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Residents press council on ARPA neighborhood grants, housing pressures and North Spokane Corridor funding
Summary
Town-hall attendees urged faster use of ARPA neighborhood dollars, better landlord enforcement and state action to keep North Spokane Corridor funding in place.
Multiple residents used the town hall to ask the council to move faster on neighborhood ARPA allocations, press for stronger landlord enforcement, and lobby state leaders to keep scheduled funding for the North Spokane Corridor.
Hilliard-area residents urged the council and contract administrators to accelerate spending of $500,000 ARPA allocations for their district and to avoid small ‘activation’ grants that require matching funds. “We are ready to roll,” Hilliard resident Molly Hart said, asking the city and the contracted nonprofit to expedite façade, lighting and bike-rack projects.
Mikaela Robmeier, a renter and student, described the local rent burden and urged council support for state housing proposals and tenant protections. “Over 250,000 Washington residents are currently renting… the average person working 40 hours at minimum wage in Washington state in Spokane specifically will be spending more than 30% of their income on housing,” she said.
Thomas Bender and other residents asked the council to defend previously committed state funding for the North Spokane Corridor. Council members said they have raised the issue in Olympia and proposed resolutions and letters are in progress. “If it’s not completed, division connects cannot happen because the modeling assumes the North–South Freeway is finished,” Council member Michael Cathcart said.
Council members also described local enforcement options for substandard rental housing and noted existing programs for eviction prevention and rental assistance; several said targeting “bad landlords” with fines and enforcement would be more effective than blunt rent-control measures.
Ending: Council members pledged follow-up on ARPA timelines, landlord enforcement and coordinated legislative outreach to defend North Spokane Corridor funds.
