(The Center Square) – A group of government entities in Spokane County have created a public website to show where overnight homeless shelter space is available.
“This is another major improvement for our regional shelter system that potentially saves lives,” said Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward in a statement. “This online reporting tool of nightly occupancy rates at shelters and other useful information is extremely timely as we are well on our way to what’s predicted to be a harsh winter.”
ShelterMeSpokane.org displays information provided by regional shelter providers and is time stamped so people can see when updates were made.
The site is intended to inform homeless persons, shelters, case managers, police officers and the general public about which of 12 housing provider locations are open and how much bed space remains. Also displayed is a weather forecast so people can see what conditions lie ahead.
Along with shelter locations and capacities, the site lists intake constraints, such as criminal background and credit checks, program participation, sobriety or identification requirements.
The cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley partnered with Spokane County and the Spokane Regional Health District to launch the dashboard. The county used $12,000 in federal stimulus dollars to cover startup costs, and other entities provided development assistance and style recommendations.
According to Woodward, shelters previously reported daily occupancy rates to city staff, who then distributed the data to regional stakeholders and posted the information on its website.
The new system is a streamlined approach aimed at improving consistency and the timeliness of updates, said the mayor.
“This dashboard is meant to provide transparent information directly from our amazing providers to individuals who need help as well as our community at large. We should all be aware of what resources are available to help those in need so they have access to a better life,” said Spokane County Commission Chair Mary Kuney in a joint statement with Woodward.
Joel Brown, Union Gospel Mission’s director of ministries, said the new portal for tracking shelter bed availability will be a significant improvement.
“The old system, being email-based, did not allow for timely access to the information. UGM is very excited to participate in the new portal system,” he said.
The dashboard is part of Woodward’s Homelessness Plan 2.0’s “transparency and accountability strategy.” In addition to the Trent Resource and Assistance Center leased by the city to house up to 250 people, and more during extreme weather, Woodward said there is space available in town for young adults and a services-intensive transitional housing program.
She said there are also wraparound services to help homeless persons stabilize their lives by obtaining jobs and overcoming addiction and mental health issues.
