“Fed-up business leaders decry Spokane’s homelessness problem after Zona Blanca announces closure.”

CALL TO ACTION

• YOU ARE NEEDED TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

As residents of Spokane County, Spokane City, and our Neighborhood Councils, it’s vital that we contribute to finding community solutions by participating in local government and regularly communicating with our elected representatives. You can advocate for change.

Spokane elects a mayor, City Council members, and County Commissioners for 4-year terms each. Spokane City Council is represented by three Districts and Spokane County Commissioners are represented by five Districts. Voters should be able to easily contact their elected representatives – mayor, City Council, and County Commissioners – and hold them accountable with their promises as candidates and actions while in office. City Council members' voting records are available on their websites County Commissioners voting records are available by contacting their offices.

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

• THE SITUATION & IMPACT TO YOUR COMMUNITY, DOWNTOWN, AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Spokane City government is organized by Divisions each with a separate Division Budget. This information helps identify which Departments control the largest and smallest budgets and who to contact with questions and comments. Learning how these budgets work independently or across Departments helps Neighborhoods advocate for change and improvements with Neighborhood, Downtown, and Citywide needs.

Spokane relies on Business and Development initiatives to support and grow our local economy. City Planning is responsible for implementing business growth through strategic planning for the Downtown core, Centers & Corridors, Neighborhoods, and Annexations. In April, Mayor Brown and City leaders visited Boise to learn strategies for economic development, public safety, housing, and downtown activation.

Equally important as business and development is the health and safety of Downtown, Neighborhoods and the Community at large. City programs and services that presented solutions and achieved results are provided by Spokane Therapeutic Courts. The Therapeutic Courts include the Community Court, Domestic Violence Intervention Treatment Court, DUI Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court. Spokane Therapeutic Courts are nationally recognized and seek to reduce and properly address quality of life offenses in the Downtown area by utilizing a collaborative, problem-solving approach to crime.

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE WITH DATA

• HOW YOU CAN HELP

Proposed solutions that advocate for change should be supported by valid and reliable data available to the public.

Code Enforcement (CE) complaints are reported online and by calling 311. CE investigates a complaint and logs it as Open, In Progress, or Completed. The outcome of an investigation is not provided to the person who filed the report. If a citizen doesn’t see improvement with their CE complaint, they can report again until the situation improves.

Public Records Requests (PRR) provides more information about CE complaint(s) and requests for other types of data. The City Clerk’s office accepts PRR requests online. If you have difficulty submitting your report online, call for assistance 509.625.6350, clerks@spokanecity.org. The Clerk’s office contacts City Departments and requests information for you, so please describe your data request clearly, including a date range, to reduce the time it takes to provide a response.

As a federal funding requirement, the City conducts an annual “Point-In-Time (PIT)” survey to identify the homeless population in Spokane County. The 2023 PIT survey results reported an overall increase in the Spokane County homeless. The 2024 PIT survey results reported an overall decrease in Spokane County homeless. Whether you agree or disagree with the reported survey results of homeless individuals and families in Spokane County, you can still advocate for change.