Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown declared a city emergency Wednesday to speed up the process for local residents and homeless people to access more resources following colder weather, a change in city law and instability within the federal government.

The emergency allows the mayor to circumvent lengthy contract processes with local outreach agencies to receive funding more quickly. Ultimately, Brown says the action will result in 50 extra shelter beds, help prevent evictions and fund mobile medical treatment so police can connect more people to mental health or housing services. All are in conjunction with the Home Starts Here Initiative, the city’s new method to expand its homelessness response efforts.

“Although there’s not a hurricane hitting our shore right now like there is for the folks i

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