(The Center Square) – The Community, Housing and Human Services Department requested $287,000 from the Spokane City Council on Monday, just weeks after the officials filled a $13 million budget gap.
If approved, the funding would expand the city’s inclement-weather response ahead of 2026, following the council’s allocation of $650,000 to it last week. Mayor Lisa Brown and the council allocated $1 million to the shelter beds reserved for adverse weather, but only a few nonprofits applied for the 2026 funding.
CHHS reopened its request for proposals last month after only recommending funding for two of three applicants, since the last one didn’t meet the requirements. CHHS Director Arielle Anderson asked the council for another $150,000 for Jewel’s Helping Hands on Monday, leaving $200,000 still on the table.
The council allocated $400,000 to Catholic Charities and $250,000 to The Salvation Army last Monday.
“There were two potential sites that were identified,” Anderson told the officials during a committee meeting. “We did not move forward with the inclement weather beds at Cannon. But we did put that forward for consideration for Morningstar to the CHHS RFP Committee, which was then voted on.”
If approved, the additional funding will support 15 beds at an all-women emergency shelter at $75 per night. The city activates surge beds when the wind chill is forecast to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. They also open when the heat index is predicted to be 95 degrees or higher for two consecutive days.
CHHS also proposed expanding the city’s 2025 inclement-weather response by $137,000 on Monday.
The funding would increase Revive Counseling’s inclement weather contract by $22,000 to $153,000, The Salvation Army’s by $45,000 to $215,000, and Catholic Charities’ by $70,000 to $290,000. Like the $150,000 for JHH next year, this $137,000 is already included in the 2025 budget.
Spokane Communications Director Erin Hut told The Center Square that the 2025 funding would come from general fund dollars that CHHS has already allocated toward this year’s inclement weather response, but hasn’t spent yet.
The council balanced a $25 million general fund deficit heading into 2025 and just filled a $13 million shortfall for 2026 last month. Since the $150,000 for JHH was part of the $1 million pool set aside for inclement-weather beds, it won’t snowball into another deficit, nor should the $137,000 if CHHS previously allocated the money but never spent it. Those accounts also have some reserves available.
While the $150,000 would expand the city’s inclement-weather response for 2026, the $137,000 for 2025 is just to keep the doors open through the end of December. Anderson said if the wind chill were to dip below 32 degrees all of December — which is unlikely — CHHS would run out of funding.
“It’s always a moving target in terms of anticipating surge,” Anderson explained, “but assuming that we surge for all of December, we will run out of funds. So far, that’s not looking like it is because we’re not surging, say for tonight as an example, but just to make sure that we have enough money.”
