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Council considers making eviction prevention an eligible use and authorizes another year of homeless services funding
Summary
Staff told the council that the landlord mitigation code would be amended to permit eviction prevention (procurement of eviction‑mediation services) using 15% of rental‑registry fees allocated to HHS; the council also heard authorization for the third and final year of homeless housing operations funding for 20 subrecipients with some reallocations reflected.
City staff briefed the Spokane City Council on two related funding items: a proposed change to the residential landlord mitigation fund to allow eviction prevention, and a resolution authorizing the third and final year of homeless housing operations funding for subrecipients.
Dawn explained the proposal would make eviction prevention an eligible use of the landlord mitigation fund (funded by 15% of rental‑registry fees allocated to HHS). The purpose would be to procure eviction‑mediation services so landlords and tenants could access a guaranteed provider to facilitate eviction prevention in compliance with the council’s eviction‑prevention ordinance. Dawn said the mitigation program’s current revenue can fund only a small number of landlord claims annually (roughly eight), so in practice staff expects to direct a significant portion of the funds to stand up mediation services rather than larger landlord mitigation payments.
Carrie briefed the council on HHS awards and said the third‑year funding amounts are generally consistent with RFP committee recommendations from year one; she noted specific reallocations such as a reduction in permanent supportive housing units provided by one subrecipient (BOA) and corresponding reductions in funding, and that some street‑outreach work had been restructured and reprocured through an RFP process.
When council asked whether reallocations changed scopes or amounts, Carrie said scopes were updated to reflect the reallocations and that relevant work had gone back through an RFP process where appropriate.
Why it matters: Making eviction prevention an eligible use would enable the city to contract for mediation services that could reduce evictions and help implement council’s eviction‑prevention policy. The homeless housing funding authorization sustains operations for subrecipients but includes programmatic reallocations that affect service mixes.
What’s next: Council asked clarifying questions; staff said procurement and RFP processes will reflect scope changes. No final ordinance or award vote was recorded at this meeting; staff will follow procurement and agenda‑scheduling steps.
