4/15/2022
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KREM
KXLY
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KREM
A spokesperson for the City of Spokane said they understand the frustration of neighbors, business owners and those living in the camp, but solutions will take time.
Spokane's Riverfront Park blanketed in spring snow: April 15, 2022 | RAW
SPOKANE, Wash. — RVs are showing up at a growing homeless encampment near I-90 and Freya. They pose an added complication for city leaders, who are trying to find a solution for people living there.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) owns the land the encampment is set up on. A spokesperson said the department is looking at ways to remove the motorhomes "with cooperation from our local law enforcement partners."
In the meantime, local business owners are becoming frustrated as the camp continues to expand.
"I'm not against the camp, as much as it's just grown, like every week there's more and more people, they're stuffing way too many people on one area, and that's my whole issue with that camp," said Steve Liberty, the owner of Liberty Tires.
KREM 2 captured video of Divine’s Towing bringing RVs into the camp.
The City of Spokane is under the impression many of the RVs are not in running condition and paying to tow the motorhomes would cost a thousand dollars each.
“What to do with those long term becomes a consideration,” said City of Spokane Spokesperson Brian Coddington. “We have been told, and have not yet been able to verify, that there [are] maybe titles that have come with those vehicles as well. So there’s a personal property consideration… Those are all pieces of information that we’re trying to learn as we develop a way to work together with people on the site. They’re people who need services.”
Coddington said the city understands the frustration of neighbors and businesses in the area, as well as the people at Camp Hope.
Coddington said solutions will take time.
Julie Garcia, the Director of Jewels Helping Hands, posted on Facebook thanking the community for giving the people living at the camp a place to escape from the elements.
WSDOT has previously called on the city to help remove the encampment, but city leaders have hesitated, citing a lack of available shelter space for the people who are currently living there.
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward is planning on presenting a new shelter space plan at a city council meeting on Monday.
A WSDOT spokesperson said the department is "encouraged" that the city has found a potential location for a new shelter.
"With the near opening of a potential shelter, we are beginning to explore options to have the encampment disbanded, removed, and have the property cleaned up," a spokesperson said. "We are sensitive to both the neighbors and those in the camp and hope that through our collaboration with all parties, that we can come to a positive outcome for all."
KREM 2 has reached out to Divine’s Towing for comment.
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KXLY
April 14, 2022 7:08 PM
Updated: April 14, 2022 7:57 PM
SPOKANE, Wash. — A local industrial developer is tired of the growing homelessness issue in his hometown, so he decided to become part of the solution.
Larry Stone owns industrial properties and warehouses all over the West Coast, but his roots are in Spokane. It’s a city he loves but one he doesn’t think is heading in the right direction. He produced the documentary “Curing Spokane” back in 2019 about crime issues and possible solutions for the city to address the concerns. You can see that documentary HERE.
Just a month ago, Stone purchased the warehouse at 4320 E. Trent Ave. for $3.5 million. Now, he’s negotiating with the city to sign a lease on a new shelter.
“We have several people interested in renting, but we’ve held off because we want to get a good facility for the city,” Stone said.
He wants Spokane to have a new homeless shelter so people aren’t sleeping on the streets or camping out in neighborhoods.
“I think we’re attracting certain bad elements to Spokane because we have so many services and because we’re allowing this outdoor camping,” he said.
The new shelter will create a lot of much-needed bed space, but some homeless advocates feel it may be too big to fix the problem.
“Smaller shelters of 50 to 60 people is what’s recommended because it gives you a more close in, hands-on opportunity to work with people,” said Maurice Smith. He’s a homeless advocate who wants to humanize homelessness through his short films. You can view his work HERE.
Smith says smaller shelters work better to solve the issue, but the city looked at nearly 100 locations throughout the city. Every neighborhood they tried to put just one shelter in shut it down. Smith says people need a different outlook on the issue.
“I think one of the first things we have to do to address this issue of NIMBY-ism .. not in my backyard, I don’t want a shelter here is we’ve got to change our attitude towards the homeless,” he said.
Stone wants to see something different for his hometown which is something everyone appears to agree on.
“The situation has become far far worse over the last two years, and something has to be done about it,” Stone concluded.
“I’m glad to see a new shelter coming online because even a mega shelter is better than no shelter at all,” Smith added.
If the lease negotiations continue, Stone would like to see the new shelter open in two to three months. The City Council could vote as early as Monday on a zoning change in the industrial location. The next big question the city hasn’t released yet is what provider will run the new shelter.
April 14, 2022 7:20 PM
Updated: April 15, 2022 6:27 AM
SPOKANE, Wash — Three motels in Spokane are being turned into apartment complexes.
Fortify Holdings LLC, which owns Gogo West and Gogo Heights apartments is now purchasing motels to renovate them into apartments accessible to the workforce.
“Over the past 24 months, we have embarked on another strategy of community building by purchasing vintage hotels/motels and converting them into workforce housing for communities that desperately need it,” wrote Ziad Elsahili, President of Fortify Holdings LLC in a statement. “In all of these cases, at Fortify we build clean, safe, and high-quality housing. We believe everyone deserves a nice place to live.”
The former Quality Inn (104 E. 4th), the Econolodge (1503 S. Rustle Street), and the Days Inn (120 W 3rd), are all under renovation. They’ll be known as the Olmstead, the James and the Imperial, respectively. Fortify has renovated former motels into apartment complexes across the Pacific Northwest, including in the Tri-cities and the Portland area.
“Hotels and motels were, and still continue to be, an underutilized asset class with willing sellers,” Elsahili wrote. “When travel hit all-time lows during the pandemic, we identified an opportunity to provide much-needed housing in communities that need it, in a much shorter time by purchasing already existing assets like these motels and re-purposing them into housing.”
Currently there is no timeline as to when the renovations will be complete. Fortify is working on finalizing permits and obtaining certificates of occupancy right now.