SPOKANE, Wash. – The City of Spokane announced its inclement weather sheltering plan Monday morning as temperatures begin to drop, posing new challenges for local homeless populations.
According to the city, Community, Housing and Human Services has $250,000 annually to shelter people without housing during extreme cold or heat. Mayor Lisa Brown argues that is not a viable way to address housing people during extreme weather.
“Funding required for standing up new shelter centers for emergent weather is not viable as the costs of facilities and newly dedicated staff and operations are expensive. The Brown Administration is instead expanding capacity in existing programs,” Director of Communications and Marketing Erin Hut said.
Brown’s office proposes providing surge capacity for shelters during high-demand hours and offering more resources to existing shelters. Brown will also request additional funding to assist homeless populations during extreme weather during the 2025-2025 city budgeting process.
“By taking a holistic approach to the inclement weather plan, we are building a sustainable system and coordinating with various service providers to be ready to go when the cold, heat and smoke arrive,” Brown said.
homelessness has decreased by 15% in Spokane since 2023, with more unhoused people opting to live in shelters. remain persistent challenges for offering resources to people struggling to secure housing.
