Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review

Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
News >  Spokane

City officials looking to expand shelter as cold returns to Spokane

Feb. 18, 2022 Updated Fri., Feb. 18, 2022 at 8:53 p.m.

The Spokane Convention Center is shown earlier this winter when it was used as an emergency homeless shelter because of a cold snap. A plan for a temporary homeless shelter in Hillyard was abandoned by Mayor Nadine Woodward on Monday amid fierce neighborhood opposition.  (Jordan Tolley-Turner/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW / The Spokesman-Review)
The Spokane Convention Center is shown earlier this winter when it was used as an emergency homeless shelter because of a cold snap. A plan for a temporary homeless shelter in Hillyard was abandoned by Mayor Nadine Woodward on Monday amid fierce neighborhood opposition. (Jordan Tolley-Turner/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW / The Spokesman-Review) Buy this photo

Winter isn’t over, and neither is the need for emergency homeless shelter.

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward said Friday that the administration is looking to expand shelter capacity as cold weather returns next week.

The city’s existing shelters often have been full throughout the winter, which is typically when demand is highest.

The National Weather Service is forecasting daily high temperatures will fail to reach above freezing starting Monday and lasting through at least Wednesday. Overnight low temperatures during that stretch will reach as low as 9 degrees.

The city is working to open a new homeless shelter but that won’t be ready in time for next week’s cold snap.

“We are working on a temporary solution to bridge that other project as well,” Woodward said.

The details of the shelter plan for next week, and the long-term plan beyond that, were not ready to be revealed Friday, Woodward said.

City law requires the city to open emergency shelter when the forecast falls below 32 degrees.

During a streak of bitter cold around New Year’s Day, the city opened a temporary warming shelter inside the Spokane Convention Center that closed after two weeks. The city said the Convention Center was damaged by its use as a shelter and needed to be repaired before upcoming events.

Since the closure of the Convention Center warming shelter, the administration acknowledges that it has failed to meet the standard set by city law, but argues that it has struggled to find a suitable location for a new shelter.

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.

Active Person

Subscribe now to get breaking news alerts in your email inbox

Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens.