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Spokane resident urges commissioners to adopt 0.1% "15/90" sales tax for affordable housing
Summary
Becky Dickerhoof told Spokane County commissioners the RCW-authorized 0.1% local option (often called the "15/90" tax) could fund construction and services for low-income housing, and she urged the board to enact it to prevent criminalization of homelessness and rising health costs.
Becky Dickerhoof, a Spokane City resident, urged Spokane County commissioners to enact the so-called "15/90" local option sales-and-use tax allowed under RCW 82.14.530 to create more homes for people experiencing homelessness.
"This ordinance ... allows the county legislative authority to impose a sales and use tax not to exceed 1 tenth of 1% of the selling price," Dickerhoof told the board, saying at least 60% of proceeds must fund housing construction and the remainder the operation and services related to housing.
Dickerhoof cited academic and government research linking supportive housing and services to reduced homelessness and warned that criminalizing homelessness can increase medical costs and deaths. She framed the tax as a targeted revenue source to expand affordable housing and related supports in Spokane County.
The comment was made during the open public forum; no formal county action on the 15/90 proposal was recorded during this meeting.
The transcript reference: Dickerhoof summarized the statutory framework of RCW 82.14.530 and urged commission action to dedicate funds to low-income housing construction and services.
