(The Center Square) – Spokane’s wildfire relief fund has grown to more than $1.2 million, city officials said Friday, as the city prepares to announce its next major round of financial assistance for people impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires.
The fundraising total is significantly higher than the nearly $800,000 Mayor Lisa Brown recently said had been raised for fire victims.
Erin Hut, the City of Spokane’s director of communications, told The Center Square on Friday that the H.O.M.E. Starts Here wildfire relief fund had now raised “a little over $1.2 million.”
The money is intended to help individuals and families impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires, and the Spokane City Council unanimously approved a budget ordinance Wednesday allowing the city to formally accept the donations and provide financial assistance.
All seven council members voted in favor of Special Budget Ordinance C36929. The measure amends the city’s budget to accept wildfire relief donations into the H.O.M.E. Starts Here account and use the money to assist people affected by the fires.
The ordinance was approved with an emergency declaration, allowing the city to move forward with the funding without delay.
While more than $1.2 million has now been raised, only a small portion of the money has been distributed so far.
Hut said the city has provided $5,000 toward replacing sports equipment for children who lost their gear in the fires. Another $10,000 was distributed through gift cards to people who had remained in a Red Cross shelter for the longest period of time.
City officials are now working on plans for what Hut described as the next major allocation of relief funding.
The city is using case managers to help identify unmet needs among people impacted by the fires. Hut said officials have surveyed fire victims about what assistance they still need and where other sources of state and federal assistance may leave gaps.
“Folks just need cash,” Hut said.
At this point, the city does not have a traditional public application process for people seeking money from the fund. Instead, case managers are helping connect affected residents with available assistance.
Spokane residents impacted by the fires can also sign up online for a city newsletter specifically focused on fire recovery, Hut said. The city already has contact information for many of the people affected by the disaster.
Hut said the amount of assistance distributed so far has varied by household size. Single residents have received $250, while households with more than one person have received $500.
However, Hut said those figures should not necessarily be considered the model for future distributions, as the city is still developing its broader plan for the next round of assistance.
That process could become increasingly important as the fund continues to grow.
The city plans to keep the wildfire relief fund open at least through the end of the year and potentially longer if the need continues, Hut said.
If donations eventually exceed immediate needs, city officials say the money will not sit unused.
Hut said all of the funds will be used to assist people affected by the fires and that the city will make a major announcement when the fund eventually transitions back to its original purpose, to support services for people experiencing homelessness.
The city also plans to publicly update residents about where the money goes as assistance is distributed.
For now, Spokane officials are focused on identifying the remaining needs of families recovering from the fires and determining how the more than $1.2 million in donations can fill gaps left by insurance, state and federal aid and other assistance programs.