Housing

Housing Choices

Overview

Housing is a broad topic that intersects many different areas of life. On this page, you will find information about housing supply and demand in Spokane, different types of housing options, and learn more about where development is happening as we prepare for the future and preserve the past.

As a general rule, you want to spend no more than 30 percent of your monthly gross income on housing. If you're a renter, that 30 percent includes utilities, and if you're an owner, it includes other home-ownership costs like mortgage interest, property taxes and maintenance. Why 30 percent? It's a standard that the government has been using since 1981: Those who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing have historically been said to be "cost burdened."

— Kathleen Elkins

Housing variety and choices

Find a home that's right for you! Spokane offers opportunities for many different types of homes.

Know Spokane's neighborhoods before you rent or buy. Learn more.
Interested in developing land? Learn more.

Development happens everywhere

To respond to constant change, community policies define how and where different types of building activity may occur. The City has created a map tool to help citizens understand where new development could occur throughout the city based on existing information.

The map shows when a property is likely vacant, within economic incentive areas, or near amenities like existing streets, water mains, parks, grocery stores, and frequent transit routes. By aggregating all of this information in one location, the mapping application helps people identify parcels with development potential.

Growth in Spokane: Each dot in the map represents a new building permit during a ten-year period. The City prepared a report that studied trends and recommended actions to deal with vacant lots near urban centers. Find it here