WSDOT: Camp Hope down to 433 people, state looking for housing

SPOKANE, Wash. — As the Washington State Department of Transportation looks to find housing for people at Camp Hope, they released statistics on the camp for the winter.

WSDOT says as of November 25, there are 433 people living at Camp Hope. There were 467 people living there according to a census on November 4, meaning the camp population has shrunk by seven percent in November.

Of the people living at the camp, 60 percent of them are male, 39 percent are female, 42 percent have a self-reported disability, and 389 were from the greater Spokane area, according to WSDOT.

The state says they are looking to transition those living at the camp into appropriate shelter and housing, but there isn’t enough housing in Spokane to meet the need at this time.

According to state comprehensive data, there are over 5,200 people experiencing homelessness in Spokane County, with most shelters at capacity.

WSDOT is currently in step three of its four-step plan to clear Camp Hope. After stabilizing and securing the site, WSDOT is now looking to house Camp Hope’s occupants before closing, cleaning, and restoring the area.

WSDOT also says East Central residents can call 509-666-9902 to report neighborhood concerns about the camp.

READ: ‘There is no preparing for it’: Camp Hope braces for Wednesday’s winter storm

READ: ‘Why has it taken this long?’: Spokane city, county officials give updates on Camp Hope

READ: ‘Not enough places to go’: People stay warm as legal battles linger at Camp Hope

COPYRIGHT 2022 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.