Our Issues

Spokane Is About to Make Housing Even Harder — and Hand Idaho Another Win

A new Spokane City Hall proposal would require rental housing in Spokane to add cooling equipment to keep bedrooms at or below 80 degrees.

This proposed regulation is clearly well intentioned. But the old saying about getting something for nothing applies here: when the City Council makes it more expensive to build housing, the obvious result is higher rents and less new housing construction in Spokane. And that means fewer affordable homes for working families, seniors, and young people trying to get established.

This is exactly the wrong direction for Spokane. Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and the rest of Kootenai County have been building housing at nearly twice the rate of Spokane County over the last decade, and this proposed regulation will push even more families across the border into Idaho.

Just as important, Spokane appears to be moving beyond what many peer cities have adopted. Cities such as Boise, Seattle, and San José appear to have focused more on general tenant protections rather than the rigid mandate Spokane is considering.

Also consider that unlike much hotter areas like Phoenix and Las Vegas, Spokane has cool nights, and for generations, people here have cooled homes and apartments by opening windows at night and closing them during the day. So, the real question is whether this mandate makes sense here in Spokane, at this cost and at this moment?

Worse still, this proposal risks hurting the very people it claims to help. Tenants will help pay for these new costs whether they use the cooling or not — and many of those same households will struggle to afford the electric bill anyway!

This proposal should be stopped before it pushes even more Spokane jobs and residents into Idaho.

For business leaders and community advocates especially, staying up to date means having a voice before decisions are finalized. Legislative proposals can move quickly, and once they become law, their impact can last for years. Tracking the process allows individuals and organizations to engage early—sharing insights, raising concerns, and helping shape policy in ways that support economic stability and community well-being.

TODO: link the "Download a List of Your Legislators" resource here once the URL is confirmed.

Homelessness remains one of the most visible and complex challenges. City leaders are debating how to balance enforcement, shelter capacity, treatment, and long-term housing solutions. The closure of Spokane's navigation center and ongoing discussions about crisis response and treatment capacity show how fluid the situation remains.

This issue intersects with addiction services, mental-health treatment, and the broader question of how Spokane responds to people living on the streets.

Public safety continues to be closely tied to the homelessness conversation. Residents consistently rank crime and safety concerns among the top issues in the region, especially downtown.

Debates over policies like camping regulations and the Safe & Accessible Spaces ordinance illustrate how the city is trying to balance public order with humanitarian concerns.

Downtown Spokane is going through a major transition. Office vacancies and fewer workers downtown have affected restaurants, retail, and services. At one point, downtown office vacancy rates reached about 28%, which business leaders say has a significant economic ripple effect.

Revitalization—bringing workers, residents, and visitors back downtown—is a major focus for business groups and city leadership.