SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Housing Authority said organizations that use its Housing Choice Voucher program will have to stop.
The notice that this program will stop came Wednesday to at least 19 organizations in the area.
“It’s a scary situation,” said Hailey Clawson, the housing coordinator for Spokane Regional Health District.
The program helps families who qualify move into permanent housing and receive rental assistance.
Spokane Regional Health District said it refers one family a month to the housing voucher program.
“We had a client who was supposed to brief the day after we got that news, and they are no longer going to get that voucher,” Clawson said.
At Family Promise of Spokane, about 30% of its families use this program.
“Housing vouchers are a big part of how we help families get into housing and maintain housing on their own,” said Emma Hughes, the COO of Family Promise.
Hughes said this halt to housing vouchers has left them at a loss of what to do next.
“Homeless families in particular are almost always out of sight and out of mind,” Hughes said. “This is just another time when these families are being told there is not a resource for you.”
The Housing Choice Voucher program at Spokane Housing Authority is a federally funded program. Due to the rising housing costs, that funding can not keep up.
Hughes said as of right now, she does not know the future of this program.
“We aren’t entirely sure what these look like yet but we are ready to figure it out so our families don’t fall through the cracks,” Hughes said.
Hughes said she doesn’t want people to lose hope because of this news. She instead wants to encourage them to look for ways they can contribute to the solution.
“I want to make sure we still have hope even though this is very difficult because we have gotten through things like this in the past and we will get through this.”
Hughes said one of the biggest ways those in the community can help is by being educated.
“I think everyone regardless of what you do or what you have or don’t have has a part to play in that conversation,” said Hughes.
She also said donating money or time can always help.
“Everybody has something that they can give, and finding an organization that you feel is addressing it and giving to them,” she said.
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