City Facilitates Community Plan for Emergency Warming Shelters

Erin Hut, Communications Director, 509.625.6740

Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 12:47 p.m.

The City of Spokane is moving forward with its previously arranged plans to ramp down emergency warming shelter spaces and launch an audit process to properly assess shelter capacity among regional providers.  

  • The Cannon Street warming center will close the morning of March 1, making February 29 the last night of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. warming services.  
  • The TRAC shelter will ramp down from 350 beds to 250 beds on March 1. The shelter has been operating at or around 250 beds for nearly two weeks in alignment with City direction to ramp down congregate shelter space.  
  • The City will extend its contract with Jewels Helping Hands to continue maintaining shelter services at local churches, which accounts for 80 total beds. 

Earlier this week, the City also kicked off its efforts for a complete shelter audit. The Community Housing and Human Services Department is working with area non-profits and service providers to assess their needs, as well as shelter capacity both during and outside of emergencies. This audit will include community discussion on how Spokane envisions its future shelter system.  

“As the City and our regional provider network end cold-weather emergency services, we are starting the process of ensuring there are options in the shelter system that meet a diverse set of needs. Our goal is for our clients to experience safety and dignity in a variety of shelter settings and we are looking forward to working with our partners to develop recommendations leading a new approach to shelter and services,” said Neighborhood, Housing and Human Services Director Dawn Kinder.