Former Houston mayor, leader on addressing homelessness coming to Spokane

The woman who played a key role in organizing Houston’s regional response to homelessness will share her insights with Spokanites Tuesday.

Annise Parker, a former three-term mayor, three-term city councilwoman and three-term city controller, will be the keynote speaker at Hello for Good’s fall symposium at The Davenport Grand Hotel, according to a release from the business consortium.

Hello for Good, led by Washington Trust Bank, was formed in 2021 to address homelessness in the region. The consortium hosts a spring and fall symposium each year, with keynote speakers who are experts in the field.

Tuesday’s event, which starts at 8 a.m., is free to attend, and breakfast will be provided. Those interested in attending can register online at Hello for Good’s website.

The focus of the meeting will be on Houston’s regional approach to homelessness, which is widely considered one of the most successful efforts to address the housing crisis in recent decades.

Chris Patterson, Hello for Good Co-Chair, said in a release he looks forward to welcoming Parker to Spokane and seeing how the lessons learned in Houston can be applied to the Inland Northwest.

“She will bring a wealth of information to our attendees on the importance of a regional approach to addressing housing and homelessness,” Patterson said. “Her success in Houston is reflective of how officials can work across the aisle to effectively create systematic changes that benefit the community they serve.”