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Resident warns of record evictions in Spokane County, urges commissioners to reconsider ordinance 1590
Summary
A member of the public told commissioners that Washington rankings and recent data signal a worsening eviction and homelessness crisis in Spokane County and urged the board to reconsider enacting ordinance 1590.
A Spokane County resident told the Board of County Commissioners during the open public forum that recent state and national data forecast a sharp rise in evictions and street homelessness in Spokane and urged commissioners to reconsider adopting an ordinance referred to as "1590." The comment cited a December news report and two recent National Low Income Housing Coalition publications.
The speaker said a KXLY television report and the coalition’s Out of Reach and The Gap reports showed Washington among the country’s most expensive states to rent, with an estimated housing wage of $40.32 per hour to afford a two‑bedroom unit and only 28 rental units available per 100 renters in the state. The commenter said roughly 75% of low‑income renters face severe cost burdens and added, "As of 2024, if you earn a minimum wage in Washington, you must work 99 hours per week to afford a 2 bedroom rental unit." The resident warned these conditions will increase homelessness and interactions between people experiencing homelessness and law enforcement.
The speaker told commissioners they had testified repeatedly and that their testimony had not prompted the board to enact ordinance 1590. They asked, "So what are the county commissioners going to do to prevent Spokane from becoming a record setting statistic in the 2025 housing reports?" No commission action was taken during the meeting on the subject; the comment was recorded as open public forum testimony and the board proceeded with its scheduled agenda items.
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