Spokane releases details of inclement weather shelter plan weeks after deadline

(The Center Square) – Spokane released details of the city’s annual inclement weather sheltering plan on Monday, two weeks after the deadline to “publish and disseminate,” per local law, but without many details.

The plan helps inform citizens and the homeless about where to go during extreme weather, fulfilling a provision of the Spokane Municipal Code. The SMC requires the city to open warming and cooling centers whenever temperatures dip below 32 or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the official deadline to publish that plan was Sept. 30, the city issued a press release on Monday “detailing” the plan. Spokane historically allocates $250,000 annually toward the shelter plan; however, the release says that isn’t enough given the cost of facilities and operations.

Rather than prop up new shelters for what might account for a few weeks out of the year, Mayor Lisa Brown wants to expand surge capacity in existing facilities. According to the release, she’s also requesting additional funding for the plan in the 2025-2026 biennial budget.

“True preparedness means planning ahead for the safety and dignity of our unsheltered neighbors,” Brown wrote in the release, “not scrambling to react to weather crises that we know come every year.”

Last week, community activists protested outside City Hall regarding the lack of movement on a plan. Some of those activists even put up billboards on Monday, calling out Brown directly.

According to the SMC, the plan must provide various details, such as the names and locations of centers/providers, type and population focus, activation criteria, cost, funding sources, partnerships and the communications/publicity plan to ensure people know where to go.

However, the city’s press release doesn’t go into much detail about the plan or provide the details as listed by the SMC. Instead, it states that the plan was presented to the city council, Homeless Coalition, Continuum of Care, and the city’s Community, Housing and Human Services Department.

That “plan” was responses to a joint Request for Information issued by the city and Spokane County, though RFIs don’t solicit actual proposals like a Request for Proposals. According to the release, the responses identified 357 potential surge capacity beds across a few providers.

The Center Square asked Communications Director Erin Hut about the missed deadline on Sept. 30 but was told the RFI “fully describes the plan. When asked to provide a copy of the plan on that day, Hut did not respond.

According to the Monday press release, Spokane has since issued an RFP, which the city will use to award “minor contracts” in the coming weeks. The Brown Administration told Range Media it can only afford to provide around 100 of the 357 identified beds for 38 nights.

“By taking a holistic approach to the inclement weather plan,” Brown wrote in the release, “we are building a sustainable system and coordinating with various service providers to be ready to go when the cold, heat and smoke arrive.”