Ending Homelessness

H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund

The H.O.M.E. Starts Here Initiative is the City of Spokane’s unified strategy to address the complex factors that contribute to housing instability and homelessness. This initiative focuses on healthcare, outreach, multidisciplinary engagement, economic stability and where these areas intersect.

As part of executing this initiative, the City supports comprehensive and coordinated interventions to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community are connected to appropriate resources as quickly as possible. These interventions include:

• Eviction Prevention and Diversion: Helping stabilize people in the housing they already have – preventing new occurrences of homelessness.
• Outreach and Navigation: Providing resource connection, assessment, referrals, and care coordination for people experiencing homelessness.
• Emergency Shelter: Access to a temporary, short-term facility that provides immediate safety and basic needs, like a place to sleep or a meal.
• Inclement Weather Shelter: Additional emergency shelter during extreme heat, cold, or smoke.
• Coordinated Entry: A single entry point connecting individuals and families with an array of services to ensure they are connected with the most stabilizing intervention, at the right time for their household.
• Rapid Rehousing: Short-term rental assistance and supportive services to quickly exit people from homelessness into permanent housing.
• Transitional Housing: Temporary, but longer-term supportive housing for individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing.

The City of Spokane also supports other programs that impact housing stability, including:

• Affordable Housing Development: Increasing the supply of affordable housing units in the community.
• Housing Rehabilitation: Completing critical repairs in housing for low-income homeowners to ensure safe, healthy living environments.
• Food Security: Increasing access to healthy food.
• Job-training: Programs that put people on a path to self-sufficiency and increase economic opportunities.

The City of Spokane has also made investments to counter the opioid crisis utilizing funds awarded from lawsuits against opioid distributors found responsible for playing roles in fueling the opioid epidemic. Detailed descriptions of those investments can be found on the Opioid Abatement Investments webpage.

The H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund provides residents an easy way to be a part of the City of Spokane’s mission to support unhoused community members. Donations go directly to helping service providers coordinate housing and other resources for people who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.

Those interested in contributing can do so by calling Spokane 311, donating online, or adding a donation through their utility bill. Every contribution, no matter the size, can help make a difference in the lives of those need it most.