Homelessness panel outlines initial findings

Spokane needs to expand its emergency shelters and temporary housing facilities as part of a wider community response to homelessness, a citywide panel reported on Thursday.

People who show up at those facilities should be offered support services to help them end what may be a chronic problem of homelessness, the task force said in its draft of a 10-year “blueprint” to combat the problem.

Spokane City Council members on Thursday heard preliminary findings more than one year after homeless residents staged a campout protest on Riverside Avenue during the summer of 2004.

June Shapiro, the city’s director of public service, said that Spokane County has started its own study of homelessness. Eventually, the city and county will combine efforts to come up with comprehensive recommendations on how to better handle the problem.

“I think as a community it’s very important that we take this seriously,” said George Nachtsheim, a member of the homelessness task force.

Task force members said resources are available, but there needs to be better coordination among agencies.

A census conducted by social service providers in 2004 showed that Spokane had 5,697 single adults who could be classified as homeless at one point during the year. Of those, 1,331 had lived in cars, camps or on the street while another 1,716 sought emergency shelter. Many of them have substance abuse or mental health problems or both.

Only about 10 percent of those people are considered chronically homeless, according to the study. But the numbers did not include parents with children who are also homeless.

At the same time, the city has 154 emergency beds during spring and summer months and 262 emergency beds from October through March when the House of Charity is open.

One recommendation calls for keeping the House of Charity open year-round. However, a funding source would be needed.

Another recommendation called for establishing a 24-hour evaluation and treatment center that police and others could use to deal with homeless residents, who are picked up on the street.