Our Sunday Opinions
In Portland, one study found that expenses for 35 homeless people dropped by $16,299 per person once they were placed in supportive housing. A study in Denver showed that emergency costs dropped 73 percent once homeless people found stable places to live.It's time for Spokane to add up the price tag for the police calls, fire department and ambulance runs, emergency room visits, hospital stays and jail time required by the chronically homeless.
It's important to note that while impact fees make sense, they will not cover the full cost of traffic improvements. By state law, they cannot be used to fix road problems that existed before development. The fees must have a direct and proportional relationship to new construction. In short, they are not a cure-all.