In The News - 6/25/2024
The Center Square
Spokane to approve up to $7.6 million in funding for homelessness services
Spokane officials are expected to approve up to $7.6 million in grants Monday night, deploying another round of funding toward the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis.
The decision follows months of back and forth between local homeless providers and Spokane’s Community, Housing, and Human Services Department, or CHHS.
Spokane issued a Request for Proposals last fall that solicited 36 applications but raised concerns over potential consequences. Advocates and providers noted that the initial recommendations could have unintended impacts on the local homeless services network, leading the RFP Committee to revisit the applications with additional insight.
Since then, the CHHS Board issued a new list of recommendations, with the proposed awards ranging from $40,000 to $3.5 million. The funding will go toward propping up emergency shelters around the city and providing other services such as diversion and street outreach.
The goal is to award the funding so that contracts can start by July 1; however, that can only happen if the appropriations are approved by the city council Monday night. Meanwhile, four amendments remain on the table, which could mean the difference between $3 million in funding.
Councilmember Michael Cathcart’s proposal is the most conservative, awarding only $5.8 million instead of the total amount. His amendment also withholds funding to Catholic Charities, which runs a local shelter called House of Charity.