Spokane Housing Authority Awarded $126,000 For Orchard Vista Early Learning Childcare Center

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(Spokane, WA – April 7, 2026) – The Spokane Housing Authority (SHA) has been awarded $126,000 from the Washington State Department of Commerce Early Learning Facilities Program to support predesign of the Orchard Vista Early Learning Childcare Center in the Dishman Hills neighborhood of Spokane Valley. The facility will be co-located with SHA’s Orchard Vista Apartments—240 affordable units currently under construction—and will help meet the region’s need for high-quality, affordable childcare. 

The Orchard Vista Apartments will serve households at or below 60% of area median income. Through a public-private partnership with the Spokane-based Inland Group, SHA is developing the housing with working families in mind. It is centrally located in a commercial area, just minutes away from a WinCo Foods, the Valley Transit Center, the Spokane Valley Library, Spokane Valley City Hall, and Balfour Park. The first units are expected to be ready for occupancy by May 2026, with full project completion by year end. 

To further support working families with children, SHA set aside a quarter-acre parcel on the same site to construct a childcare center. The planned 4,500-square-foot facility will be located on the site’s northwest corner. SHA has already invested approximately $580,000 of its own general unrestricted funds in land acquisition and site preparation. 

The award will enable SHA to work with a design team, including a childcare provider, who will advise on facility design, ensuring the space is shaped by expert guidance and aligned with its operational needs. The final design and operating model will determine the number of new childcare slots the center will support. SHA currently estimates capacity for two classrooms of approximately 18-20 students each, for a total of 36-40 new Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) slots available to residents of the Orchard Vista Apartments and qualifying families in the surrounding area. 

SHA will own the facility and lease it to an operator. SHA aims to minimize debt on the property to support an economically viable agreement between both the operator and SHA. SHA will collaborate with the operator to ensure the facility meets community needs, including the potential provision of extended or non-traditional childcare hours. 

“Investing in this new childcare and early learning facility is really an investment in our community’s future,” said Pamela Parr, Executive Director of SHA. “Families will have access to high-quality care that supports children’s development and gives parents the peace of mind they need to thrive at work. For employers, this project strengthens the local workforce by reducing childcare barriers and helping parents stay engaged in their careers. We’re proud to help create a space that benefits families, supports businesses, and builds a strong foundation for our region.” 

To follow the development of the Orchard Vista site and for more information about the Spokane Housing Authority, follow the organization on Facebook or visit www.spokanehousing.org.  

 

Media Contact: Pamela Parr, Executive Director, pparr@spokanehousing.org or 509-252-7139

 

Spokane Housing Authority Awarded $7.48 Million For Chalice Place Affordable Housing

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(Spokane, WA – January 26, 2026) – The Spokane Housing Authority (SHA) has received two awards totaling $7.48 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop Chalice Place, an 85-unit affordable housing project located at the intersection of North Wall and Country Homes Boulevard, adjacent to the Country Homes Christian Church. The development will serve seniors and individuals with disabilities, offering housing affordable to households earning less than 50% of the area median income.

$6.5 million, awarded from the Housing Trust Fund, will subsidize construction costs. $980,550, awarded through the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP), will be used to expand water supply, enabling high-density residential development on the urban infill site. SHA thanks Spokane County for partnering on the joint application for this CHIP funding.

In addition, SHA recently learned that the Washington State Housing Finance Commission ranked the project second in the Metro Pool for federal 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits for 2026. SHA expects these tax credits to drive significant private investment and establish a strong public-private partnership.

SHA secured an option to purchase the land in early 2025 from the Country Homes Christian Church. The development was named Chalice Place to reflect the prominence of the chalice in the Church’s theology.
This initiative aligns with SHA’s mission to create and sustain high quality affordable housing options that encourage individual prosperity and support healthy communities.

Construction on the project is intended to commence in fall 2026, with completion anticipated by spring 2028. The waiting list is not yet available. SHA is committed to a development process that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to our community’s needs.

To follow the development of Chalice Place and for more information about Spokane Housing Authority, follow the organization on Facebook or visit www.spokanehousing.org.

Spokane Housing Authority Acquires Land for Affordable Housing Development in Spokane Valley

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(Spokane, WA – March 28, 2024) – The Spokane Housing Authority (SHA), a leading organization dedicated to facilitating access to affordable housing across six Eastern Washington counties, is pleased to announce the acquisition of a vacant seven-acre lot located at 10003 E 4th Avenue in Spokane Valley. Nestled in between Appleway Court and Appleway Terrace, this strategic acquisition marks a significant step forward in addressing the critical need for affordable housing.

With a firm commitment to expand affordable housing options, SHA intends to collaborate with a for-profit partner to develop the site into a vibrant residential community catering to households with incomes at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). This initiative aligns with SHA’s mission to provide safe, secure, and affordable housing solutions for our community.

Units will be income-restricted to ensure affordability, with rent prices set at levels to enable households to thrive economically.  In addition to providing much-needed housing, SHA is exploring the feasibility of incorporating a childcare or early learning facility within the development.

“Our acquisition of the Appleway site underscores our dedication to creating inclusive and sustainable communities where individuals, seniors and families of diverse backgrounds can thrive,” said Pam Parr, Executive Director of SHA. “By leveraging partnerships and innovative approaches, we aim to address the diverse needs of our community and enhance accessibility to essential services.”

Construction on the project is scheduled to commence in fall 2025, with completion anticipated in spring 2027. SHA is dedicated to ensuring that the development process is conducted with transparency, accountability, and community input every step of the way.

To follow the development of the Appleway Site and for more information about Spokane Housing Authority, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at www.spokanehousing.org.

Helping Families Find Stability – SHA’s RVP

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With the help of its service agency partners, Spokane Housing Authority’s innovative Referral Voucher Program is providing stable housing to more people in great need—in record time.

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Breaking the Chains – Virla Spencer’s Story

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“Housing assistance paved the way for me and my family”

Virla Spencer is 37, and still in the midst of raising seven children as a single mom. She and her family have received housing support through the Housing Choice voucher program over the past several years. She believes this program is vital for families working to lift themselves out of poverty. “A home is the platform of every family’s foundation,” she says. “Every family needs a stable environment and a stable place to live.”

Yet on August 31, 2016, Virla surrendered her family’s housing voucher. As she puts it, “having that housing assistance paved the way for me and my family. I am grateful for what this program has done for me, and that I no longer need the assistance. I am now self-sufficient.”

Breaking the chains

For Virla, achieving self-sufficiency has meant far more than many years of hard work and education. It has also meant breaking free of a family history of poverty and low expectations. She was raised by a single mom who started raising five kids at a young age. “I had kids at a young age. When you come from a background of poverty, all you know is baby, baby, baby, because there’s a cycle, you know? It keeps passing on and on and on. I made a vow to myself that the cycle of poverty would end with my family—that the chains would be broken here.”

The assistance her family received from TANF and the Housing Choice program were essential in getting herself an education and ultimately, a career, Virla says. “When you’re struggling to be able to pay your rent, who can think of anything else? You’re always stressed out. You can’t get ahead. When I got our housing assistance, it opened up doors for me. I was able to start building up and saving a little bit. Getting myself educated to be able to educate my kids. Because once you are educated, you know better—and once you know better, you do better.”

Virla returned to school to get her high school diploma and started taking college courses. She engaged in volunteer work, starting as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer for the Center for Justice, helping people released from prison to get their drivers’ licenses and reintegrate into the community.

She eventually worked her way up to a part-time program coordinator position at the Center for Justice, performing community outreach. She was promoted to full-time outreach coordinator, and ultimately to Director of the Center’s Relicensing Program. She’s been running the program since 2013. Virla is also close to finishing up her AA degree—and is the best kind of a role model for her own kids. Her two eldest, aged 18 and 20, are now pursuing a college education.

“My eldest daughter got accepted to Washington State University. She was the first child ever out of my whole family to be accepted to university. That was really big for us.”

Extending a hand across the bridge 

Virla says that her own education has helped her to teach and show her kids “that this is a way that you can live. It’s what we choose to do. And that has led me to the work that I do.” Some years ago, in the midst of her struggles to support her family, she spent some time in jail, narrowly avoiding going to prison—and she lost her housing voucher. She fought for three years to get her eligibility reinstated. This experience gave her a deep appreciation of the challenges faced by other low-income people after exiting the criminal justice system.  

“I work with many individuals who are coming out of prison who are right where I used to be,” Virla says. “They need someone who will extend that hand out across the bridge and say, ‘Come over on this side. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’m not going to judge you, I just want to help you.’”

Virla oversees several different programs that help people reintegrate after serving time in prison, including running a special Saturday roundtable for women. This program is designed to offer budgeting counseling, emotional support, and solutions to these women’s immediate financial and housing needs. “They need someone who can meet them where they are to help them make this transition.” 

She gives the example of going to bat for a single mom who was originally denied housing at a local apartment complex. “They were throwing the book at her. But she had paid her debt to society. And she’s a mother, first.” Virla’s advocacy won the day, and the woman and her family are still stably housed today. Virla’s point is that a person’s legal history shouldn’t automatically disqualify eligibility for a housing voucher or renting a home. “We need to take a deeper look at each person’s individual situation.”

She’s been asked to take part in a Spokane Housing Authority workgroup that is also taking that deeper look—at SHA’s criminal background screening policy. “Virla’s perspective and her position at the Center for Justice will help provide valuable input into our process,” says SHA Executive Director Pam Tietz. 

“For me, it’s about helping people create change for themselves and their families,” says Virla. “My heart is to serve people.”