As coordinated relief for those directly impacted by the Spokane Complex fires continues, Habitat for Humanity-Spokane is already preparing for what could be a yearslong housing recovery.
The organization has launched the ReBUILD Spokane Wildfire Recovery Fund to support planning, partnerships and resources needed to address long-term housing needs as the picture of all those affected becomes clearer.
Michelle Girardot, CEO of Habitat for Humanity-Spokane, says the organization learned from the recovery process after the Gray Fire that public disaster funding can take years to reach communities. Some federal financial support for people who lost their homes in the 2023 fire in Medical Lake is only now beginning to be disbursed, she says, and Habitat does not want to wait until public funding for the Spokane-area fires arrives to begin preparing…