The Downtown Spokane Partnership (DSP) has completed a housing study, conducted by Community Attributes Inc. (CAI) from winter 2024 through late summer 2025. The study provides valuable insight into the current residential landscape and identifies opportunities to strengthen Spokane’s urban core through housing, retail, and infrastructure investment.
Key Findings
Affordable Housing Concentration: 44% of downtown housing units are affordable—25% higher than the average in peer cities.
Retail Growth Potential: With increased housing, downtown could support 98,300 sq. ft. of additional retail space, generating new sales tax revenue.
Housing Demand: To meet projected needs, 3,200 new market-rate units will be required in the next 10 years.
Long-Term Vision: Downtown Spokane can accommodate up to 7,200 new units over the next 15 years.
Strategic Recommendations
CAI also outlined strategies to help guide future development and align with community goals:
- Convert underutilized office space into new housing through targeted incentives.
- Invest in catalytic infrastructure to unlock housing potential.
- Leverage public assets to advance citywide housing goals.
- This study establishes a roadmap for creating a vibrant, inclusive, and economically resilient downtown.
The study’s definition of “market rate” is 80-120% AMI. The City of Spokane considers 120% AMI and above as market rate as they consider MFTE projects.
While the study recommends implementing zoning overlays to address housing needs, the city has opted to pursue direct zoning changes instead, which do not require overlays.