SPOKANE, WA – Hoping to mobilize resources as soon as possible, the administration of Mayor Lisa Brown told the Spokane City Council on Thursday that the mayor’s emergency declaration on homelessness could cost $4.2 million.
Brown issued her declaration on homelessness during a press conference atop City Hall on Wednesday. The council just replaced Brown’s lackluster camping ban on Monday, positioning the city to bolster enforcement, but this comes as funding dries up due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The emergency, subject to council approval, would allow the mayor to bypass the dais and contracting requirements to expand homelessness services before winter. While Brown plans to use state and local tax dollars, with some reimbursed later, for these projects, her ask comes amid a $13 million shortfall…