New shelter aims to provide beds, services to homeless LGBTQ+ people

A new homeless shelter opened in north Spokane last week to provide shelter and treatment for LGBTQ+ people.

The Aurora Center, located at North Hills Christian Church, 4620 N. Post St., is open 24 hours per day and seven days a week. There are 15 beds in the shelter, said Julie Garcia, the executive director of Jewels Helping Hands, the organization is running it.

The homeless shelter is for self-identifying members of the LGBTQ+ community, Garcia said.

“If you’re not a young adult and you’re in the LGBTQ community, we will take you,” Garcia said.

The center is something that has been missing in Spokane, Garcia said, and is meant to provide a safe space for those who may not feel safe or welcome at other homeless shelters.

“People in the LGBTQ+ community typically go to the shelter that matches their identity. The problem we’ve found is that people in the LGBTQ+ population were not being treated the same as the people who were not in the population. It wasn’t coming from the staff, it was coming from the other guests,” Garcia said.

And since other homeless people aren’t trained in gender-affirming or trauma-informed care, other shelters could quickly become unsafe to those in the queer community. This shelter, Garcia said, can be their safe space. And people are already staying there.

On the first night, three people stayed at the center, she said. Nine people stayed at the center on Thursday night.

Spokane City Councilman Zack Zappone said shelters like the Aurora Center are important to the area.

“When we’re thinking about our scattered-site shelter model, we’re trying to create smaller shelters meant to serve specific groups of people,” Zappone said. “… LGBTQ folks have unique needs for shelters. This is where they are sleeping, changing, where their personal belongings are.”

Attacks against people in the LGBTQ+ community have increased during the Trump administration and are felt locally, said Zappone. Two years ago, a downtown Spokane rainbow intersection was defaced and vandalized multiple times.

“There are real threats towards LGBTQ people,” Zappone said. “As an out person, I’ve had plenty of social media comments and hateful comments sent my way.”

The center operates similarly to other local shelters.

“You cannot just walk up and get a bed. … This is not a walk-up facility; this is much like all the other facilities where you need a referral to come in,” Garcia said.

Referrals can come from the housing navigation center, other providers, peers, case managers, the hospital or the police, Garcia said. Folks can stay at the center for 90 days. After that, they are assessed to see if they are reaching their treatment goals. If they are, there is a possibility for a 90-day extension to their stay, Garcia said. If not, other options are discussed.

The center is partnering with several organizations, including Compassionate Addiction Treatment, Providence, Center for Growth and Empowerment and North Hills Christian Church, to provide services to people at the center.

People hoping to get into the shelter can call its intake line at (509) 710-9643.