(The Center Square) – The Spokane Valley City Council has approved a grant agreement with the nonprofit organization Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners for a $471,729 award to build an affordable senior housing project.
The awarded funds stem from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners will use the $471,729 as partial funding for the 60-unit housing project called “Broadway Senior Housing.” The building will consist of four stories, providing 57 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units.
The project is dedicated to providing permanent rental housing and supportive services to seniors. Qualified residents are seniors with incomes at or below 60% of the area median household income. The U.S. Census Bureau sets the city’s median household income at $60,079.
Seniors will also be provided rent subsidy in most of the units and will only have to pay 30% of their gross adjusted income in rent.
Supportive services such as Meals on Wheels, Resource Rides and Vets on the Farm, among other services, have already been approved as part of the mixed land use designation. The services will be facilitated by an on-site services coordinator that the facility will be hiring, according to information provided at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Councilman Arne Woodard said that the city previously identified two holes in homelessness services. One being senior citizens and young people under the age of 18. However, Woodard said work needs to continue to address youth susceptible to homelessness.
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Spokane Valley received approximately $16 million from the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
On May 16 the Spokane Valley City Council allocated approximately $4 million in funding to support affordable housing and homelessness efforts. On that same day, the city council approved the allocated $471,729 to the Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners.
The latest approval by the Spokane Valley City Council authorizes the city manager to finalize and execute the agreement.
The expected date of occupancy at Broadway Senior Housing is March 2026.
