MISSOULA, Mont. — Residents of Eagle Watch Estates, a federally subsidized housing complex in Missoula, gathered Friday afternoon at Silver Park to publicly raise concerns about ongoing living conditions they say have gone unresolved by property managers and building owners Accessible Space Inc.
The tenants association presented findings in a report submitted earlier this week to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and to the Minnesota-based nonprofit that operates Eagle Watch and the nearby Bruce Blattner Apartments.
Friday’s press conference was organized by tenants with support from Missoula Neighbors United. It served as a chance for tenants to have their voices heard. The hope is HUD will press ASI to acknowledge the numerous complaints that include maintenance requests, improved building security and better accommodations for residents with disabilities.
Eagle Watch Estates and Bruce Blattner Apartments collectively serve some of Missoula’s most vulnerable residents, many of whom live with disabilities. Tenants say conditions at the properties remain unstable without significant improvements in management oversight.
“This is bigger than any one landlord,” said Missoula Neighbors United director Alessandro Mitchell. “It’s about a whole community, and it’s about the way that resources are managed city-wide, and it’s about a whole picture of what it’s like to live in Missoula and addressing that as opposed to just organizing against landlords who are not upholding their responsibilities or their duties.”
NBC Montana received photo and video evidence of the complaints.
Tenants listed a series of persistent problems in individual units, including evidence of mold, faulty caulking, broken fixtures, water damage, poor ventilation and malfunctioning appliances. Several residents reported accessibility barriers, such as heavy doors, the lack of automatic door opener or modifications that fall short of Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Multiple apartments remain vacant despite demand for federally subsidized and ADA-compliant housing, the report notes. Some units are listed as occupied but reportedly unused, with belongings stored while the resident lives elsewhere.
Concerns about safety also surfaced. Tenants said unsecured building entrances allowed intruders to enter units earlier this summer. Others noted smoking inside the building despite restrictions, which they believe poses both health and fire risks.
Accessibility challenges were frequently cited, including the need for automatic doors, bathroom grab-bar stabilization, air conditioning for residents with mobility impairments and appliance modifications to accommodate physical limitations.
Beyond unit-specific complaints, residents reported building-wide problems with heating and cooling.
A recent stretch when the front entrance’s key card system was inoperable left the building unsecured for nearly two months, tenants said. Power outages earlier in the summer also raised questions about the facility’s electrical wiring.
Residents described an ongoing bedbug infestation they believe has not been adequately addressed, with treatment efforts limited to common areas rather than all apartments. Laundry costs remain a significant burden for tenants living on fixed incomes, they added, especially as machines continue to experience frequent breakdowns and delayed servicing.
Indoor air quality and strong chemical cleaners used in common spaces are another concern for residents with brain injuries or other health sensitivities. Tenants also pointed to rising summer temperatures in Missoula and said the lack of central air conditioning has become unbearable.
“Requests left on deaf ears,” said Eagle Watch resident Barb Winslow.
Winslow recalled a time when HUD was doing an inspection in July, ASI showed up and did quick cosmetic repairs.
“They were just putting band-aids on the apartment,” she said. “They don’t deal with the stuff that needs to be done. You know, they do just exactly what they have to.”
Missoula City Council member Daniel Carlino attended Friday’s press conference. He said housing funded by taxpayer dollars should be both safe and secure for residents, especially for those living with disabilities. Carlino said that the city plays a role in administering community development block grants that help fund projects like Eagle Watch, going on to say government involvement should extend beyond financing.
“I think part of the city’s role should also be towards advocating after we administer those grants or before to make sure that the people that are living there are also going to get things fixed in time and be able to have adequate places to live beyond just funding too,” Carlino said.
Eagle Watch Estates has been the subject of repeated tenant actions and public complaints over the past year and a half.
According to NBC Montana’s May 2024 reporting, Accessible Space Inc. disputed tenant accounts raised at a similar press event in spring of that year, including whether the company adequately responded to a letter of demand from residents. NBC Montana reported that tenants sought improvements in communication, building security and maintenance staffing following the caretaker’s abrupt resignation.
In October 2024, we reported that residents organized a phone and email action to pressure ASI for more consistent maintenance. That effort came after a HUD inspection earlier in the summer documented unresolved issues. Some repairs were made, but residents expressed concern that property managers would relax.
HUD has previously said it monitors conditions at assisted housing properties and considers resident safety a priority. The agency confirmed it was in contact with ASI about heating issues resolved last year and was continuing to make inquiries about ongoing concerns.
NBC Montana again reached out to ASI for a comment. We did not receive an email response by publication time and the voicemail box for the nonprofit wasn’t available.
“Oftentimes, things get lost in communication, and that adds to issues not being taken care of, but it also leads to property management saying, ‘Oh, we were there, we were looking at things and it seemed fine,’” Mitchell said.
