So-called urban camping   when people live in RVs or vehicles parked on city streets   has risen rapidly in Bozeman, Montana, where locals are getting priced out by rising housing costs that are impacting many communities in the West.

Bozeman, located in the Rocky Mountains about 80 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, has a population of around 56,000 people. City officials say the number of Bozeman residents living in their RVs or cars spiked by 200% in two years, according to Montana PBS, which cited the city. Since 2020, the overall unhoused population has grown by 50%.

The rise in residents experiencing homelessness comes as housing costs have spiked. The median listing price for a home has gone from $669,000 at the start of 2020 to $1.2 million in 2024, according to city data. Meanwhile, rental costs in Gallatin County, where Bozeman is located, increased nearly 19% from 2019 to 2022 and continued to rise, leaving the county with the highest rents in the state.

"Homelessness has always been on the radar," Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham told PBS. "This   with urban camping, RVs, more cars   This is a recent phenomenon."

Though homelessness in the city has been rising since the pandemic, the increase in RVs and campers on city streets made the problem more visible, resulting in tensions over how to address it.

"First, these folks are our residents too," the city website says when discussing how it's addressing urban camping. "Many contribute to the workforce, send their kids to our local schools, and may not appear 'homeless' when you see them at their jobs and in the area."

Bozeman residents are divided over whether the city has been too lenient in addressing the issue. In some locations, the city has installed dumpsters and trash cans near areas with campers to prevent litter and provide the unhoused with a place to dispose of their garbage.

A group of local business owners sued Bozeman last fall, arguing the city was not doing enough to enforce existing laws that would prevent people from camping on public streets. Business owners say they have dealt with theft, vandalism, and instances of harassment.

Residents have also complained that some people living in their cars are not doing so out of necessity but just to save money on rent, pointing to the presence of new cars and generators on the some of the campers, PBS reported.

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It can't start snowing soon enough to hide the stench.  Maybe city officials could tax the tourists more to pay for this mess since it's them and the newcomers responsible for this problem.

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So what is it about Bozeman that makes a house worth a million dollars

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If they ruin Montana, that will be quite an accomplishment.

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If they ruin Montana, that will be quite an accomplishment.

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It’s already ruined.

I’m looking at leaving for Wyoming.

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I like Wyoming. Spent 6 months in the NW part of the state and I loved it.

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I hate to break it to you, but NW WY is almost as bad.

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Add another 75-100 campers and that pic will look like my AO.

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If they ruin Montana, that will be quite an accomplishment.

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It's already ruined.

I'm looking at leaving for Wyoming.

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I like Wyoming. Spent 6 months in the NW part of the state and I loved it.

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how can john dutton let this happen?

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This house was just listed for $810k.

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/2a229fadb01aaad3df55df3b825f4937-cc_ft_768.webp

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come out to eastern WY.

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1.2 million as the median home price, not surprising you have a bunch of rubber tramps.

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come out to eastern WY.

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This house was just listed for $810k.

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/2a229fadb01aaad3df55df3b825f4937-cc_ft_768.webp

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What's that? I can't hear you over the wind.

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That's 1/3 off the median. So, there's still deals to be found

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Always wanted to go visit there, still an option I guess.

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but why.gif

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This house was just listed for $810k.

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/2a229fadb01aaad3df55df3b825f4937-cc_ft_768.webp

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It'll get worse.

These are the good old days I'll remember fondly years from now.

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I wanna see Devils Tower

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This house was just listed for $810k.

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/2a229fadb01aaad3df55df3b825f4937-cc_ft_768.webp

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Interested. What's the address?

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No Zillow to show it?

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scroll down.