Spokane CHHS reports nearly 11,000 clients served in 2024–25; council presses for cost and outcome detail

Spokane CHHS staff presented the fiscal year 2024

—25 fourth-quarter performance review to the City Council study session, saying the quarter offers a year-long snapshot of homeless services across prevention, diversion, shelters and housing programs. Amanda (CHHS staff) told councilors the reporting window covered July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and that the system served roughly 10,000 unique clients and spent about $21 million of approximately $24.5 million awarded.

The review broke results down by program type. CHHS reported that diversion programs served 759 clients with 478 (about 68%) exiting to permanent housing and an 11% return-to-homelessness rate (reported on a two-year lookback). Coordinated entry saw about 3,000 households assessed with an average 28-day wait for a referral and roughly 41% of referrals resulting in successful placements once openings occurred. Eviction-prevention programs that include rental assistance served about 734 households and generally produced higher retention in existing housing than diversion programs, which currently lack a formal rental-subsidy pathway.

"The benefit of setting aside a designated time is that fourth quarter really gives us that year snapshot of how projects are doing," Ariel…