HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-2025_HHTF_Minutes
SPOKANE VALLEY HOMELESS HOUSING TASK FORCE
RegularMeeting Minutes| May 22, 2025| 2:00 pm
at Spokane Valley City Hall, 10210 E Sprague Ave, Room N212 and on Zoom
1.Call to Order: Committee Chair,MayorPam Haley,called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm.
2.Roll Call: In attendance were
Task Force Voting MembersGuests (in-person)
Mayor Pam Haley, City ofSpokane Valley Ian Robertson
George Dahl, Spokane County Karin Morris
Lance Beck, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber Gretchen Brown, Frontier Behavioral Health
John Parker, Central Valley School District
Kelly Keenen, Spokane Housing Authority
Joseph Ghodsee Guests (online)
Allisha CorleyJoe Ader
Lisa Miller, Lex Law Corp.David Noble
Task Force Non-Voting MembersStaff
Arielle Anderson, City of Spokane Sarah Farr, Accounting & Finance Program Manager
Gloria Mantz, City of Spokane Valley, City Services Tony Beattie, Senior Deputy City Attorney
Administrator Julie Meyers-Lehman, Executive Assistant
3.Open Public Meetings Actand Public Records Act Training
Senior Deputy City Attorney Tony Beattie presented a trainingto Task Force members on the Washington State
Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act.
4.General Public Comment Opportunity
Chair Haley called for public comments. There were none.
ACTION ITEMS
5.Approval of April 2025Meeting Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes as presented passed unanimously.
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION ITEMS
6.Hope House Shelter/Respite Bed Update
The city has been contracting with Volunteers of America (VOA) since 2023 to provide respite beds at Hope
House (a low-barrier women’s shelter) for Spokane Valley referrals. “Respite beds” offer many more services
than “shelter beds” to guests, including some medical care and case management.VOA charges $136/night for
one reserved respite bed (approx. $49,000/yr) and a second “as-needed” bed is $150/night.
Spokane Valley Homeless Housing Task Force 05.22.2025Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 2
Hope House is changing its operations and effective June 30, 2025 will cease offering shelter beds. Their respite
bed program will increase from 20 to 44 beds.
VOA reports that the actual cost of a respite bed is $300/night; the current $136/night rate charged to the city is
subsidized by income from other parts of the program. VOA has indicated that funding model is not sustainable.
Because of the high costs of the respite beds, Hope House plans to make use of a state-funded program that
pays for respite beds from either a state Managed Care Organization or a state fund for uninsured clients. Due to
this funding structure, beds will be filled on a first-come first-served basis.
There is only one other low-barrier shelter for women in Spokane County (Women’s Overnight Program), has a
maximum capacity of 30 individuals, and is only accessible by referral.
The result is that after June 30, the Spokane Valley Outreach Team will no longer have a bed to offer women
seeking a low-barrier shelter. Members discussed eligibility requirements for the state programs, waivers and
requirements.
7.Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:40 pm.
Julie Meyers-Lehman, Executive Assistant
Spokane Valley Homeless Housing Task Force 05.22.2025 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 2