Spokane short hundreds of homeless shelter beds as winter approaches

As winter looms on the Lilac City’s horizon, so too does the question of what to do with Spokane’s homeless population.

“The region is not prepared,” Mayor Lisa Brown said. “But the city is doing everything we can.”

The city of Spokane operates a daytime center on Cannon Street, which intakes homeless clients but no longer provides beds itself, and seven nighttime shelters scattered across the city, providing up to 210 overnight beds. When taken with beds supplied by other providers, the city and county together fund the majority of 867 year-round shelter beds, while the city alone funds 121 surge beds that open up during inclement weather – smoke and heat waves during the summer, and subfreezing temperatures in the winter.

Spokane Housing and Human Services Director Dawn Kinder said sh