oster, the director of community engagement at the Natrona Collective Health Trust.
In 2024, Casper in Natrona County was the top destination for Wyoming parolees, followed by Cheyenne. (A pie chart of Wyoming towns and cities / Wyoming Department of Corrections)
She said that means they rely on other community resources for shelter, like jails or hospitals. However, that could change with the new initiative called the Zero Returns to Homelessness Cohort under the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Council of State Governments and other partners. Those partners will provide technical assistance and support over the next two years to help the cohort solidify long-term housing plans.
Oster said the goal is to get formerly incarcerated people in permanent, supportive housing, which could also provide mental health support or career services.
So far, there’s no funding involved, but Oster’s hopeful that could come later. So far, she said monthly meetings with federal experts help keep them on track to eventually build the housing.
“So they’re sort of leading us,” Oster said. “Is it data that’s next? Is it partnerships that are next? Is it getting the city together to determine if there’s land available?”
The Wyoming Housing Network has signed on to develop that project, which could benefit formerly incarcerated people statewide.
Idaho Department of Corrections and the Tribal Defenders Office for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana are also working on similar initiatives as part of the cohort.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
