Council staff proposes $220,000 amendment to inclement-weather contracts to fund surge beds

City staff told the Spokane City Council during the March 3 agenda review meeting that the city has logged 80 surge days since Nov. 1 and has spent about $167,000 in November and December and roughly $150,000 in January as invoices continue to be processed.

Staff said they will seek an amendment to existing inclement-weather contracts to add $220,000 from funds previously allocated for inclement-weather beds. Of that $220,000, staff proposed allocating $70,000 to The Way Out Shell Center for adult singles, $120,000 to Catholic Charities for singles and families, and $30,000 to Revive for singles and small families. Staff said no additional funding was being requested for VOA’s Hope House because its current allotment is sufficient to cover the rest of February and March.

The proposal was presented as an update during the consent-agenda briefing; no formal motion or vote on the funding amendment occurred at the agenda-review meeting. Council members asked clarifying questions about whether the city is pursuing a single permanent surge site or relying on a model that relies on existing providers to scale up when needed. A staff representative said the intent in increasing the annual budget and relying on existing providers is to achieve reliable surge capacity over time, and that conversations about contract language to assure dependable surge ability are ongoing.

Council members expressed appreciation to staff and to provider partners while asking for more detail on long-term planning. Staff said they will continue to update the council on amounts spent and the number of surge days as the year continues.

The discussion occurred during the consent-agenda briefing portion of the agenda review and did not include a formal council action at this meeting.