Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 8:08 a.m.
The City of Spokane has finalized a contract with a shelter provider to operate a night-by-night drop-in and day use shelter with wrap-around services at the Cannon Street location it owns. The contract discontinues a historically winter seasonal approach to sheltering.
The Guardians Foundation, which has been operating a similar program to meet COVID-related needs for more than a year under the pandemic emergency, will formally begin as the year-round operator at that location on October 1 to continue that work. Moving to a year-round contract with an operator introduces greater predictability for those who use the space and allows the provider to better plan for staffing needs.
“Stability and predictability are critically important when it comes to establishing the trust and relationships that help people take their next steps out of homelessness,” Mayor Nadine Woodward said. “Finalizing this arrangement continues uninterrupted the connection to services and the staff who are working to get those individuals housed.”
The Guardians was selected through a public request-for-proposals process completed this summer to provide services for single adults and households without children. The City Council approved the contract, which runs through June 30, at its meeting today.
Daytime services include outreach and referral services for employment, housing, behavioral health, substance abuse, and other resources, case management, transportation, and temporary storage for personal belongings. The Cannon Street facility was remodeled last fall in collaboration with regional governmental partners to add restroom, shower, and laundry space.
The $1.85 million contract is for 72 adults in accordance with social distancing guidelines, three meals per day, and a point of contact for real-time shelter availability to help direct those in need of services or sheltering.
