SPOKANE, Wash. – As temperatures drop, Spokane is preparing for winter by leveraging existing shelters for homeless residents, similar to its summer cooling plan.
This past summer, Spokane city code required cooling shelters to open when temperatures hit 95 degrees or higher for two or more days. However, formal cooling centers never opened. Instead, the city utilized existing spaces like libraries and park facilities.
Spokane is taking a similar approach for winter. The city plans to use existing shelters across Spokane, rather than establishing formal warming centers…