{"id":2341067,"date":"2024-09-14T05:19:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T09:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-mayor-pulls-plan-to-relocate-cat-potential-ethical-concerns-around-funding-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T05:26:26","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T09:26:26","slug":"spokane-mayor-pulls-plan-to-relocate-cat-potential-ethical-concerns-around-funding-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-mayor-pulls-plan-to-relocate-cat-potential-ethical-concerns-around-funding-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Spokane mayor pulls plan to relocate CAT; potential ethical concerns around funding &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspokane-mayor-pulls-plan-to-relocate-cat-potential-ethical-concerns-around-funding-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341067&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The City of Spokane has decided to abandon its plan to relocate the Compassionate Addiction Treatment (CAT)\u200c facility amid significant public\u2063 opposition. Initially, the city proposed relocating CAT at a cost\u200d of $1.8 million to\u200d a site off Springfield Avenue. However, after strong\u2064 community\u2062 backlash, Mayor Lisa Brown announced that the city would instead use those\u2063 funds to support a new shelter model, which aims to \u2062distribute \u200bservices \u2063more evenly \u200bthroughout the area rather than\u2062 concentrating \u2063them on Division Street.<\/p>\n<p>The decision follows complaints from neighborhood residents, who \u200dargued that relocating CAT would exacerbate an\u200b already high\u200c concentration of service providers in their area. Although Mayor\u200d Brown has \u200bemphasized the need for \u2064more services for those struggling with addiction, she\u200b acknowledged that some community members oppose such changes when\u2062 they might be affected directly.<\/p>\n<p>The city will redirect the previously earmarked $1.8 million to support its new scattered-site shelters, moving away\u2062 from large \u200bcongregate models. \u200cHowever, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gigi-sohns-time-at-a-shuttered-streaming-service-could-sink-her-nomination\/\" title=\"Gigi Sohn\u2019s Time At A Shuttered Streaming Service Could Sink Her Nomination\">potential ethical concerns<\/a> have\u200d been raised regarding how these\u2064 funds will be allocated, especially as the plan evolves. Brown aims to utilize\u2062 an additional $1.2 million \u200bfrom federal pandemic relief to prevent\u2063 the closure of the Hope House, a\u200b women\u2019s\u2063 shelter, while \u200calso planning \u200bfor a transition of\u2063 that facility&#8217;s\u2062 model.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these changes, some \u2063community groups \u2063continue to express\u2062 concern over the safety \u200dand well-being of local families, advocating that any efforts to assist \u2062individuals with \u200caddiction should not compromise neighborhood \u200dstability.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Spokane mayor pulls plan to relocate CAT; potential ethical concerns around funding<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1760343\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square )&nbsp;&ndash; The City of Spokane on Thursday stepped back on its plan to relocate the Compassionate Addiction Treatment facility following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-faces-backlash-after-humiliating-china-meeting-incredible-incompetence-biden-is-weak\/\" title=\"Biden Faces Backlash After \u2018Humiliating\u2019 China Meeting: \u2018Incredible Incompetence,\u2019 \u2018Biden Is Weak\u2019\">significant backlash<\/a>, opting instead to devote the funding toward its new shelter model, though another use of the remaining funds could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/foia-disclosure-attorney-general-garlands-son-in-law-benefits-from-critical-race-theory\/\" title=\"FOIA disclosure: Attorney General Garland\u2019s son-in-law benefits from critical race theory\">raise ethical concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Spokane&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/my.spokanecity.org\/news\/releases\/2024\/08\/07\/city-of-spokane-makes-progress-on-housing-and-homelessness-initiatives\/#:~:text=Moving%20services%20off,of%20their%20work.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;its plan to&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_edfaa76e-6fbe-11ef-885f-7f77ee2a2f14.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">move<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;CAT out of the&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_27ad3214-2501-11ef-afcc-97f6b8266c56.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Division<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;Corridor last&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_ab15d7e0-55bd-11ef-955e-3f383f0305bf.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">month<\/a><\/strong>. All it would take is $1.8 million to purchase a property off of Springfield Avenue. Still, while an agenda from this week noted that the city had met with some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeless-woman-with-knife-interrupts-l-a-democrats-mayoral-campaign-launch\/\" title=\"Homeless Woman With Knife Interrupts L.A. Democrat\u2019s Mayoral Campaign Launch\">neighborhood council<\/a> and was committed to an ongoing relationship, residents scheduled an emergency meeting to voice their opposition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Lisa Brown stated on Thursday, the day before the emergency meeting, that the city is no longer interested in purchasing the property for CAT. The decision follows an attempt from Councilmember Michael Cathcart to&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_edfaa76e-6fbe-11ef-885f-7f77ee2a2f14.html#:~:text=Cathcart%20wants%20to,we%20start%20now%3F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">require<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;Good Neighbor Agreements between service providers, the city and the neighborhoods where the facilities would go, which the city council ultimately&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_d2ec0f74-6fa7-11ef-b149-6bf4ec8f7747.html#:~:text=Cathcart%20has%20repeatedly,an%20appropriate%20location.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shelved<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Every day, I hear calls for increased services and treatment options for members of our community who struggle with addiction. I have been clear in my intent to have the City be a partner to the providers offering these services, while simultaneously de-congregating services off the Division St corridor,&rdquo; Brown wrote in a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/my.spokanecity.org\/news\/statements\/2024\/09\/12\/mayor-brown-releases-statement-on-behavioral-health-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a><\/strong>. &ldquo;But there are vocal critics who will never be satisfied with efforts to make those needed changes. Progress, it seems, is always welcome &ndash; just as long as it&rsquo;s happening somewhere else.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Chief Garry Park Neighborhood Coalition&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/savechiefgarry.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issued<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;a news release following Brown&rsquo;s decision. If Spokane had relocated CAT, it would&rsquo;ve been the seventh provider in that neighborhood alone; the neighborhood is already home to the Trent Resource and Assistance Center, or&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_a366799e-4485-11ef-bc93-47466e1a625a.html#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20agenda%20documents%2C%20the%20operator,another%20million%20dollars%20to%20execute%20this%20contract.%E2%80%99%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trent Shelter<\/a><\/strong>, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p>The $1.8 million intended for the relocation will instead go toward propping up Brown&rsquo;s new scattered site&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_5fd8d80a-5a80-11ef-bbe7-c31989c4cb54.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shelters<\/a><\/strong>, which aim at moving Spokane&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_7d0b8cf0-0752-11ef-8fc5-33e7f6b69812.html#:~:text=Brown%20announced%20the,many%20nonprofit%20providers.%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">away<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;from the large congregate model.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As we said from the beginning, we know that so many in our entire community are plagued with addiction and we greatly support individual&rsquo;s efforts to get free from it,&rdquo; the coalition wrote in its release. &ldquo;But those efforts must not be at the cost of the safety and well-being of the children and families in our neighborhood.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Communication Director Erin Hut told The Center Square that the $1.8 million, initially intended for CAT, originates from a pool of federal pandemic relief of roughly $3 million.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Brown hopes to use the remaining $1.2 million to prevent Volunteers of America&rsquo;s&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/savechiefgarry.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hope House<\/a><\/strong>, a women&rsquo;s congregate shelter, from closing. However, that funding could include a provision requiring VOA to transition the shelter model and a &ldquo;detailed Phase Out Plan.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>During a Request for Proposal sent out in June, VOA requested a similar amount of funding for Hope House, roughly $1.3 million. However, the provider then withdrew the request, asking that the city direct any available funding toward its other two requests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The city council approved&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_03a8ff8c-7089-11ef-bcd4-8fb515d6e727.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$3.9 million<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;in contracts from the RFP on Monday, of which VOA received over $1.5 million for its two other projects. Prior to the approval, Cathcart asked why VOA had withdrawn its funding request for Hope House, to which Arielle Anderson, director of Spokane&rsquo;s Community, Housing, and Human Services Department, did not provide a direct answer.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Anderson told Cathcart that it was to fully fund one of VOA&rsquo;s other requests in the RFP.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, according to an Aug. 19 committee agenda, VOA had withdrawn its request around that time. Just three days later, Brown&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/my.spokanecity.org\/news\/releases\/2024\/08\/12\/mayor-proposes-partnership-with-voa-to-sustain-operations-hope-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proposed<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;using the $1.2 million available from the same pool of funding intended to&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_289e11ce-616b-11ef-a6bd-a78fff2515a8.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relocate<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;CAT to prevent Hope House from closing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, VOA subverted the lack of funding in the RFP, in which 12 providers requested around $11 million, but only $3.9 million was available, and relied on Brown&rsquo;s support behind the scenes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hope House, like CAT and the Trent Shelter, is located within District 1, which also encompasses the Chief Garry Park neighborhood. Hut said that if the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/los-angeles-city-council-approves-vax-mandate-to-enter-indoor-restaurants-gyms-and-other-businesses\/\" title=\"Los Angeles City Council Approves Vax Mandate To Enter Indoor Restaurants, Gyms, And Other Businesses\">city council approves<\/a> the $1.2 million Hope House contract amendment, it would drain the rest of the money available in that pool of pandemic relief.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I call on those critics to come to the table and propose constructive solutions, rather than merely pointing out flaws,&rdquo; Brown wrote in her Thursday statement. &ldquo;I also look forward to continuing our partnership with Spokane County to bring their behavioral health dollars to bear on these issues. Constructive dialogue is essential for progress, and those who raise concerns should also bring actionable items to move us forward.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1760343\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1760343\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spokane&#8217;s mayor has decided to abandon the plan to move the Compassionate Addiction Treatment (CAT) facility due to considerable public opposition. Instead, the city will redirect the funds towards a new shelter model. Last month, Spokane announced its intention to relocate CAT from the Division Corridor, with a budget of $1.8 million for purchasing a property on Springfield Avenue. Although there were discussions with some neighborhood council members about maintaining an ongoing relationship, residents called for an emergency meeting to express their discontent.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Lisa Brown announced on Thursday that the city would no longer pursue purchasing property for CAT, just one day before this emergency meeting was scheduled. This decision came after Councilmember Michael Cathcart proposed requiring Good Neighbor Agreements between service providers and local neighborhoods\u2014a proposal that was ultimately set aside by the city council.<\/p>\n<p>In her statement, Brown acknowledged community demands for enhanced addiction services while emphasizing her commitment to collaborating with service providers and reducing concentration of such facilities along Division Street. She noted that critics often resist changes unless they occur elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Following Brown&#8217;s announcement, the Chief Garry Park Neighborhood Coalition released a statement highlighting concerns about potentially having seven service providers in their area already\u2014adding CAT would have increased this burden further. The $1.8 million initially earmarked for relocating CAT will now support Mayor Brown\u2019s initiative for scattered site shelters instead of large congregate models.<\/p>\n<p>The coalition expressed support for individuals battling addiction but insisted that these efforts should not compromise neighborhood safety and well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Communication Director Erin Hut clarified that the $1.8 million comes from approximately $3 million in federal pandemic relief funds. Mayor Brown aims to use another $1.2 million from this pool to keep Volunteers of America\u2019s Hope House\u2014a women\u2019s shelter\u2014from closing; however, this funding may come with conditions requiring VOA to modify its shelter model and develop a detailed phase-out plan.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in June, VOA had requested around $1.3 million specifically for Hope House but later withdrew it in favor of other funding requests directed at different projects within their organization after realizing only limited funds were available through an RFP process where 12 providers sought around $11 million total but only received approval for $3.9 million collectively.<\/p>\n<p>If approved by city council, using these remaining funds could deplete all available pandemic relief resources designated earlier by Spokane officials as they navigate ongoing challenges related both directly and indirectly tied back into District 1\u2014where both Hope House and other facilities like CAT are located alongside Trent Shelter too\u2014prompting calls from Mayor Brown urging critics toward constructive dialogue rather than mere criticism without solutions offered up front moving forward together collaboratively instead!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2341068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24014160623172-1-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[40894,37694,6513,4602,32585],"class_list":["post-2341067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cat-relocation","tag-ethical-concerns","tag-funding","tag-mayor","tag-spokane"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24014160623172-1-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}