Spokane freeway expansion costing hundreds of residents their homes

SPOKANE — With decades of studies, draft reports, public meetings and money shortfalls, Spokane's north-south freeway has remained more of a concept than a road.

Even the portion of the freeway that opened last year north of city limits is used by only about 4,000 vehicles a day, about a third of the traffic on the busiest portion of Garland Avenue.

But to hundreds of residents in the East Central neighborhood, the North Spokane Corridor is reality.

Over the past two years, the state Department of Transportation has moved aggressively to buy and tear down houses it says will be in the way of freeway expansion.

While many East Central residents say the state has treated them fairly, the possible tripling of lanes on Interstate 90 leading to the corridor and the loss of homes in the neighborhood worry low-income-housing advocates as well as some of those left behind.

So far, the state has purchased about 200 homes; of those, about 135 have been removed. Most were torn down, but about a dozen were sold and moved to vacant land outside the freeway's path.

The state plans to hire contractors in the coming months to tear down 50 more. In the next two years, officials plan to buy about 200 more residences south of I-90.

Shirley Woods-Jensen, who lives one lot from the area the state earmarked for purchase, bought her home in 1971 and raised six kids there. The houses behind hers are gone.

"I see a lot of my life is just disappearing," said Woods-Jensen, a home health-care worker. "It's going to be like none of us were ever here."

The acquisitions don't come as a surprise. The freeway has been discussed for 60 years, and the route was finalized by the Federal Highway Administration in 1997.

Still, the loss of more than 400 homes will put a crunch on affordable housing in the community even if the state succeeds in finding new residences for individuals displaced by the freeway, said Chris Venne, development finance manager at Community Frameworks, a nonprofit organization that develops low-income housing.

"We're having a hard time keeping up with the need for affordable housing without losing units," Venne said. "It would take significant production of new housing units to make up the shortfall."

In 2007 and 2008, several low-income downtown apartments closed. But government and nonprofit agencies rallied, and last year a record number of low-income apartments were built, said Cindy Algeo, executive director of the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium.

Venne said the phased-in nature of the highway project hasn't sparked the same sense of urgency.

"This is happening a bit more in slow motion, but it's bigger," Venne said. "I'm not sure people in the community are talking about it like it should be." Many of the homeowners said they were ready to leave and were offered good deals to do so.

Tommy Fletcher, who lived at 220 S. Rebecca St. for 40 years, this month moved a few blocks away. He said he was treated well by the state and compensated fairly.

"I have no qualms," Fletcher said. "I'm happy to see progress."

Several years ago neighborhood leaders requested that, if the route was unavoidable, the state move quickly so homeowners wouldn't be left in limbo and vacant houses wouldn't be left for squatters and blight.

"At least the DOT has listened to the neighborhood and done what we asked them to do," said Jerry Numbers, a former chairman of the East Central Neighborhood Council.

Homeowners are paid an amount determined to be fair market value, plus closing costs for a new purchase, moving expenses and often an extra payment toward the purchase of a new home. Renters receive moving expenses and sometimes a rent supplement toward a new lease.

The state has not forced sales through eminent domain and won't unless stragglers remain when construction is funded and nearing. Many folks who remain north of I-90 say they're resigned to leaving when the time is right.

Dave Thomas, who lives on Ray Street, said he turned down the state's first request because he'd been out of work and didn't think he could get a mortgage to buy a new home. He said he'll take a buyout when he's back on his feet.

"They made a fairly decent offer," Thomas said as he planted seeds in his garden on a sunny afternoon last week. "I'm definitely going to move."

Merle Everson and her husband moved to 116 S. Ray St. 11 years ago.

"I thought this would be the last home we ever had to move to," said Everson, a retired preschool teacher and cook.

Now, most of the homes are gone. She said she and her husband will probably leave within a couple of years, but that their fixed income makes buying another home difficult.

"It's going to put us in a real jam," she said. "Even though it is ghettoville, it was pretty nice around here."

Grimm said some who said they weren't ready to sell when first approached have come back and said they're ready.

Others south of I-90 have pushed the state to speed up the process in order to take advantage of low interest rates and homebuying tax credits.