SPOKANE, Wash. — A controversial tiny home village planned for Spokane’s West Hills area has been delayed, but could still open by the end of the year.
The 30-unit facility was originally scheduled to open in September on a plot of land near Sunset Boulevard and Government Way. However, as of mid-October, the site is still empty.
“Right now, I know that they’re still in the process of obtaining the necessary permits and going through that public process,” said Arielle Anderson of the City of Spokane.
The lengthy permitting process has created the delay, but city officials say the project is moving forward. Before the tiny homes can be built, the city must complete several administrative steps, including determining who will operate the facility and establishing criteria for residents.
The Community Housing and Human Services Board took a significant step forward Monday by recommending that Compassionate Addiction Treatment operate the village.
“They’ve built up a pretty positive reputation within the provider community,” Anderson said. “But more than that with the population of those experiencing homelessness or exiting homelessness.”
The board also established specific criteria for potential residents, specifying that people should not move directly from the streets into the tiny homes.
“We want to have individuals who have shown some type of history of commitment to stabilizing themselves,” Anderson said.
The recommendation reflects the city’s strategy to house people who are ready to work toward permanent housing solutions rather than serving as emergency shelter space.
However, some West Hills residents remain concerned about the concentration of homeless services in their neighborhood. The area already hosts existing facilities, and neighbors worry that adding another service will create additional problems in the surrounding area.
“You have the shelter itself, which might be managed actually pretty well, but it’s what I call the ‘blast zone’ around it that’s not within the facility itself,” said Nolan Steiner, who lives in the West Hills. “And it attracts other people and other behaviors that are not part of the facility.”
City officials believe their approach of housing individuals who have demonstrated stability and providing comprehensive services will address neighbors’ concerns about potential issues such as drug use or crime.
The City Council must still vote on the board’s recommendation regarding the operator and resident criteria. If approved, construction could begin soon begin with the tiny homes up and running by December.
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