Decision time! In prior columns we have built the case for a whole new approach to addressing homelessness in our Spokane region. In March, 19 of 20 elected officials from the City of Spokane, Spokane Valley and Spokane County signed a joint statement agreeing to a 90-day due diligence period to formally consider how such a new regional and collaborative approach could be established.
Those 90 days have now passed, and, after hundreds of meetings, conversations and presentations across our community, we have scheduled an event to propose our recommendations for quickly moving forward to effectively manage homelessness in our community. That event, open to everyone, will be held at the Spokane Convention Center on Wednesday, June 28, at 8 am. Our elected representatives will be there, and we hope you can be too!
So what can you can expect to hear from us on the 28th? Simply this: a strong message of hope and great opportunity wrapped around a detailed set of recommendations. The recommendations will focus on bringing together a critical mix of community assets to aggressively and effectively address homelessness across our region. To do this, our recommendations will focus on creating a new regional organization to develop and integrate resources around the closely related areas of homelessness, health and safety in order to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness, while also meeting all of our expectations for a clean, safe and healthy community.
In the joint statement signed by our elected officials, the three of us were asked to address the following:
1. Review potential legal structures for a regional effort, including pro/con evaluations, e.g., public development authority (PDA), nonprofit and others.
2. Review and discuss initial funding, costs and other financial information in support of a regional effort.
3. Review and discussion of data collection and use in support of a regional effort.
4. Review potential governance models and best practices, including roles of jurisdictions, elected leaders and community stakeholders in coordination and support of a regional effort.
5. Review and discussion of initial staffing in support of a regional effort.
6. Review and discussion of how the success of a regional effort can be regularly quantified and evaluated.
On June 28, you can expect us to address each of those points in detail. And through learning about those six points, you will see a community vision that we believe is affordable — in fact, it's a vision we simply cannot afford NOT to pursue.
Much has changed since we began this journey in March. Camp Hope, with 689 people at its peak, recently closed, and that is cause for celebration and gratitude for the hard work and resources that made it happen. Despite this and other successes, the county's point-in-time homelessness count this January stood at 2,390, an increase of 36% over the previous year — and a 132% 10-year increase over the 2013 count. In other words, and as all of us know, there is much work to be done.
SPOKANE UNITE COMMUNITY EVENT
Spokane Convention Center334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd
.June 28 from 8-10 am (doors open at 7:30 am)
Free and open to public, no RSVP required
Visit spokaneunite.org to learn more
Yes, these are big community challenges facing all of us. But as the three of us sat together preparing our June 28 presentation, we realized how full of hope we all are. We've learned a lot these last 90 days, and while the challenges are greater than we first imagined, we also learned the opportunities are far greater! So it's not hard for us to imagine Spokane coming together to quickly become a national leader on homelessness response. In so doing, we will turn the tide on the human tragedy of homelessness we see around us every day, while also rebuilding our community in a way that feels clean, safe and healthy to all of us.
We truly hope you can join us as we plan that future together on Wednesday the 28th. ♦
Gavin Cooley was the city of Spokane's chief financial officer for 17 years, serving five different mayors, starting with John Powers. He currently is working with the city on projects including investments and the Spokane River Trail System.
Rick Romero is the former utilities director and director of strategic planning for the city of Spokane. He worked on a variety of projects, including the renovation of Riverfront Park, the Podium and the downtown Spokane football stadium.
Theresa Sanders was the city administrator and director of economic development at the city of Spokane. She oversaw all operations and major initiatives during the David Condon administration. The three of them are volunteering their time on this initiative.
