SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane city councilwoman is reaching out to the homeless to find out what resources they need to help them get back on their feet again.
Throughout the month of September, Councilwoman Kate Burke will reach out to the homeless population and ask them to fill out a survey.
The survey asks those who are unsheltered to rank the amenities listed in order of importance to them or need. Some of these amenities include food stations, mobile showers, cell phone access and public restrooms.
On Monday, Burke met with many in the homeless population as they attended community court at the downtown library.
Many were happy to fill out her survey to express their needs, including Rockwell Lee McKean, who has been homeless in Spokane for the past four years.
One amenity in particular caught McKean's eye.
"Public restrooms, that would be a really good idea because there is a lot of nasty waste and people have to go and they just use it all over on the ground, so I think that would probably be safer for us and others," he said.
Burke said her hope is to gain a better understanding of what people living on the streets of Spokane need and to take this to the city council.
"When you are living on the streets and you don't have a way to clean yourself or a way to clean your clothes, no one is going to hire you," Burke said. "These are just simple things that are tiny barriers that we can provide at the city to hopefully help these people get into jobs and maybe permanent housing."
"Amenity vending machines" is also a choice on the survey.
Burke said she thinks food vending machines available to the homeless could be a good idea, but she also likes the idea of having vending machines that have products like sunscreen, chapstick or tampons for those who need them.
The vending machines would be operated with cards given to the homeless population.