(The Center Square) – Spokane expanded its scattered-site shelter model and opioid response this week, opening a new facility specifically for women and bolstering the fire department’s social response initiative.
While the city didn’t provide a date, it announced Tuesday that the new women’s shelter would open sometime this week at Knox Presbyterian Church. The partnership with Jewels Helping Hands and Empire Health Foundation is the latest addition to Mayor Lisa Brown’s model.
According to a news release, the Knox shelter will operate on a “referral-only basis.” The model supports seven other referral-based sites, each serving 20 to 30 people. Advocates say it allows an individualized approach, but critics argue it pushes homelessness into the surrounding neighborhoods.
“This new site is a great example of what can happen when faith communities, service providers, health experts, and the City come together,” Brown wrote in the release. “This new site will provide stability to women in our community and connect them with the resources they need for success.”
The new facility comes as another women’s shelter, Hope House, plans to close at the end of June. The operator told the Spokane City Council that it can’t afford Brown’s 30-bed model but plans to reopen on July 1 as a respite facility. A similar facility opened in another church in January.
Spokane conducted its Point-in-Time Count that same month, with results expected soon. Last year, it counted more than 2,000 homeless individuals. Julie Garcia, director of Jewels Helping Hands, told The Center Square in January that the crisis has increased dramatically since then.
“The reopening of Knox Presbyterian establishes a vital women’s shelter that addresses the unique challenges faced by women experiencing homelessness,” Garcia wrote Tuesday.
Empire Health Foundation manages much of the homelessness response, with help from other providers and agencies. EHF Communications Manager Carl Segerstrom told The Center Square that Brown’s model currently supports 228 beds between the eight sites around town.
However, providers outside the model support hundreds of other beds around the region. More than 7,200 people used homeless services across much of last year, according to a recent report.
According to the 2024 PIT Count, 38% of respondents reported a substance use disorder.
Spokane County Medical Examiner Dr. Veena Singh told local officials on Feb. 4 that her office recorded 346 overdose deaths for 2024, up 15% from 2023. She said 78% involved fentanyl.
The Spokane Fire Department’s Community Assistance Response Team, or CARES, helps get people struggling with substance abuse into treatment. The city recently expanded the initiative from one to four social workers and announced the arrival of its last hire on Wednesday.
CARES Team Manager Sarah Foley says the expansion will help them serve more people.
“I love the work that I am doing with the CARES Team,” Foley wrote in a news release. “Our team gets the opportunity to make a positive impact when people need help, and we get to work with an entire department dedicated to serving the community.”
Between 346 overdose deaths, more than 7,200 people using services last year, and fentanyl throughout the community, Spokane faces a crisis that shows no sign of slowing down.
