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Spokane County revises shelter contract classification; shifts from transitional housing to continuous-stay emergency shelter
Summary
County staff presented contract amendments with the Salvation Army/We Help Shelter reclassifying a project from transitional housing to a continuous-stay emergency shelter to align metrics and reimbursement basis; funding remains $2.5M over five years and the contractual change aims to produce clearer performance metrics.
George Dahl and a Salvation Army representative briefed commissioners on Feb. 3 about changes to an existing contract (originally approved in 2001 and adjusted in 2021) that funds the We Help Shelter partnership with the city of Spokane.
Staff described the change as a reclassification of the project’s scope — from a transitional-housing model to a continuous-stay emergency shelter — to better align the contract’s performance metrics with the provider’s operations. Dahl said the change carries no increase in the contracted funding ($2,500,000 over five years) but will adjust documentation and reimbursement bases so the shelter’s outcomes are tracked accurately. Dahl cited recent contract-period metrics showing roughly 55% of shelter participants moving to permanent housing under emergency-shelter metrics, and staff said they will present longer-term HMIS data as it becomes available.
Why it matters: Reclassifying the contract clarifies expectations for performance measurement and reimbursement while preserving county and city co-funding; staff noted the modification should make metrics more comparable and usable for oversight.
What’s next: Staff will finalize contract amendments and present the resolution on the next Tuesday legislative consent agenda for formal action.
