SPOKANE, Wash. – City and county leaders in Spokane gathered Tuesday morning at the Grand Davenport to hear from former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, considered a pioneer in local efforts to combat homelessness.
This year’s Point-in-Time count in Spokane County showed a slight improvement from 2023, with the number of homeless people decreasing from just under 2,400 to just over 2,000. However, the recent count is still double the number recorded in 2016, when less than 1,000 homeless individuals were counted.
Tuesday’s meeting, organized by the local advocacy group Hello for Good, was free and open to the public. Former Houston Mayor Parker, who served from 2010 to 2016, delivered the keynote address without a speaker fee, saying she’s dedicated to helping other cities tackle homelessness…