SPOKANE, Wash. – Doyle Wheeler, owner of First Avenue Coffee, says the enforcement ordinance, passed nearly four months ago, is still working.
“Downtown is definitely happy and vibrant again,” Doyle said.
As people have continued to pour through the doors, he explained that everyday, people come downtown, who haven’t been there in a while.
“I can’t honestly say business has been hard,” Doyle said. “It’s been nice, really nice.”
Gavin Cooley of the Spokane Business Association, agrees.
“I think we’ve all seen a pretty dramatic change almost immediately after the passing of the ordinance,” Cooley said.
The ordinance, Cooley explained, a big change, that has had some big results.
“We got the Super Bowl coming up, and it’s way easier to play offense than defense,” Cooley said. “I think all of a sudden we feel like we’re on offense, like we’re moving the ball downfield.”
The Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) plays a crucial role in tracking Spokane’s progress.
It’s a report that we submit annually to the federal department of housing and urban development,” Director of Spokane’s Housing and Human Services Dawn Kinder said.
The data for this report is gathered through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
NonStop Local asked Kinder how she and the city guarantee that providers share accurate data.
“There’s no incentive for a provider to be dishonest about the data,” Kinder said. “I think if that was real, you would have seen very different outcomes for many years in the past.”
HMIS employees cross reference data and require monthly reports to make sure the data is reported accurately.
Kinder presented some initial data to City Council on January 26. According to her presentation, total individuals served is down 11% from 2024. Total individuals exiting programs is down by more than 40% while total individuals exiting programs for permanent housing is up nearly 40%.
Kinder says they will give a full presentation on the data to council later this year.
As Spokane continues to gather data and identify trends, business owners like Wheeler remain focused on maintaining momentum they say the enforcement ordinance started.
“If it changes, it’s going to scare everyone off,” Wheeler said. “I guarantee you, there’s no way around it. People will leave downtown and never come back.”
