Housing & Community Development Division
312 W. 8th Avenue, Fourth Floor, Spokane, WA. 99204
Phone (509) 477-5722 Fax: (509) 477-2561
Established as an Urban County Entitlement in 1988, Spokane County receives annual entitlements in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
As an entitlement grantee, Spokane County is solely responsible for ensuring that activities funded with CDBG and HOME funds are conducted in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The benefits of each activity and the overall entitlement program(s)are provided principally to low and moderate- income persons/households within the county, exclusive of the City of Spokane.
The Spokane County Community Services, Housing, and Community Development Department also administers homeless and affordable housing programs using local document recording fees.
Contacts
A brief description of each is provided below, with links to additional pages and information about these programs within our website.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program allocates an estimated $1.9 million in federal funds per year to sub-recipients throughout the Spokane area to conduct activities that improve the lives and living conditions of these residents. The department allocates these funds each year through a Request For Proposal (RFP) process and provides technical assistance and oversight to sub-recipients to ensure compliance with all applicable federal requirements.
These sub-recipients use CDBG funds to improve local infrastructure, provide needed human services, improve parks and public facilities, increase recreational opportunities, and create jobs for low-income persons.
Affordable Housing Program (HOME)
The Affordable Housing Program provides Home Investment Partnership (HOME) funds to address the priority housing needs of County residents.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Substitute House Bill 2060 (SHB- 2060)
On April 30, 2002, The Spokane County Board of Commissioners authorized the Community Services, Housing, and Community Development Department to administer funds generated through Substitute House Bill 2060. A recording fee of $10 is charged by the County Auditor for every document recorded. 60% of the revenue generated is retained by the County to further affordable housing. Projects must serve individuals and families at 50& or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). The remaining 40% of the revenue generated is transferred to the State for affordable housing projects that serve individuals and families at or below 30% AMI.
The County is interested in Identifying and examining unique approaches that would serve to maximize flexibility and create additional opportunities for those in the housing industry.
Community Aquifer Protection Assistance Program (CAPA)
The Housing and Community Development Division administers the Community Aquifer Protection Assistance (CAPA) program which provides grants and/or zero-interest loans to eligible low-income homeowners to help with paying the costs of connecting their homes to the county's centralized sewer system.
This assistance is available only to eligible homeowners within previously defined "sewer basins" which are currently under construction, have been recently completed, or are slated for construction in the following year.
Zero-interest loans are provided to eligible low-income participants to pay the costs of connecting their homes to the sewer. Grants are additionally provided to eligible very-low income homeowners to pay the Capital Facilities Rate (CFR) levied against their property in connection with the installation of the sewer mains.
There are two sewer basins available for assistance through 2013; Green Haven and Micaview. The CAPA Program will end on 12/31/13.
Homeless Housing and Assistance Act (HHAA) ESSHB 2163/1359
- Re-Entry Initiative (REI)
- Homeless Prevention (HP)
- Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
- Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG)
- Housing and Essential Needs (HEN)
Please contact Kate Kennedy at (509) 477-4516 or kkennedy@spokanecounty.org for more information.
For questions concerning HEN, please contact Sheila Morley at (509) 625-6052.
Please note: The county does not provide direct housing assistance to individuals, but rather allocates these funds through a competitive process to both non-profit and for-profit developers to achieve the goals stated in the County's Consolidated Plan and meet the housing needs of county residents.
Citizen's Advisory Committee
The Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee serves as an advisory committee to the Housing and Community Development Division, and through the division, to the Board of County Commissioners.
The purpose of the committee is to provide citizen representatives of Spokane County with the opportunity to participate in, comment on, and review all funding proposals.