Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 8:19 a.m.
The Spokane City Council has postponed several ordinances related to homelessness to examine our policies more comprehensively. To move forward, the Council would like to bring together a group of stakeholders to gather input on our current policies and create suggestions for enhancing them.
Council plans to host several roundtable discussions to hear from the community and stakeholders including service providers, business owners, faith-based organizations, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness. After the roundtable discussions, the Council will hold an open forum to discuss their findings and to discuss solutions and suggestions for the pending ordinances.
In anticipation of the roundtables, Council is asking the community interested in participating to complete the following survey which will help Council understand community perspectives and prepare for the discussions.
“As a City, our issues are complex so the solutions will be just as complex,” said Council President Betsy Wilkerson. “Therefore, it is important to hear from the community to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to address homelessness.”
"The solution to homelessness requires input from stakeholders in the community, as well as from individuals who are currently or have experienced homelessness,” said Council Member Zack Zappone. “As the Council collaborates with the Administration, we aim to ensure that our approach is not just a temporary fix but a deep-rooted healing, reconstruction, and revitalization of our efforts to build a strong and resilient community."
The first roundtable discussion will be held on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave., in room Events B. The subsequent meetings will occur every three weeks.
About the Spokane City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Spokane, which is home to more than 220,000 people and is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. The City’s 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit SpokaneCity.org/CityCouncil/ and follow us @SpokaneCityCouncil on Facebook.
