In 1989, the Greater Spokane Coalition Against Poverty (GSCAP) published a report on low income housing needs in Spokane. Based on its findings, the report concluded that there was a need to “increase the availability of appropriate and affordable housing for low income residents of Spokane.” In March, 1990, the Housing Task Force of GSCAP issued a call to action to “establish a formal mechanism to encourage and facilitate inter-agency collaboration on low income housing development and advocacy issues.” In response, the Greater Spokane Low Income Housing Development Consortium (aka Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium or SLIHC) was created as a nonprofit corporation in June 1990. It began with 10 members and a mission: to improve the environment for efficient and substantial nonprofit initiatives which promote the long-term availability of housing that is appropriate and affordable for low income and very low income persons. Today, the Consortium has 29 nonprofit and public members and associate members that develop and promote affordable housing, and 13 supportive members that include lenders, private sector firms, contractors, attorneys, and others that support affordable housing.
SLIHC offers technical support to its members by providing a revolving loan fund for land acquisition and infrastructure, by hosting monthly meetings to address housing issues, by conducting housing surveys and gathering housing market information and statistics, and by sponsoring trainings and seminars.
The Consortium provides community education by informing area citizens, people that seek and reside in low-income housing, organizations and individuals interested in promoting affordable housing, owners that lease to people of low income, and public officials that make policies that affect affordable housing about critical housing issues through our monthly newsletter and information events.
SLIHC advocates for affordable housing by researching public policies affecting the development, financing, ownership, management and preservation of affordable housing, and providing testimony at public meetings, written comments to local, state and federal government agencies, and participating in state and national advocacy organizations.
The Consortium is committed to strengthening the network of nonprofit housing developers and providers and property managers in the Greater Spokane area, and to facilitating the coordination and collaboration of low-income housing development and management to ensure the most complete and efficient use of affordable housing resources.
The Consortium is registered with the State as a nonprofit corporation and is also recognized as an exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS. The Consortium's annual revenues come from membership dues, a City of Spokane Community Development Block Grant and corporate and foundation grants.
Board of Directors
SLIHC’s Board of Directors is comprised of 16 members. The Board oversees SLIHC’s operations, adopts the annual dues and approves policy issues.
President: Laura Garrison, Common Ground
Vice-President: Cathie Griffith, The Arc of Spokane
Treasurer: Mary Jo Harvey, Habitat for Humanity - Spokane
