Homelessness in a pandemic

CHENEY – Homelessness has been an increasingly pertinent topic for several years, and even more so recently with the impact of the pandemic and aftereffects.

Bob Peeler, who has been with SNAP for 40 years, said housing costs and rent have drastically increased during this period.

The average cost of rent has gone up nearly 25%, and it is putting a lot of pressure on residents, he said, adding there is not enough shelter availability in Spokane County, and that is a key factor.

A housing specialist, Peeler said he has seen an increase in the number of requests from senior citizens and elderly residents.

He said this is in large part due to the fact that “many of these seniors are on a fixed income and when landlords raise the rent it can squeeze these people financially.”

He said the organization recently started helping a 71-year-old client that was forced to move into a vehicle because of rent increases.

Another reason Peeler thinks the problem is such an issue is because the vacancy rate in rentals is less than 1% countywide, and the available places have very high rent prices.

There has also been an increase in the number of younger homeless people, and Peeler said he thinks a lot of them are resistant to the rules in place in shelters. So, they choose to camp instead.

He also said many of the younger homeless individuals have trouble putting the time and work into bettering their situation and get caught in a cycle that is hard to break.

“In these cases it is simply best to lead with kindness, build trust, ad hope they can turn things around,” Peeler said.

Nicole Bishop has been with SNAP for four years, and said the growth of Spokane, Airway Heights and the area in general has also led to an increase in the number of homeless people.

She said some people have had to move into their vehicles because they just couldn’t afford rent, even when working full-time.

“People are getting scared, and we do what we can to build them up and get them on their own feet,” Bishop said.

Peeler said the “central hub of services is right in Spokane and Spokane Valley, but we drive out through the rural areas to get a firsthand look at the population and start building trust and relationships with the people that qualify for our services.”

In many cases, it is the “positive interaction that really helps with building relationships,” Peeler said.

Bishop said the exact number of homeless people in the West Plains is in flux, and that is because some of them bus into Spokane to find services.

Peeler said most of the homeless people in the surrounding rural areas “try to camp out in areas where they can hide out because they have a hard time trusting people, and don’t really want to be bothered.”

He said he has come to understand the fact that “asking for help can be one of the hardest things to do, especially for people in that situation.”

Amy Johnson, Spokane Housing Coalition lead, said the group has built working relationships with city code inspectors, police, different city halls, food banks, churches, community centers, etc.

She said these groups and entities “help us keep track of some of the individuals and families that may need services.”

Johnson also said that Cheney doesn’t really work with SNAP too much because Cheney “says they have things under control.”

Other groups are very receptive, she said.

Peeler said the organization offers a total of 32 programs that help can help people in many aspects of life.

“Some people need to have some general life-skill training,” he said. “And others need to be able to find long term housing.”

He said the needs of each individual can vary, and “we work to address these needs.”

Statistics show SNAP helped transition 246 people from homelessness into permanent housing last year.

“Nearly $4,000 in assistance goes to each household in rental assistance, home repairs and weatherization, heating assistance, and other basic essentials,” Peeler said.

The veteran housing speacialist said he hopes to continue assisting and helping people to “learn life skills and tenant skills” because “all of these people are special, and we need to recognize they have stories too.”

Reporter Matthew O. Stephens can be reached at [email protected].