Residents and Spokane Alliance press county to enact HB 15-90 funding for affordable housing and manufactured‑home preservation

Several housing advocates and residents asked the Spokane County Board of Commissioners on June 16 to place HB 15-90 on the county legislative agenda and dedicate a portion of the revenue to manufactured‑home preservation.

Sarah Olson of the Spokane Alliance said HB 15-90 would authorize a one‑tenth of one percent sales tax (10 cents on a $100 purchase) and estimated it would generate about $7 million annually countywide for low‑income housing, supportive services and behavioral health programs. "We urge you to enact HB 15-90 and make affordable housing and behavioral health investments a central part of Spokane County's public safety strategy," Olson said.

Tina McKinstry and Dee Bird, leaders at Takesah Village Homeowners Cooperative in Mead, and landlord Deb Tupper described manufactured‑home owners’ difficulty accessing repair financing and said county-setaside funding for repairs, weatherization beyond basic measures, and low‑interest loans would preserve existing affordable housing stock. McKinstry asked the county to ensure funding reaches "the homes and the families that are worth saving," noting that modern manufactured homes built after June 15, 1976, must meet HUD standards.

Commissioners took no formal action on HB 15-90 during the meeting; public speakers said they would seek meetings with commissioners in the coming weeks.

What happens next: Speakers said they will request follow-up meetings with each commissioner over the next two weeks to discuss HB 15-90 implementation and funding priorities.