Spokane Valley council approves resolution to establish permanent homeless and housing task force

The Spokane Valley City Council moved to approve Resolution 25-01 on Jan. 21, 2025, creating a permanent Homeless and Housing Task Force to advise the city on homelessness and housing policy.

The resolution before the council formalizes a task force composition similar to a prior temporary body but adds “private housing developers and providers representatives” to the list of sectors that may be represented, City Housing and Homelessness Coordinator Eric Robison said. Robison said the version before council reflects changes made after council feedback at a prior meeting.

Council members questioned how the draft language treats positions reserved for people with “lived experience” of homelessness. Council Member Al Merkle asked whether the current language could result in a task force that included no one with lived experience. Robison said the state recently removed a strict requirement after jurisdictions reported difficulty recruiting people able to attend daytime meetings; staff view lived experience representation as a best practice but not a statutory requirement.

Council Member Marco proposed an amendment to add a preference for at least one person with lived experience, with an exception allowing other candidates if none present themselves at selection. The motion was not seconded and therefore died. Several council members, including Merkle and others, said staff will continue outreach and prioritized finding people with recent lived experience for the positions.

Council then voted on Resolution 25-01. A council member voiced opposition during the vote, but the transcript does not record a full roll-call tally. The motion was approved and council directed staff to proceed with implementing the task force and continuing recruitment for all positions identified in the resolution.

Robison and staff told council they had previously struggled to retain people in lived-experience seats because daytime meeting schedules and the personal nature of participation limited attendance. Robison said staff had sought assistance from partner organizations for nominations but had not yet secured candidates for every category.

Looking ahead, council members emphasized the desire to continue outreach and noted the city’s intent to align the new permanent task force with state guidance and with practices that encourage participation by people with lived experience.

Council did not adopt the proposed amendment to add a preference for at least one person with lived experience; however, council discussion and staff statements indicated an intent to prioritize such representation where possible.