(The Center Square) – While some celebrated by sleeping in, more than a dozen Spokanites woke up on Presidents Day to march for change in the face of homelessness.
In their “call for urgency,” the advocates set out on a 5 a.m. “crisis walk” Monday to demand immediate, coordinated action against the regional crisis. Despite freezing temperatures, business owners, service providers and residents trekked from one government building to another.
They set off before sunrise, taking the demonstration from Spokane City Hall across the river to the Spokane County Commissioners’ Office. The group walked through the snow, past their homeless neighbors sleeping on the streets, while others lay warm in their beds at home.
“This morning, 20 of us walked together — not a large crowd, but a powerful message,” Gavin Cooley, president of the Spokane Business Association, wrote to members on Monday. “We’re walking again tomorrow at 5 AM — same route, same message.”
Barry Barfield, an administrator with the Spokane Homeless Coalition, organized the movement as overnight temperatures sit below freezing. While overdoses claim a life nearly every day in Spokane County, many are struggling to make it through the night as their extremities freeze.
Despite overlapping jurisdictions, the city of Spokane and Spokane County have addressed the crisis in different ways. The two municipalities spent months discussing a regional authority in 2023 but are struggling to make progress on the endeavor. Barfield and Cooley want action now.
Homelessness affects the entire county in some form or another but disproportionately impacts the city of Spokane, especially areas downtown. Officials and residents differ on how to tackle the issue, with some wanting to devote more resources to treatment and others to a new jail.
Despite the differences, advocates held signs on Monday sporting the message: “SPOKANE IS IN CRISIS!!!” Since Jan. 1, most days have been below freezing, forcing the city to provide additional shelter beds that still fall short of demand at times.
“We are urging the City, County, and the entire homeless response system to address this crisis with the urgency it requires,” Cooley wrote. His message: “To resolve Spokane’s health and safety crisis, treat it as a disaster, and respond as if lives and our City depend on it.”
He said people are facing amputations due to the cold as others grapple with their mental health in the dead of the night, struggling to stay alive. Meanwhile, the rest of the community is trying to get by while making sense of the chaos that some call home around them.
Barfield’s group marched again on Tuesday and plans to continue.
“To those who have already shown up: thank you. Your presence matters. To those who have not yet joined: the time is now,” Cooley wrote. “Walk with us. Show up. Demand action.”