Spokane homelessness board reaches FY2026 funding decision
The Spokane Regional Continuum of Care’s board reached its final ranking and funding-recommendation decision for the FY2026 application cycle on Aug. 5, a key step in deciding which Spokane-area homelessness and housing projects move forward for federal Continuum of Care funding.
The decision came after eligibility screening and a review period that ran from July 24 through Aug. 4. The City of Spokane administers the regional request for proposals and serves as the Continuum of Care’s collaborative applicant.
The available funding document establishes the decision date and review schedule, but it does not include the final ranked project list or the dollar amounts recommended for individual projects. That means the Aug. 5 action should not be treated as a confirmed federal award, and the available materials do not establish which providers or projects were selected.
Why the decision matters
The local ranking process is unfolding as Spokane officials warn that proposed federal priorities could significantly change the funding outlook for permanent housing. The city reported that the proposed changes could reduce permanent-housing funding by approximately 50 percent.
Spokane estimated that the potential reduction could create a local loss of about $3 million. That figure is a city forecast based on proposed federal priorities, not a confirmed cut or final federal appropriation.
The distinction matters for housing and homelessness providers preparing for the next funding cycle. The board’s recommendation identifies which applications advance through the local process, but the available documents do not show the eventual federal award decisions or the final amount each project may receive.
How the application process unfolded
The FY2026 request for proposals called for eligibility screening to be completed by July 23. Committee review was scheduled from July 24 through Aug. 4, leading to the Continuum of Care Board’s final ranking and funding-recommendation decision on Aug. 5.
Applicants that were not selected can request feedback after award notifications, according to the city’s funding document. The next known step is notification of applicants and the submission or implementation of the selected project recommendations.
Those steps will provide more detail about which Spokane-area services are positioned to seek federal support. Until the ranked list and award information are available, the local consequences of the board’s decision cannot be assigned to specific providers or programs.
Pressure on shelter and permanent housing
The city’s warning about possible permanent-housing reductions comes alongside its report that Spokane’s inclement-weather plan operated for 128 days from October 2025 through May 2026.
That figure describes the length of the city’s inclement-weather-plan activation during the most recent season. It does not, by itself, establish how future federal funding changes would affect shelter operations or the number of people served.
For now, the confirmed local development is the completion of the regional ranking and recommendation stage. The details that will determine the effect on Spokane’s housing and homelessness system are the applicant notifications, the selected project recommendations and any later federal award decisions.
Sources
- Spokane Regional CoC RFP FY2026, City of Spokane
- City Provides Update on Housing and Homelessness Initiatives, City of Spokane
- News Releases for 2026, City of Spokane
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