SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane City Council hosted the second of a series of homelessness roundtables at the Central Library Tuesday evening, engaging with the community to discuss deferred ordinances and future steps.
The meeting addressed various community concerns about homelessness. Council members aimed to incorporate community voices to better understand and navigate these issues.
One significant topic discussed was the “Ban the Address” proposal in employment protection. This proposal advocates for removing the requirement of a home address on job applications.
Layne Pavey, an advocate for the proposal, said, “That would be cool, you know, that would be helpful to folks who are living in the shelters. We work at the TRAC Shelter. There are plenty of folks of the TRAC Shelter who are employed.”
On the opposing side, Curtis Rystadt expressed concerns, stating, “I think it’s a horrible idea that hasn’t been thought through. The reality is there are bad actors out there and you’re going to let them be able to avoid things that they don’t have to report things or handle them.”
Another topic covered was the city’s “Good Neighbor Agreement,” created to address neighborhood concerns when resources for the homeless are placed in Spokane communities. With both sides presenting their views, the City Council is receiving valuable community feedback on pending ordinances.
The next roundtable is scheduled for Oct. 22.
