Spokane mayor highlights fire recovery, homelessness in annual address

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown outlined the city’s progress on recovery efforts and social initiatives during her annual “Statement of Conditions and Affairs Address” tonight, emphasizing community resilience in the face of significant challenges.

The mayor highlighted efforts to address the impact of the Spokane Complex Fires, which devastated portions of the community over the past year. Brown stressed the importance of sustained commitment from both government and residents as the city moves forward.

“I pledge to you as we recover and we rebuild. We will continue to show up. The city of Spokane will continue to show up and I believe that neighbors will continue to show up for neighbors,” Brown said.

A critical component of the city’s recovery plan depends on federal assistance. Brown said Spokane is awaiting approval from President Trump for a major disaster declaration that would provide essential funding for multiple recovery needs.

“We need the president to sign the major disaster declaration. We need to unlock those funds for debris removal, individual assistance for families, and assistance for public infrastructure and park infrastructure that was lost,” Brown said.

The mayor also addressed homelessness, one of the city’s most persistent challenges. Brown reported significant progress in connecting people experiencing homelessness with permanent housing solutions.

From 2024 to 2025, the city saw exits from homeless services to permanent housing increase by 32 percent. During the same period, returns to homeless services dropped by 43 percent, indicating that more people are successfully maintaining stable housing once they secure it.

However, Brown acknowledged that while progress is being made, the work is far from complete. The city’s approach focuses on breaking cycles of homelessness rather than simply relocating unhoused individuals.

“We don’t want to just move the homeless, we want to see them reconnected to family, community, and housing. We want to break the cycle,” Brown said.

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