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County proposes $40,000 match with Innovia to finish eight wildfire recovery homes
Summary
Spokane County staff and nonprofit partners presented a plan to commit $40,000 from county housing set-aside funds to match $40,000 from Innovia for construction contingencies on eight homes being built for wildfire survivors; the request will be drafted into a contract and placed on a future agenda.
County staff and representatives of the Long Term Recovery Group and the Arcadia/Community Foundation (listed in the meeting as Innovia/Community Foundation for Eastern Washington and Archibald name variants) told the Board of County Commissioners on March 24 that eight modest homes are under construction for survivors of the 2023 Grama Road and Oregon Road wildfires and that a funding shortfall remains.
Speakers described the two fires as follows: the Grama Road fire (Medical Lake area) burned more than 10,000 acres and damaged about 240 primary structures on Aug. 18, 2023; the Oregon Road fire (Elk area) burned 10,800 acres and damaged approximately 126 primary structures. The Long Term Recovery Group identified eight households without insurance or with income restrictions; the group and volunteer partners — including Mennonite Disaster Services and other faith-based volunteers — have progressed the eight homes toward occupancy.
Cost-to-build per home was reported at approximately $120,000. The Long Term Recovery Group reported a budget shortfall for construction; the group requested $64,539 to close gaps in supplies and finishing work. Innovia (the Community Foundation for Eastern Washington/Arcadia in the presentation) offered a dollar-for-dollar partnership: Innovia would provide $40,000 and Spokane County’s Housing and Community Development department proposed a matching $40,000 from a sales-and-use-tax revenue set-aside for affordable housing. County staff recommended increasing the proposed award to $80,000 to include a $15,000 contingency above the $64,539 request.
Presenters asked that the county draft the contract and place the funding award on a legislative agenda for formal approval; county staff said they would prepare a contract and hoped to have it on the next or the following legislative consent agenda once the contract is complete. The transcript indicates the county’s funds for the match would come from a sales-and-use tax revenue set-aside designated for affordable housing; staff referenced RCW alignment but did not provide a specific RCW citation.
No final county appropriation or contract was approved at the special meeting; presenters invited commissioners and community members to provide public testimony when the item appears on the legislative agenda.
