Spokane will hire temporary manager to help with COVID-19 assistance

The city of Spokane is hiring a temporary employee to assist in its response to COVID-19.

The city needs help managing the various forms of state and federal assistance that have made their way to Spokane to fund its programs for people experiencing homelessness since the coronavirus pandemic hit last year.

As it looks to redirect that money out the door and into the hands of service providers, the city is overseeing seven grant programs totaling $8.8 million, according to the job description, a figure that could grow as the pandemic continues.

The job’s tasks will include providing technical assistance to grant recipients and tracking their performance with grant funds.

The earliest the new employee will begin will likely be next month, city spokesman Brian Coddington said. The salary is funded by the grants themselves.

The position is only temporary, but pays at an annual rate between about $51,000 and $73,000.

Applications will be reviewed beginning Monday.