Access to homeless services likely to increase in Spokane Valley, West Plains, rural county

Homeless services will likely soon be easier to access for people living outside Spokane city limits but within Spokane County.

The change is expected to come Monday, when the Spokane City Council will vote on whether to shift a combined $317,000 the county has granted to the city to rural outreach. Once nonprofits are awarded that money, they will be able to hire or direct employees to visit more small towns around Spokane County and use the same system that’s used in the city of Spokane to connect people with housing.

Spokane County commissioners signed off on the move last week.

Arielle Anderson, homeless services manager for Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, or SNAP, said the change will make it far easier for social workers to help people without shelter, or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Anderson said most services in the region are centered in the city of Spokane. While people from smaller towns are usually eligible, they often don’t want to go downtown, lack transportation or are unable to take the bus.

With the help of this funding, SNAP plans to expand its mobile team to drive out to those living in rural areas.

Anderson said the nonprofit has already been working with other groups across the county to try and connect with people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, in smaller communities.

She said that once the funding is approved, she plans to hire an additional employee to focus on that work.

She also noted that homelessness in rural areas often looks different than in the city. Many live in an RV or other structures not meant for permanent habitation and may not have access to heat or clean water.

Anderson plans to work with other agencies to identify people in rural communities who are homeless or connect them to people who have contacted SNAP themselves.

A team will be able to meet with them wherever they are comfortable to help them fill out paperwork to get on a list for housing, or to prevent them from becoming homeless by connecting them with rental assistance or other programs.

SNAP is “just being responsive to those communities, so when there’s a need, they can call us, and we can go to them,” Anderson said.

She said SNAP is also working with Spokane Valley Partners to try to set up a more permanent presence in its offices so there is one place to go for homeless services in that community.

Catholic Charities will also receive a change in funding. Sharon Stadelman, vice president of crisis response for Catholic Charities, said the nonprofit already has one employee in Deer Park who can help families access services, but the funding will allow them to expand that to the entire county.

Stadelman said they plan to have a diversion and housing crisis specialist spend two days a week in Spokane Valley, two days a week in Airway Heights and Cheney, and one day a week attending appointments in Deer Park, Medical Lake, Elk, Liberty Lake, Otis Orchards, Chattaroy and other areas.

That employee would work with households to try to prevent them from becoming homeless. They’ll also have access to the coordinated entry system to connect them with other resources.

Kathleen Torella, director of Spokane County’s Community Services, Housing & Community Development Department, said this year is the first of a two-year pilot project that will allow the city of Spokane to operate these programs on the county’s behalf.

After the pilot, the county will decide whether to continue working with the city to reach rural communities.