Guest opinion: Legislators must prioritize addressing chronic homelessness

By Ben Stuckart, Alisha Benson and Nadine Woodward

Chronic homelessness impacts all communities in Washington state. Over the past four years, the homeless population has grown by 27% and the pandemic has made the problem worse. In 2020, more than 23,000 people were homeless across our state. That’s almost two times the capacity of the Spokane Arena.

In Spokane, the region’s shelter system has added new permanent space for women, young adults, co-ed day use, resource-intensive bridge housing, short-term pandemic distancing and emergency use, and still it is not enough to keep up with the needs of our homeless population. Washingtonians are still suffering from the impacts of the pandemic and need affordable homes now more than ever. Our ability to address this problem at the local level is no longer enough, we need help from the state to operate temporary programs with the kind of services that help people transition out of homelessness into permanent housing.

The weather conditions in Spokane and Eastern Washington – harsh, cold winters and sweltering, hot summers – add to the urgency to address chronic homelessness in our area. Just this December, Spokane had multiple days of record lows. No person should be subjected to living without shelter and hundreds used a city-funded, temporary 24-hour shelter for two weeks to escape the hard conditions.

Local businesses in Spokane recognize that when the standard of living is raised, our community benefits by an expansion of our economy. The more that we can lift each other up, the better we all do. This includes individuals and families dealing with chronic homelessness in our community.

Voters agree, state leaders must act. A September 2021 poll conducted by Challenge Seattle, Campion Advocacy Fund, and other partners identified that 92% of Washington voters see homelessness as one of the biggest issues facing their community. The same poll concluded that 62% of voters believe that state lawmakers are responsible for addressing the issue with state funding.

This legislative session we have a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact on homelessness. House Washington is a coalition formed of elected officials, business and community leaders, and housing advocates. We have joined this coalition and submitted a letter to statewide leaders calling on them to address homelessness and affordable housing this legislative session.

This is a human issue not a partisan one. People are suffering and we need our state leaders to come together and help the people in our community.

Between the remaining funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and increased state revenues, we can help address chronic homelessness and provide health services that are crucial for recovery and self-sufficiency. We need more deeply affordable housing options that people experiencing homelessness can immediately move into. Strong allocations from the Housing Trust Fund and Rapid Housing Acquisition Fund locally will speed up the number of suitable units communities across the state can bring online quickly. This needs to be paired with strong support services that will help keep people stably housed – behavioral, mental, and physical health services, employment and training programs, and funding to help people meet their basic needs. This combination will ensure that people can get the help they need and communities have lasting outcomes.

It’s time for our state leaders to invest in bold affordable housing proposals. Join the House Washington coalition, let state leaders know that now is the time to address homelessness.

Ben Stuckart is executive director for the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium. Alisha Benson is chief executive officer of Greater Spokane, Inc. Nadine Woodward is mayor of Spokane.