The city of Spokane made reforms Monday to its funding pool for building affordable housing and behavioral health services, meant in large part to help house the homeless and prevent people from being priced out of the market.

The fund is raised from a 0.1% sales tax imposed in Spokane since 2020, which collected over $7.5 million in 2024. It’s commonly informally referred to as the “1590 fund,” after the state bill that authorized it, but was renamed Monday to the Housing Equity and Attainable Residences Trust Fund, or HEART Fund.

The most substantial reform Monday was to remove a recurring sunset clause that required council reauthorization to keep collecting the tax, effectively making the sales tax increase permanent. And while the council did also adjust its funding priorities, it w

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