Escalating rents in Montana are putting pressure on campus housing, and both flagship universities are at or near capacity as the school year begins.

Montana State University said it hasn’t found a correlation between high campus housing demand and inaccessible real estate in the community, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, median rent in the city rose by $229 from 2019 to 2022.

Missoula also has seen upward pressures on rents. As the director and creator of the Associated Students of University of Montana’s Bear Necessities office, which started in September 2021, Kat Cowley helps hundreds of students find basic resources, including housing.