Spokane council approves 'pathways to eviction prevention' program in 5-2 vote

Council Member Sarah Dixit said the Spokane City Council voted to approve a "pathways to eviction prevention" program during its Feb. 2 legislative meeting, following extensive community comment from landlords, tenants and advocates. "We had heard from a lot of folks in the community, landlords, tenants, advocates, and there was a lot of robust conversation," Dixit said in a post-meeting recap.

The council approved the program by a 5-2 margin. Council President Wilkerson and Council Member Cathcart voted against the measure, Dixit said. She encouraged continued community engagement on the policy despite its passage: "If that is something that interests you, feel free to message us even though it passed. We still wanna hear your opinions on it."

The recap did not specify an ordinance number, the program's budget or implementation timeline. Dixit said the council had received testimony from multiple stakeholder groups but did not list those speakers by name. Council staff or meeting minutes would be the source for text of the legislation, funding details and next procedural steps.

The most immediate public step Dixit noted was continued outreach: residents may contact council members with questions or concerns. The council's full meeting recording and materials are available at spokanecity.org, she said.