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City reports fewer people served but higher exits to permanent housing in homelessness system analysis
Summary
The HUD-mandated longitudinal systems analysis found an 11% decrease in people served, a nearly 32% increase in exits to permanent housing and reductions in returns to the system, with staff urging expansion of transitional housing and upstream prevention.
On March 16 city staff presented the HUD‑mandated longitudinal systems analysis (LSA), showing notable shifts in how people move through Spokane’s homelessness response system.
Staff reported an 11% decrease in the number of individuals served between the federal reporting periods and a nearly 32% increase in exits to permanent housing system‑wide. Emergency-shelter exits to permanent housing rose from 7% to 13% (an 85% increase), and exits from permanent supportive housing increased substantially; returns to the system fell from 7% to 4% (a drop of about 40%). The LSA covers night‑by‑night shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing but does not include street outreach and coordinated entry data.
Overall system counts in the report were described as unduplicated: staff said the LSA reflected roughly 6,430 people with an average of about 107 days in the system before housing. Staff also noted improvements in data quality, including reductions in unknown exit destinations, and urged continued investment in transitional housing and upstream prevention strategies that reduce inflow to the system.
Council members asked where to find the full tables; staff said the full LSA (200+ pages) is posted and that additional system-performance measures will be shared in subsequent reports.
Staff recommended continued work on prevention, data quality, and scaling interventions that increase exits to permanent housing.
