Tiny home village for homeless people sparks opposition in Spokane’s West Hills

SPOKANE, Wash. — A new tiny home village for homeless people is coming to Spokane’s West Hills neighborhood, and residents oppose the project.

Waters Meet Foundation will build a village housing 30 people on West 7th Avenue and South Audubon Street, just north of Highbridge Park. Neighbors are frustrated that the village is coming to their area.

The biggest concern is the village’s location next to a sober living community. Residents there worry that new people who don’t follow the same rules might affect them.

“It is hard work. It is a daily effort. Just one bad moment can trigger somebody,” said Kendra, who lives at Ascenda.

Tammy Tomberlin, a West Hills resident, said the sober living residents are doing well.

“These people have gotten clean and they’re on their own. They’re doing great,” Tomberlin said.

Waters Meet Foundation believes the village will help rather than hurt.

“We want better options for people to be able to move out of homelessness and then into and towards permanent housing,” said Zeke Smith from Waters Meet Foundation. “We think there’s a likelihood that there’s going to be some good alignment there.”

The organization hasn’t decided who will live in the facility. Smith says it will be drug and alcohol-free with 24/7 supervision. Neighbors worry the rules won’t be enforced because residents can’t be legally drug tested.

“We have to think about the children. We have to think about the safety. And we have to find out how to get the right kind of help,” Tomberlin said.

Neighbors also say too many homeless providers have set up in West Hills.

Spokane City Council member Jonathan Bingle talked about spreading homeless services around the city.

“If the scattered site model is going to be what we do going forward, it truly needs to be a scattered site,” Bingle said.

Catholic Charities offers services in West Hills, but Smith says this is the first scattered site model in the neighborhood.