More often than not, funds aimed at solving homelessness are broken up between counties and cities, which can result in disjointed services and provider gaps. In the hopes of creating a more cohesive, complete and collaborative system of homelessness services, the Spokane City Council voted 5-2 on Monday to join an agreement with Spokane Valley and Spokane County to coordinate their separate housing services to better serve the entire region. The five-year strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness states that elected officials and staff experts from each of the jurisdictions will meet "as frequently as needed" to share data, compare services, coordinate point-in-time counts and identify gaps in programs. Each entity's funds will remain separate, but staff members hope more regional communication will allow each governing body to use dollars more efficiently and build a tighter system of services that enables everyone to thrive. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
FAILURE TO LAUNCH
On May 16, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick rescinded the $48 million awarded for the Spokane Aerospace Tech Hub, along with funding for five other tech hub projects. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who helped secure the funding, released a statement criticizing the Trump administration's cuts. "This would have never happened under nearly any other administration — yet now we are all faced with a pointless and costly setback for Spokane's economy and future," she said. "Our constituents are losing $48 million for no other reason than Donald Trump's absurd political games." A statement from U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., noted that forcing Spokane and others to reapply would extend efforts by more than a year and create unnecessary and potentially irreversible risk. Baumgartner said he would fight to ensure the reapplication process is fair for Spokane. In another statement, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said the setback was unnecessary and undermines the hard work of those who have spent years on the project. "This decision is a mistake for our regional and national economy," Brown said. "The $48 million in tech hub funding was a down payment to secure American competitiveness in aerospace manufacturing." (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
CUTTING CLIMATE FUNDS
Last summer, Gonzaga University received its largest federal grant ever when the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Gonzaga Climate Institute a three-year $19.9 million grant to increase the city's ability to respond to climate changes. The funding came after 19 Spokane residents died from the effects of extreme heat and smoke in 2021. However, less than a year after it was awarded, the EPA has terminated Gonzaga's nearly $20 million climate resilience grant. Like many of the federal grants the Trump administration is terminating, Gonzaga's funding originated from President Joe Biden's 2021 Inflation Reduction Act. Now the university and the city of Spokane are calling on the EPA to rescind its grant termination. "This work has already begun in good faith under a legally binding agreement," Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown stated on May 16. "The decision to terminate this grant puts lives at risk and undermines locally led solutions to climate and public health challenges. Make no mistake, recent history shows just how critical this funding is to ensure the health, safety, and economic stability of so many Spokane families." (COLTON RASANEN)
CORRECTION
In the Inlander's May 15 issue we incorrectly described Central Valley School Board Member Pam Orebaugh position on the district's 2024 $47.5 million capital levy. In fact, Orebaugh voted against sending the levy to voters. We regret this error. ♦
