Resident urges Spokane County to adopt 0.1% sales tax to fund housing as homelessness rises
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
A Spokane resident told commissioners that national and local data show homelessness and demand for services are rising and urged the county to use RCW 82.14.530 to impose a tenth-of-one-percent sales/use tax dedicated largely to housing construction and related services.
Becky Dickerhoof, speaking during the board's open public forum on a September 2025 consent-agenda meeting day, told the Board of County Commissioners of Spokane County that national and local findings show homelessness and demand for homelessness services are increasing and urged the county to enact a local sales-and-use tax under state law to create more housing.
Dickerhoof cited the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ State of Homelessness: 2025 edition and said homelessness counts are at record highs, demand for services has risen and resources are insufficient to meet need. She said researchers found the response system had enough housing units to serve roughly 16% of people in shelters and that homelessness increased by about 18% while demand for services rose by roughly 12%.
Dickerhoof summarized proposed federal budget changes she said would reduce program funding, saying the administration’s fiscal 2026 “skinny budget” would eliminate Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships funding, consolidate several homelessness assistance programs and reduce or eliminate other Continuum of Care (CoC) programs. She said those changes, if enacted, would cut funding for tenant-based rental assistance, public housing, project-based rental assistance and housing for older adults and people with disabilities by about 43% and that in Washington state those cuts would reduce the number of families served by an estimated 4,000 to more than 6,000.
As a policy recommendation, Dickerhoof asked Spokane County to enact what she called a “15 90 tax,” referencing RCW 82.14.530. She described that statute as authorizing a county legislative authority to impose a sales-and-use tax not to exceed one-tenth of 1 percent of the selling price or value of the article used, with at least 60% of the proceeds used for construction of housing and the remainder for operations or related services.
The commissioners did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting; public comment concluded and the agenda proceeded to proclamations and other items.
Votes and formal action related to this topic: none recorded; this was public comment only.