Mayor Woodward Praises Spokane REALTORS® for Dedication to Housing Issues
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward had high praise for Spokane REALTORS® for their dedication to housing issues and for working with her team to create more housing opportunities. Her comments came during a Spokane REALTOR® Luncheon in July.
“We have a great partnership, the city has, with the REALTORS® Association for you, with the expertise when it comes to housing, and for you to be able to be a part of these discussions, and your expertise we can leverage to inform our public policy,” said Mayor Woodward.
“We are not the experts. We need to have the right stakeholders at the table to have those discussions. I am really thankful for your support and your partnership.”
Among the key housing initiatives the Mayor has lead:
- Declared a Housing Emergency for Spokane
- Passed BOCA – the Building Opportunities and Choices for All Initiative to allow for more housing types in the city
- Stood up the General Facilities Charge (GFC) Committee to make a balanced approach to fees for badly needed infrastructure improvements for water and sewer
- Provided Incentives for Office Space Conversions to Residential in Spokane with many offices remaining empty since the pandemic
- Will unveil a new plan to provide workforce housing using 1590 and 1406 dollars
“We need people living downtown to ensure we have a vibrant and successful community,” said Mayor Woodward. “And when it comes to workforce housing, we need to make sure we have a place for those who are ready for housing.”
The Mayor has also focused on public safety issues in Spokane, by creating the Safe Summer Spokane program that has already led to over 100 citations for public drug use, of which the Mayor believes is a critical first step to addressing challenges faced by those facing addition. Earlier this year, the Mayor also launched a Mental Health Task Force to better identify and respond to issues of those suffering in our community.