SPOKANE, Wash. – Mayor Lisa Brown proposed a partnership with Volunteers of America to avoid the potential closure of Hope House.
The Hope House provides women in Spokane experiencing homelessness and has been on the brink of closing.
A $1.2-million-dollar grant was proposed by the mayor and has been made available after the mayor’s office said they implemented “cost-saving measures.”
These measures were contracted with the city’s Trent Resource and Assistance Center contract and did not previously include monthly caps. Mayor Brown has since implemented caps resulting in savings of over $400,000 every month.
This surplus of savings now is available to help save Hope House.
“When the City of Spokane learned that Hope House might have to close its doors, leaving 80 women out on the streets, we knew we could not, in good conscience, say ‘no.’ We knew we must step in and do whatever it took to keep these women safe and supported,” Mayor Lisa Brown said.
Volunteers of America will step in to help assist Hope House mission by developing a new approach to stabilization for these women.
“With no additional investment from Commerce, Spokane County or the private sector, the City of Spokane rose to the occasion and invested in the lives of these women,” VOA CEO Fawn Schott said.
Spokane’s City Council must now consider a resolution based on Mayor Brown’s proposal.
