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City proposes accelerated 'spend down' contracts for $3.4M eviction-prevention portfolio; council seeks clarity on eligibility and rollout
Summary
City staff asked for permission to contract with SNAP, Catholic Charities and Transitions to accelerate spend-down of $3.4 million in eviction-prevention funds; staff said $600,000 in administrative fees was eligible and that funds must be spent Jan. 1–June 30, 2025 or returned to the state.
City staff briefed the Spokane City Council on Jan. 6 seeking authority to enter contracts with SNAP, Catholic Charities and Transitions to accelerate the spend-down of eviction-prevention funds managed by the city under a Commerce program.
Carrie Cedarquist said the original portfolio totaled $3,400,000 and was granted to three subcontractors; slow spend-down prompted recapture and reallocation discussions. She said the city identified an additional $600,000 eligible to cover administrative fees. Staff said the target period for the accelerated contracts is Jan. 1–June 30, 2025; staff noted that unspent funds would have to be returned to the state after the period.
Council members asked about the apparent mismatch between record-high eviction filings in 2024 and lagging spend-down. Cedarquist and staff said some subgrantees faced administrative capacity problems that delayed distributions; some subcontracts were structured as holistic, wraparound models that served fewer households for longer durations, which also slowed expenditure rates.
Council member Dillon and others asked whether Family Promise — an existing subgrantee with historically high success rates — had funds deobligated and whether the city could scale up organizations with proven throughput. Staff confirmed Family Promise remains a subgrantee in the 2023–2025 contract period but had some funds deobligated because of slow spend-down; staff said increasing capacity at effective providers was discussed as an option but the immediate contracts were intended to create more access points to distribute funds before the state return deadline.
Staff said eligibility for assistance follows Commerce guidelines: households at risk of homelessness with income at or below 80% of area median income are eligible, and each subcontractor applies Commerce’s criteria in their client intake. Council members requested a one-page summary of eligibility and referral steps to share with neighborhood councils and community partners; staff agreed to provide it. The transcript records questions and commitments to follow up; formal contract awards appear on the Jan. 13 consent agenda and were not resolved in this meeting.
