Why Is Lisa Brown Hiding Her Plans From the Public?

SPOKANE, WA - The Spokane Good Government Alliance releases a statement regarding Lisa Brown’s disastrous record as an administrator managing the homelessness crisis plaguing Washington State and her plans to “address” homelessness in Spokane. 

“Lisa Brown’s record administering the taxpayer-funded Right of Way Initiative is disastrous,” said John Estey, Executive Director of the Spokane Good Government Alliance. “Right here in Spokane, she ignored pleas from East Central residents and business owners as crime and chaos ravaged the neighborhood. She delayed the closure of ‘Camp Hope’ while she funneled $24 million taxpayer dollars to her political cronies’ organizations with funds from her Right of Way Initiative slush fund.”

Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee issued a call for more funding from the State Legislature for the Right of Way Initiative administered by then WA Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown. 

To date, over $143,000,000 has been allocated to this program, resulting in 1,299 people being swept out of camps, 870 of those accepting housing or shelter, and only 126 successfully “exiting” the homelessness system. Commentator Brandi Kruse pointed out the cost to taxpayers was an absurdly high $1,137,256 to get one person off the streets and out of homelessness. 

“Lisa Brown wants voters to think she was successful at Commerce, but the results couldn’t be further from the truth. Spokane citizens better ready their pocket books if Brown gets elected Mayor.” Estey continued. “She poured $24 million of taxpayer funds into Camp Hope, with more than $1 million going to her political supporters Julie Garcia, Jewels Helping Hands and Ben Stuckart. The purported ‘results’? Only 27 individuals are in permanent housing today and they can’t even account for 220 other Camp Hope residents!”

“Is everyone ready for a Camp Hope in their neighborhood? Brown’s new plan is to use parking lots throughout our City to house the homeless. Maybe she should put one of those homeless parking lots near her own million dollar townhouse in Kendall Yards,” Estey added.

Interestingly, Lisa Brown recently scrubbed her plans to house the homeless community in parking lots around the City from her website. However, in an audio recording obtained by the Spokane Good Government Alliance from a private fundraiser with her supporters on July 10, Lisa Brown clearly stated that we need “safe parking lots” to house the homelessness population in Spokane. 

“Why is Brown now trying to hide her plans from the public? Could it be that she knows that voters don’t trust her record with Camp Hope and the Right of Way Initiative? Voters deserve transparency in what Lisa Brown actually stands for which is higher taxes, and fewer results. ” Estey concluded. 

The Spokane Good Government Alliance was formed in 2019 to advocate for a balanced local government that best serves the Citizens of Spokane. To learn more, please visit our website here: spokanegoodgovernmentalliance.com.