Friday, Aug. 2, 2024

Dear Community Member,

Welcome to the first edition of the new-look CHHS Update!

The purpose of the monthly newsletter is to share with the community updates from the City of Spokane’s Community, Housing and Human Services (CHHS) Department, build relationships with partners and promote transparency.

Information that will be shared includes, but is not limited to, funding opportunities, program updates, data highlights, reports and plans, comment periods, partner shoutouts, CHHS Board information and City Council decisions and discussions pertaining to CHHS-related topics.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have any announcements, tidbits, success stories, events, etc. related to our unhoused population or affordable housing that you’d like to share with us for consideration to be included in the next update, please feel free to email us at CHHSUpdate@spokanecity.org.

Please feel free to spread the word on this newsletter to others who you think may be interested in receiving the updates. Thank you for being a valuable community partner as we continue to seek opportunities for the vulnerable populations we serve!

Many hands helped provide donations during the recent heat waves to those in need.

Coca-Cola in July donated 104 cases of water and Powerade to the City that were picked up by Jewels Helping Hands, Cool Spokane, House of Charity and The Salvation Army. City staff purchased water that was picked up by SNAP, Jewels Helping Hands and Central Library and delivered Gatorade cases to the Trent Resource and Assistance Center. Fourteen cases of water were donated by the Hillyard Safeway and distributed to Spokane Library cooling centers. The City also donated pallets of water to providers and library cooling centers for the current heat wave.

Read online for resources during heat waves.

City code requires cooling spaces when temperatures are forecast by the National Weather Service to reach 95 degrees or higher for two or more days; safe air areas when the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency forecasts the current air quality index to reach 201 (“very unhealthy”) or higher (“hazardous”); and warming centers when the temperature is predicted by the NWS to be 32 degrees or lower and designated low-barrier shelter space was at 90% capacity or greater during the previous night.

Read Extreme Weather FAQs for more information.

Commerce Accepting Comments on Plan

The Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting comments on its draft 2024-2029 State Homeless Housing Strategic Plan through 5 p.m. on Aug. 8. Feedback is sought through translated forms and an English-only form. 

Providers Awarded $7.6M in HHOS Funds to Battle Homelessness

CHHS is drafting contracts with nine different providers totaling more than $7.6 million for 25 projects after recent City Council approval of the consolidated Homeless, Housing, Operations and Services (HHOS) grant awards.

Five federal, state and local funding sources were included in the request for proposals that generated more than 30 applications. View the list of awards.

• Housing Navigator Recommendation: The CHHS Board’s recommendation to approve the joint application of Empire Health Foundation and Revive Counseling as the housing navigator and primary service provider for a pilot project was presented to the City Council on July 15. The recommendation is expected to be considered by the Council on Aug. 12. One-time, 12-month grant funds supporting the request for proposals, about $3.85 million, through June 30, 2025, were appropriated by the Washington State Legislature and be distributed by Commerce. The purpose of the funds is to support the continued decommissioning of the Trent Resource and Assistance Center emergency shelter by this fall in favor of a scattered site model. The 2024 Emergency Shelter Audit and community input informed the RFP.

• Pilot Street Medicine Program: A one-year $1 million grant-funded contract through June 30, 2025, with the Washington State Health Care Authority for a pilot street medicine program was discussed by the City Council on July 22. The contract is expected to be considered by the Council this month. The grant will formalize an already successful program led by CHAS and allow our community to track data to legitimize its efficacy. 

• Community Safety Sales Tax: The Council voted 5-2 on July 23 to pass a resolution authorizing the county auditor to place on the November ballot a proposition authorizing an increase to the local sales and use tax in Spokane of one-tenth of one percent (0.1%). Mayor Lisa Brown's proposal for the roughly $6.5 million collected each year by the City will be dedicated to community safety enhancements, including replacing outdated fire vehicles and equipment, fire station improvements, re-launching the Neighborhood Resource Officer program, standing up a traffic safety unit, and developing and implementing plans to expand capacity to serve the community during extreme weather.

Citizens are encouraged to attend CHHS Board meetngs held on the first Wednesday of every month from 4-6 p.m. Meetings are held at Spokane City Hall in the City Council Briefing Center. Vrtual/hybrid options are available by emailing kclifton@spokanecity.org. Public comment is allowed on items relevant to the CHHS Board during the first 10 minutes of each meeting. Agendas are posted online before each meeting.

City Awarded $8M Grant for Community Resilience Hubs During Extreme Weather

The EPA announced the Spokane Climate Resilience Project – a collaboration including the City of Spokane - was selected to receive $19.9 million in Community Change grant funding to support disadvantaged Spokane communities through environmental and climate justice work.

Of the award, $8 million dollars will be designated to the City of Spokane and Spokane Public Library to add infrastructure to City-owned facilities, outfitting them to serve as Community Resilience Hubs during extreme weather. The infrastructure upgrades will include solar panels and battery back-up at the West Central Community Center, Northeast Community Center, Central Public Library, and Liberty Park Library.

Encampment Resolution Program Assists Unhoused Population

Revive Counseling Spokane began operations at the Cannon Street Shelter in late June and early July as part of the Encampment Resolution Program to assist individuals experiencing homelessness in the Division-Sprague Corridor. 

The program is an agreement between the Washington State Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, the City of Spokane, Empire Health Foundation and Revive to navigate individuals to services and transitional housing. Clients assisted Revive with facility updates. Thirty-eight people engaged with the program during the first two weeks. View program summary. 

Resources Pocket Guide Updated

Thank you to our partners at SNAP and Downtown Spokane Partnership for keeping the handy Resources Pocket Guide updated! The latest update was in early July.

Please send any future updates to kclifton@spokanecity.org.

You are receiving this email because you signed up via the CHHS Department website, have been identified as an individual or stakeholder in the discussion, or expressed interest in receiving updates from the City of Spokane. Please feel free to share this email with others who may be interested. Updates are also posted on the CHHS website. To unsubscribe, please see link below.