SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward announced on Monday that the city will be adding approximately 60 temporary shelter spaces are being added amid the oncoming frigid temperatures.
The new spaces will be added through a combination of hoteling and expansion strategies, according to a press release from the city. They will be available for men and women.
“We share everyone’s sense of urgency to meet the needs in our community,” Woodward said in a statement. “That’s why our City teams have been working nonstop to continually enhance the shelter system. Partnerships that bring meaningful, lasting solutions take time to come together.”
Here's what the city is adding this week:
- A contract for hotel space has been expanded through a new partnership beginning tonight. Individuals at the Cannon Street shelter will be referred to the new hoteling spaces to open up access to 40 low-barrier beds at the shelter, which have been consistently running at or near capacity.
- Union Gospel Mission will make 14 emergency weather beds available for women during the cold snap.
Spokane is also finalizing the process to get proposals for the operation of a location that would be open as needed to meet the extreme cold, heat and air quality needs of those experiencing homelessness.
A location has not yet been finalized and the city is searching for a new permanent shelter location, according to a press release.
The City is also finalizing a process to seek proposals to contract for the operation of a location that would be opened on an as-needed basis to meet extreme cold, heat, and air quality needs. A location has yet to be finalized. A separate search for a new permanent shelter location that is in this year’s budget is also ongoing.