The population of Spokane is approximately ninety percent white, with about two percent Asian, American Indian, and black residents. Spokane also has a large Hispanic and Asian population, but those groups are small in comparison to its overall size. The city's police and fire departments each share half of the city's budget. It is unclear what the future holds for Spokane and its residents.
The Consolidated Plan for the City of Spokane has a comprehensive inventory of homeless services and housing options for residents. The Consolidated Plan lists 1602 families that receive Section 8 rent assistance and an undetermined number of units with rent limitation. Additionally, the population of Spokane has increased from twenty-three thousand in 1990 to thirty-nine thousand in 2012, while the percentage of people living below the federal poverty level rose from thirteen percent to seventeen percent.
The City of Spokane Valley City is committed to supporting a healthy terrestrial ecosystem and a robust tree canopy, as well as livability measures. The City of Spokane also recognizes its importance in restoring the Spokane River, and its natural assets are protected and restored. In addition, a comprehensive approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation will help Spokane meet the City's goals for a thriving local food economy and an improved visitor economy.
Community Oriented Policing Shops (COPS) and Neighborhood Resource Officers (NRO) were established in Spokane after a citizen-led effort to combat crime in the West Central neighborhood. The community-based policing shops were supposed to foster relationships with residents and other community groups and solve local problems. While some people remained skeptical about the effectiveness of these programs, the public's perception of Spokane Valley City was generally positive.