Otis evictions stretch services to limit

The emptying of another downtown building is putting extra stress on Spokane’s social service agencies.

This summer, several nonprofits provided staff to help dozens of residents of the New Madison and Commercial Building who were forced to vacate their apartments.

Now, with eviction notices being sent to an estimated 86 residents of the Otis Hotel, those same agencies are being asked to help again.

“I don’t think anybody is complaining about helping, but it does pull us away from our other work, and that makes it very difficult,” said Marilee Roloff, executive director of the Volunteers of America’s Eastern Washington and North Idaho office. “It just means I have fewer people providing case management to our clients.”

City officials and nonprofit leaders plan to meet Friday to create a crisis management team similar to one that assisted many New Madison and Commercial residents find new homes. That group worked one-on-one with tenants to locate openings and get financial assistance.

But working to place Otis residents could take more staff time. Finding new homes for some Otis residents is expected to be more difficult because many have criminal backgrounds that prevent them from renting at most locations.

“It will be a greater challenge with the population,” said Ray Rieckers, housing director of Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs. “I know we won’t be 100 percent successful.”

Working with the Otis residents is especially critical for Catholic Charities of Spokane, said Rob McCann, executive director of the group. That’s because residents who can’t find a place to live will likely need a bed at a homeless shelter like the House of Charity, which is run by Catholic Charities and has been full in recent weeks.

McCann estimates that nonprofits donated between $35,000 and $50,000 of staff time to help the New Madison and Commercial tenants.

“We’re absolutely involved because it is part of our mission,” he said.

But he added that the community needs new ways to help those evicted when a developer upgrades a building.

“I don’t know if you can continue to ask the nonprofits to step up every time a developer flips a building,” McCann said.

Councilwoman Mary Verner, who is running for mayor, proposed earlier this summer that the city investigate adopting rules that would require developers to pay to relocate tenants they displace. Mayor Dennis Hession has said he’s open to the idea but first wants a recommendation from his affordable housing task force.

Rieckers said about four SNAP staff members worked on the Commercial and New Madison crisis management team.

“It’s been a challenge to find the resources to pay the expenses that we incur in order to meet our mission,” Rieckers said. “It simply spreads staff thinner.”

SNAP will get $10,000 for administering $250,000 that the Spokane City Council allocated to help pay first-month rents, security deposits and other moving expenses for those forced to move. But they, like the other agencies, won’t be reimbursed for their other work.

Spokane’s Human Service Director Jerrie Allard, said many of the nonprofits who have participated have gone beyond their core missions to help tenants.

“If there’s any way we can pull together, that’s how that’s going to be successful,” Allard said.