The City continues to connect residents who have experienced hardships during the pandemic to resources.
Proclamation: The City of Spokane’s rent assistance program is currently operational per Proclamation 21-09.
UPDATE: Due to a large volume of applications, emergency rent assistance application portals have paused accepting applications from city residents seeking rental assistance who do not have a current eviction notice*. The City continues to work with the Washington State Department of Commerce to identify potential new sources of emergency rent assistance funds for Spokane city tenants and landlords, but a timeline for re-opening the portals for members of the general public (LiveStories), households with children (Family Promise of Spokane), and members of the African-American and BIPOC community (Carl Maxey Center) is unclear. Continue to check this page for updates.
*City of Spokane residents with a current eviction notice still may receive assistance through the ERAP 2.0 program. In order to determine eligibility and the process for doing so, reach out to one of the City’s two Dispute Resolution Centers that are managing the local Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP):
Applicants must meet all three of the initial screening criteria to be eligible for rental and/or utility assistance:
Rent assistance Q&As (PDF 666 KB)
SNAP processes emergency rent assistance applications for Spokane County residents.
| Emergency Rental Assistance (Treasury): | ERA 1 | ERA 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid out: Direct Assistance (Rent & Utilities) | $6,355,564 | $4,509,960 |
| Number of Households who received assistance: | 1051 | 1013 |
| Average number of months assistance provided: | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| TRAP 1 & TRAP 2 (Commerce) | T-RAP 1.0 | T-RAP 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid out: Direct Assistance (Rent & Utilities) | $7,993,134 | $8,463,435 |
| Number of Households who received assistance: | 1248 | 1503 |
| Average number of months assistance provided: | 7.5 | 7.0 |
To help residents, the City has suspended late fees and water shut-offs for non-payment of City utility bills. Avista has announced that it is suspending power utility shut-offs during this time as well. Residents can seek financial help with their energy bills and their City utility bills by calling SNAP at 456-SNAP. Utility Billing can also provide repayment arrangements for our customers who apply and qualify.
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
Residents who are in need of financial assistance for paying City utilities can contact SNAP by calling 456-SNAP. Assistance can be applied to current and past-due charges up to $2,500 and applications are subject to review for basic program requirements.
U-Help Assistance
The City of Spokane's U-Help program provides low-income households with one-time emergency financial assistance to help pay for their City utility bills, which includes charges for water, wastewater, stormwater, and garbage collection. Applications are subject to review for basic program requirements and benefit amount is a one-time limit of $141 per year.
Below is a list of additional resources:
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is open to households that participate in an existing low-income or pandemic relief program offered by a broadband provider; Lifeline subscribers, including those that are on Medicaid or accept SNAP benefits; households with kids receiving free and reduced-price lunch or school breakfast; Pell grant recipients; and those who have lost jobs and seen their income reduced in the last year.
The City of Spokane received $9.9 million from the state of Washington to fund necessary responses to the impacts of COVID-19. City Council asked citizens in a community survey to weigh in on their priorities. You can review how the community has been supported through these emergency response efforts by visiting the CARES Act Funding page.
