12/3/2022
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The Spokesman-Review
Another $5 million coming to fund solutions to homelessness in Spokane
Dept of Commerce website
KREM
The Center Square
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The Spokesman-Review
Another $5 million coming to fund solutions to homelessness in Spokane
Final round of funds brings total to $24 million
By Emry Dinman
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Another $5 million is coming to Spokane to help house the homeless, the state Department of Commerce announced Friday morning.
Friday’s announcement marks the final round of funds for Spokane through the state’s Rights of Way Safety Initiative, unless the legislature dedicates more money in the upcoming legislative session.
The $143 million initiative, passed last year within the state’s supplemental operating budget, sent funds to five counties to provide housing and services to people living in state-owned rights of way, including Spokane’s Camp Hope.
Local and state leaders have emphasized that closing Camp Hope requires adequate housing for those staying at the encampment, located on land owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The population of Camp Hope has been shrinking, down to 433 from a peak of nearly 700 this summer, according to state officials, but it is still regarded as the largest right-of-way camp in the state.
The final round of funds for Spokane County brings the total to nearly $24 million, which will pay for approximately 326 beds in temporary or permanent supportive housing, as well as other support services, according to a press release. About 50 additional beds will be supplied with housing vouchers.
“All of our partners deserve tremendous thanks, especially the service providers who are on the ground working day in and day out to keep people safe and move them to better housing as quickly as possible,” Commerce Director Lisa Brown said in a statement.
The latest round of funding includes $1.76 million for shared supported housing; $1.3 million for some types of rental assistance; $620,000 for a detox center that can be used for up to 22 hours at a time; and $490,000 to support continued programs at Hope House, which had faced possible closure due to a lack of funding.
Commerce has dedicated an additional $500,000 to the Trent Resource Assistance Center, bringing the total state funding for the site to $2 million, and $150,000 for Diversion, a program that helps provide relatively small-dollar, one-time support to help people get into housing.
The agency has already dedicated $18.8 million in funds, including $14.8 million to purchase the Quality Inn on West Sunset Boulevard and renovate it for the Catalyst Project, 100 beds of temporary housing. That project will open next week, according to the press release.
Those earlier funds also include around $3.7 million for coordination and outreach services, $1.5 million for the Trent shelter, and around $370,000 for an information system to track the local homeless population.
More than 70% of funds dedicated by Commerce have gone to projects proposed by Spokane city leaders, according to the press release, while the remaining 30% went to projects proposed by the Empire Health Foundation or the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium.
“When we work together to address these shortages, we can make real progress for everybody, from Camp Hope to the neighborhoods and businesses of Spokane asking for help,” Empire Health Foundation President Zeke Smith said in a statement.
Emry Dinman can be reached at (509) 459-5472 or by email at emryd@spokesman.com.
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Dept of Commerce website
New investments bring total to 376 beds for temporary and permanent housing now funded in Spokane.
OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce will fund multiple proposals from the final portion of state’s Right of Way Safety Initiative funding available for work to close the homeless encampment on Washington State Department of Transportation property in Spokane, known as Camp Hope. These newest investments of more than $4 million add to prior capital and operating investments of $18.8 million, bringing the total share of Spokane’s funding through the initiative to almost $24 million.
“We are pleased to be able to fund proposals received from the city and nonprofit providers that will provide more people with the opportunity to get out of the cold weather now and connect with services that offer a pathway toward stable housing long term,” said Commerce Director of Housing Policy Tedd Kelleher. “This funding is another substantial step toward that end result – closing Camp Hope – we’ve all been working so hard to achieve since the summer.”
Commerce prioritized matching remaining funding to the types of housing and other options needed to move people inside. This was done based on the individual needs assessments of Camp Hope residents conducted by outreach workers working closely with peer navigators over the past several months to identify the right housing services for each individual.
Projects proposed by the City of Spokane:
Trent Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) – $500,000 (bringing the total funding committed to the shelter to $2 million)
Diversion (Spokane County United Way) – $150,000
Proposed by nonprofits Empire Health Foundation or Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium (SLIHC):
Shared supported housing – $1.76 million
Outpatient 22-hour detox – $620,000
Proposed by both city and nonprofits:
Hope House – $490,000 in two separate contracts with the city and Empire Health Foundation.
Rapid Rehousing – $1.3 million in two separate contracts with the city and Empire Health Foundation
Including those announced today, projects proposed by the City of Spokane have now been awarded over $16 million in funding – more than 70% of total funds awarded by Commerce in Spokane. City proposals that previously received state funding include $1.5 million for the Trent Shelter and $14.8 million, through Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, to acquire and renovate the Quality Inn on West Sunset Boulevard for the Catalyst Project. Opening next week, Catalyst will immediately provide 100 beds for people moving out of Camp Hope and is expected to provide permanent housing units over the long term.
Projects proposed by nonprofit partners the Empire Health Foundation or Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium have been awarded just over $7 million, or approximately 30% of funds awarded in Spokane County.
The funding announced today provides resources needed to approximately double the existing number of transitional and long-term housing options and shelter beds for moving people out of Camp Hope, bringing the total funded by Commerce to 376 beds.
In addition to the Trent Shelter and Catalyst, projects funded earlier include coordination and outreach services ($3.69 million), expansion of Spokane’s Homeless Management Information System ($372,193) and Housing Choice vouchers (from US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds).
View Spokane funding summary (pdf)
“All of our partners deserve tremendous thanks, especially the service providers who are on the ground working day in and day out to keep people safe and move them to better housing as quickly as possible,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “In addition, the state Departments of Licensing, Health, and Social and Health Services have stepped up in an unprecedented way, coming out into the field to quickly get Camp Hope residents essential documents such as birth certificates and identification cards, and assistance signing up for services.”
Given that the current shelter system in the county is full, Brown emphasized the crucial nature of the additional investments, noting the primary obstacle to closing encampments across the state, including Camp Hope, remains the lack of enough housing options.
“The vast majority of Camp Hope residents – more than eight out of 10 – come from our community. The shortage of affordable housing, a lack of supportive services, and inadequate medical and behavioral healthcare capacity are all contributing factors to homelessness,” said Empire Health Foundation President Zeke Smith. “When we work together to address these shortages, we can make real progress for everybody, from Camp Hope to the neighborhoods and businesses of Spokane asking for help.”
While Camp Hope is the largest encampment, it is estimated that hundreds more people are living unsheltered in other areas scattered around the community, and thousands more are without permanent housing, getting by relying on patchworks of family, friends and other temporary living situations.
Weekly updates detailing ongoing work and marking progress toward closing Camp Hope are distributed by WSDOT. Subscribe to the email list to receive updates at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new?topic_id=WADOT_706.
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KREM
Shelters remain consistently full amid dropping temperatures and record snowfall, but that doesn't mean people are turned away.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Tracking available shelter space in Spokane just got a bit easier with the regional Shelter Me Spokane website.
Based on current staffing levels, the Trent Resource and Assistance Center (TRAC) can provide 275 spaces, which include beds and mats. The shelter remains consistently full amid dropping temperatures and record snowfall, but that doesn't mean people are turned away.
The Salvation Army, the operator of TRAC, is in constant contact with other Spokane shelters. This allows operators to divert people to facilities with additional space.
The Cannon Street shelter requires a 3 p.m. check-in daily. On Thursday, it was completely full, but there are still some beds available across the regional shelter system, according to the dashboard.
Additionally, the city of Spokane said shelters remain safe spaces for people to stay despite concerns of illness at some shelters.
KREM 2 confirmed with the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) and the city of Spokane there is one COVID-19 case at TRAC and that person is in isolation. Shelter operators are also aware of influenza and gastrointestinal (GI) cases among staff at TRAC and continue to monitor guests. Beyond that, the Salvation Army is following standard protocol for isolation.
Meanwhile, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is reporting the population of the homeless camp near I-90 decreased by 7%. As of last Friday, 433 people remain at the camp, down from 467 three weeks prior.'
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The Center Square
Washington has a housing crisis that is driving up prices for both homeownership and rentals. The possibility that a proposed code to provide tenants with more rights in Spokane could adversely affect future development of rentals has industry experts sharing their worries.
Mark J. Terrill/AP Images
(The Center Square) – If the Spokane City Council adopts an ordinance to give tenants more rights on Monday, the local housing market could be adversely affected and renters could end up paying more, say officials from the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association.
“These regulations may be jeopardizing housing when we already have a deficit,” said Ryan Makinster, director of government affairs for the trade association.
He cited a report by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor reflecting that Spokane county and others continue to produce fewer residences than new households being formed. When demand for housing exceeds supply, prices spiral out of the reach of the average household, which contributes to instability and homelessness.
“Spokane is already in crisis because we are not just a few units short of meeting the housing need, we are down tens of thousands of units,” said Makinster.
The trade association is also concerned that the draft ordinance does not spell out many details about how the new rental oversight program will work.
“Investors get scared when there is no certainty, when there is long-term liability,” said Makinster. “Capital is liquid - it’s going to flow in the easiest direction.”
If investors continue to hop the border to construct housing in neighboring Idaho, which does not have the same rules, then Spokane loses places for its workers to live and the money they would have fed into the economy, he said.
Another potential consequence of putting more of a regulatory burden on landlords is that they may decide to get out of the business altogether, said Makinster. If rental houses are sold and owner-occupied, then the inventory of available residences dwindles even further.
Darin Watkins, director of government affairs for the Spokane Association of Realtors, sees another potential harm coming with the new code. Fees imposed on landlords will ultimately end up being passed onto tenants, which will adversely affect their bottom line.
“When a business is forced to pay more, that cost passes to the consumer,” he explained.
Also causing concern are ambiguities in the draft ordinance that will be considered for adoption by the council at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5. An email sent to the council in late November by Johnnie Perkins, city administrator, requests a postponement of the discussion until after the holidays. He raises nine potential areas of conflict in the ordinance as written. These include unclear language regarding how landlords are to go about registering and certifying that each rental unit complies with city code, and whether a basic registration fee of $120 plus an additional fee per person employed by a landlord could conflict with a rule that exempts real estate from business permits.
Perkins questions why landlords will be required to supply tenants with a voter registration form because that is outside the standard business relationship.
Seventy-five percent of landlord business license funds will be paid into a code enforcement account to cover operational costs, including the wages of staffers who will inspect all rental properties.
Perkins questions the need for more employees. If the entire cost for those workers isn’t covered by the fees, he wants to know what the secondary funding source is.
“Has council requested a financial or legal review of this ordinance,” he asked.
Watkins said the council could literally be putting more tenants at risk by trying to protect them. Under the draft ordinance, the criminal history of prospective tenants can only be known for one year under a universal background check, except in cases of violence or sex abuse.
“The city of Spokane, as a municipal government, has a duty to protect public safety, to foster safe, livable, and affordable housing for everyone,” reads the rationale for the proposed code brought forward by Council President Breean Beggs and Councilor Karen Stratton.
Councilor Michael Cathcart, who has strongly opposed the proposal, is coming to the table Monday with suggested amendments to the draft ordinance.
He is seeking to reduce the fees charged landlords and have inspections of properties only take place during vacancies instead of routinely, or when tenants report problems.
Cathcart wants to eliminate the requirement that landlords complete an online training module created or sponsored by the Spokane Landlord’s Association or otherwise approved by the city.
Also on his chopping block is the directive that landlords not only provide voting information, but a packet about tenant rights and property owner responsibilities
Code enforcement as envisioned by Cathcart will also address preservation of the neighborhood from blight, such as graffiti, illegal dumping and other health and safety concerns.
The draft ordinance provides seed money for an attorney position that will focus on tenant legal services. Later, that position will be funded by legal settlements.
Cathcart wants landlords to also be able to access legal services for evictions and compliance problems.
He also wants future rulemaking to clarify the new code done in a very public process, with input from tenants, landlords and other stakeholders.
Shutterstock.com
(The Center Square) – Dr. Lori Pfingst, senior director of poverty reduction for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, touted the feasibility and benefits of implementing guaranteed basic income in Washington state during a Friday hearing of the House Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee.
Guaranteed basic income is a cash payment distributed to a targeted group of individuals or households that is recurring, unconditional, and unrestricted. It is meant to fill in cracks in existing public assistance programs.
That’s as opposed to a universal basic income model in which cash payments are distributed to all individuals. The closest thing to universal basic income in the U.S. is the Alaska Permanent Fund that pays an annual dividend from surplus revenue from oil and gas reserves to all eligible state residents.
“I want to outline, you know, the basic income conversation, which is happening nationally, is not happening in a vacuum,” Pfingst told the committee. “There is growing widespread recognition that even under the best circumstances when people are receiving almost everything that they are theoretically eligible for, there are still gaps and cliffs in public assistance programs.”
Guaranteed basic income is not a new idea, but has gained more attention in recent years.
“Research dates back to the 1970s, but the proliferation of research around basic income is really happening in the last five years,” Pfingst said. “There’s over 100 pilots operating in the United States at the local level.”
That includes Washington. For example, Growing Resilience In Tacoma, or GRIT, which gives a recurring monthly payment directly to households, is one of a handful of guaranteed basic income program experiments in the Puget Sound area.
Critics of guaranteed basic income contend that giving people cash will cause them to work less and that providing an income floor set at a reasonable level is, depending on how many people are part of the program, unaffordable.
Preliminary indications are encouraging, according to Pfingst. Poverty indicators have gone down and household spending has risen, mostly to pay for food. Other benefits she pointed out include an increase in full-time employment and parents spending more quality time with their children.
“So, this is what we know from the research: that giving people the thing they need the most, which is alleviating the stress associated with not having the ability to make ends meet, actually has good outcomes across the board,” Pfingst said.
A feasibility study by DSHS on a basic income program in Washington was released in June.
The study recommends a two-year pilot program focused on two groups: people below 100% of the federal poverty level and a control group, and low-income people between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level plus a control group.
Participants would receive a percentage of Fair Market Rent – the amount of rent a property type is likely to receive in a particular area – as guaranteed income amounts.
The study includes estimates for 75%, 100%, and 120% of FMR for sample sizes of 5,000, 7,500, and 10,000.
Per the report, Garfield County is the least expensive county to live in in Washington. The range of monthly guaranteed income amounts there would be $587, $783, and $940, respectively.
In the state’s most expensive county to live in – King County – those figures would be $1,533, $2,044, and $2,453.
Public money spent on guaranteed basic income in Washington would be more than worth it, Pfingst said.
“This would be an up-front investment that, you know, clearly has a high dollar attached to it,” she said. “We know that if we stuck this through, research shows that for every dollar spent on just reducing child poverty yields a $7 return. And the reason is because there would be reduced homelessness, decreased involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and those children would grow up more likely to attend higher education, have higher earnings, and better health outcomes over time.”
Any guaranteed basic income pilot program would include a robust evaluation process, Pfingst assured the committee.