DECEMBER 2023
@HOME N E W S L E T T E R
ISSUE 146
The ZONE REMOVING BARRIERS SO CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE
ounded in 2015, The ZONE is a community initiative, aiming to provide housing opportunities in ways other Washington cities aren’t. Grant funded and community-led, this placebased initiative formed out of a desire to build upon past neighborhood planning efforts with a new, more collaborative approach known as collective impact –
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children in such situations in Washington are below grade level in essential subjects. The ZONE advocates for a shift in the narrative around affordable housing. Large complexes concentrating poverty, detached from essential amenities, have proven detrimental to multigenerational outcomes. Instead, The ZONE
available land for multi-unit housing that aligns with the neighborhood's character can create social capital among renters or owners. As a larger community conversation, they encourage family, friends, and colleagues to: • Include the hidden homeless in your definition of the unhoused.
to design programs that address the diverse needs of homes, schools, and neighborhoods.
champions the idea that affordable housing embedded in neighborhoods provides a bridge to
• Invest in housing personally (buy a rental as a part of your portfolio and make it into a duplex)
Amidst its accomplishments in 2023, The ZONE proudly opened a community-based behavioral
self-sufficiency. Research underscores the effectiveness of
• Change how you talk about the need for affordable housing and envision 3- and 4-
health clinic on its premises, providing crucial support to the local community. Over 26,794 hours of free
mixed-income housing in breaking the cycle of poverty among children. In a noteworthy move, the
bedroom units for families. • Evaluate your assumptions of low-income
after-school and summer programming have been delivered, enriching the lives of young residents. The
Spokane City Council unanimously passed ordinance #C36458, allowing increased housing
launch of a Housing Stability Program for families with school-aged children reflects The ZONE's commitment to holistic community well-being.
density within neighborhoods through Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and multi-family housing. Affirming that housing is a foundational social
A significant focus for The ZONE Steering Committee this year is affordable housing for families. In response to the alarming rise of 'hidden homelessness,' where families double and triple up behind closed doors, the committee strives to address the root causes. Shockingly, 85% of
driver of health, The ZONE emphasizes the importance of accessibility for all community members to ensure thriving families. Encouraging clients to view housing as a retirement investment, The ZONE suggests transforming single-family homes into duplexes or tri-plexes. Embracing
families as neighbors and understand the way to lift kids out of poverty is in mixed income neighborhoods. • Advocate for public and private funds for lowincome residents to borrow to build ADUs.
The ZONE Spokane zone@necommunitycenter.com thezonespokane.org