Nicolette Ocletree, housing and homelessness initiative manager, briefed the committee on Homeless Connect and related shelter and outreach efforts.

Ocletree said last year’s Homeless Connect attracted nearly 2,000 guests, hundreds of volunteers and dozens of providers offering services ranging from medical checks to replacement EBT cards. The event is scheduled for Jan. 28 and organizers expect it to play a significant role in the point-in-time count and in connecting both people experiencing homelessness and low-income residents to services.

Councilmembers expressed concern about the event’s costs (convention-center charges and vendor fees estimated to range from roughly $12,000–$22,000) and discussed whether the city should help underwrite the event or seek discounts from the Public Facilities District. Ocletree said the event is run by a nonprofit (Spokane Connect) that bears venue costs and that the city has sometimes helped with bus passes or other in-kind support.

Members also suggested adding eviction-prevention resources and prioritizing transportation supports, including more free or subsidized bus passes, to help attendees access services and to address upstream drivers of homelessness. Ocletree and councilmembers discussed advocacy at the Spokane Transit Authority board to secure reduced-cost passes for providers to distribute.

Organizers will circulate volunteer links and outreach materials; Ocletree said she will coordinate with council offices and provider partners to align resources and return with additional operational details.