Erin Hut, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 12:22 p.m.
The City of Spokane, City of Spokane Valley, Spokane County and the Spokane Regional Health District have partnered together to launch a new data dashboard to help the community better understand homelessness and programs that exist to provide support to those who are unhoused.
The dashboard offers insight into the number of people experiencing homelessness across Spokane County, how many people have exited shelter programs, how long people have stayed in programs, and more.
Data is generated from the City of Spokane’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database, which is comprised of information from a diverse range of service providers and organizations located throughout the county.
This new tool is intended to help lawmakers, advocates, providers, and residents identify gaps in the system, track progress, and make informed decisions to support those in need.
“This dashboard represents a significant step forward in transparency and accountability,” Mayor Lisa Brown said. “This will help people across our region better understand the challenges many in our community face and the work being done to create solutions.”
“Working together is essential to address homelessness in our community, and we are grateful to our partners in this collaborative effort,” said Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley. “We are optimistic that the information gained from this data will inform effective solutions throughout the region.”
“Allowing taxpayers and the greater community to see how their hard-earned dollars are being spent as a regional response to homelessness, not only provides better funding transparency, but also ensures collecting the necessary data to better inform homeless response efforts,” said Spokane County Commissioner and Board Chair Mary Kuney. “I am optimistic that in making this data available and accessible to the public and regional leaders, it will help build trust and understanding, as we continue to jointly collaborate in addressing this challenging and complex issue together.”
“Through this collaboration, SRHD’s research scientists were able to create an accessible data dashboard where community partners can easily find the information they need as they work to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness,” said Danielle Wrenn, SRHD Data Center Manager. “This is a great example of how science and data can contribute to efforts that help our community’s most vulnerable.”
