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Residents press Spokane County commissioners for more emergency shelter beds as winter temperatures fall
Summary
Public commenters told the board that Spokane County lacks enough emergency shelter and warming-center capacity. Speakers urged commissioners to hold public discussions and prioritize protecting lives during near-freezing temperatures on Jan. 14 and 21.
Multiple public commenters used the Jan. 7 open forum to demand that Spokane County take immediate steps to protect people without permanent housing during cold weather.
Becky Dickerhoof told the commissioners the county has repeatedly failed to provide shelter for people without homes and warned that treating homelessness as a criminal issue harms families, seniors and children. “The only real solution is housing,” she said, and urged commissioners to start the process to end the homeless crisis.
H.T. Higgins said the county has “a significant lack of emergency shelter beds” and cited forecast lows of about 24 and 17 degrees for two upcoming Tuesdays. Higgins said the board has given homelessness too little of its time in 2024, challenged specific commissioners to engage more directly with community providers and asked for public discussion and planning. Higgins named Jan. 14 and Jan. 21 as dates tied to a “warning center” bed need and said the county should prioritize protecting life.
Commissioners did not take formal action during the public comment period. The board acknowledged the speakers and Commissioner French later offered updates on other agenda items, but no vote or formal direction tied to shelter capacity was recorded on Jan. 7.
