At the busy corner of Washington Street and Fourth Avenue sits Westminster United Church of Christ, which now doubles as a medical respite center. Taking up most of the church's second floor, the Healing Hearts Medical Respite Facility was built in partnership with the city of Spokane, Providence, Jewels Helping Hands and Empire Health Foundation. According to the city, the 30-bed facility will offer "medically-supported respite and recuperative care to achieve stability for people with chronic and acute ailments" who are experiencing homelessness. It is part of Spokane's new scattered site homeless response model. "By bringing together partners with a variety of resources and expertise, we will now be able to provide streamlined, tailored medical services to meet the unique needs of the individuals we serve," Mayor Lisa Brown stated. A popular Spokane business email group shared opposition to the facility's proximity to Lewis & Clark High School and critiqued the lack of communication with neighbors before it was built. According to the city, this is not a walk-in shelter: Patients must be admitted through the Providence Community Clinic and pass a background check. (COLTON RASANEN)
WILDFIRE RECOVERY
On Aug. 18, 2023, a wildfire started burning off of Gray Road in Medical Lake around noon, followed by another fire off of Oregon Road near Elk just four hours later. Over the next few days, each fire burned more than 10,000 acres and together destroyed over 700 structures. On Jan. 10, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development presented Spokane County with a check for more than $44 million to rebuild the communities affected by the Gray and Oregon wildfires. "This represents a promise, a promise that HUD is here to stand with you as you rebuild," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Andrew Lofton at a press event last Friday. County Commissioner Al French said "it could take several months to devise a plan that meets the muster and the requirements for HUD before we can actually cash the check." The funds can be used for rebuilding more resilient affordable housing, repairing and improving infrastructure, revitalizing the economy through small business and job creation, or implementing disaster mitigation strategies. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
RAZE THE NARRATIVE
Just before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, sledgehammers will be swinging in celebration of the new Raze Early Learning & Development Center, which will start renovation at an existing building on Friday, Jan 17. Ultimately, the goal is for Raze to open two child care facilities in Spokane neighborhoods considered child care deserts. Serving children up to 12 years old, the hope is to provide 180 child care slots, including 35 for evening child care. Raze founder Kerra Bower currently operates the Little Scholars Development Center, which takes a holistic approach to students' and educators' behavioral and mental health needs. Bower says she hopes Raze provides Spokane with "accessible quality child care, and extended hours that support working families." Raze will provide a rich learning experience through diverse student demographics, with an understanding of the contributions of Black Americans in Spokane and nationally, Bower says. Raze's mission is to highlight the importance of Black student success and demolish the current divisive and traumatic narrative about Black students in education. The construction kickoff starts at 9 am Friday at 6519 N. Lidgerwood St. (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ) ♦