SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane City Council has deferred numerous votes on ordinances related to homelessness for years. Now, they are turning to the community for help.
The council announced that roundtable discussions will be held throughout the fall to gather input from various groups.
“We write better ordinances when we hear from our community, so we are learning that painfully as we go along because we do not have all the answers,” said Council President Betsy Wilkerson.
One deferred ordinance would have clarified enforcement over the city’s sit-and-lie ordinance. Another proposed ordinance aimed to classify homeless people as a protected class, preventing discrimination by employers or landlords based on housing status.
Council Member Lili Navarrete highlighted the ordinance’s potential impact on the homeless community.
“The audacity to experience a barrier to employment because of their housing status is an insult to their progress out of homelessness,” Navarrete said.
However, some members felt that the conversations were one-sided. Council Member Jonathan Bingle expressed his concerns about representation.
“A portion of the community really was elevated as like the saviors and another really demonized them, and that really bothered me,” he said.
Bingle emphasized the importance of a balanced discussion.
“To have a community bought in, everybody has to actually be represented. We talked a lot about inclusion and representation, but this space in here is not very representative of the entire community,” he stated.
Wilkerson noted that Spokane needs a unique approach for these issues.
“We do things differently here and we focus on what we can do in our community, so if you want to be happy, stop talking about what other folks are doing and let’s start talking about what we’re doing here in Spokane,” she said.
The first roundtable discussion will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Library.
