Spokane ordinance to help homeless deferred, facing uncertain future vote

SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane City Council voted to defer an ordinance working to protect homeless people from discrimination while looking for jobs and housing.

It is unclear when the controversial law will be voted on again.

"I feel like it all came together as a perfect storm," said councilmember Lili Navarrete, when describing the city council meeting at which the ordinance was discussed.

She proposed the law and said its main goal is to get more people off the streets.

The ordinance, nicknamed the "Homeless Bill of Rights", was adopted by the Spokane Human Rights Commission in 2023. The proposed law would add "housing status" to the city's list of protected classes.

Julie Garcia, Executive Director and Founder of Jewels Helping Hands said the ordinance is simple and was disappointed by its deferral.

"It is sad that we have a resolution that states that people experiencing homelessness have the same rights as people who have homes," she said.

The final reading of the ordinance on Monday had more than an hour of public comment and attracted an almost full house to city hall.

"Unfortunately, our community has been treating our homeless neighbors unfairly and unjustly," said Anwar Peace, chair of the Spokane Human Rights Commission.

Peace said he has seen firsthand the need for this ordinance due to what he calls an ongoing discrimination issue against the homeless population in Spokane.

"This ordinance basically affirms the same civil rights that me and you have," Peace said. "It affirms that our houseless neighbors also have those same civil rights."

Opponents for the ordinance said the legislation is unclear. Local business owners are skeptical of what they call "vague promises."

The Downtown Spokane Partnership submitted a letter in opposition (see below) saying, in part, "this legislation reaches far beyond employment in creating a broad new protected class exclusive to the City of Spokane that is applicable to the transitory state of housing status and establishes subjective new standards."

Navarrete said the ordinance aims to get people off the streets.

Due to the reaction it got, the ordinance is being reviewed and sent back to the committee. Navarrete said she hopes they are able to reach a compromise.

"We are going to perhaps omit or add some things, we are hearing from the community," Navarrete said.

Navarrete plans to hold town halls and meetings to further discuss the ordinance. She said they will continue to work hard on getting this proposed law voted on again.

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