Spokane-based nonprofit Cancer Can’t is moving forward with plans to construct a 20-unit lodging facility for adult cancer patients who need to travel to Spokane for oncology treatment, says Becky Van Keulen, co-founder and board president of Cancer Can’t.

“Our goal now is to start permitting this in August,” Van Keulen says.

Although construction could start as soon as this fall, she says the organization might wait until the spring, in hopes that interest rates will drop and to avoid higher winter construction costs, she adds.

Since the Journal first reported on the project in early 2024, both the projected cost and the nonprofit’s fundraising progress have shifted.

The facility, which is planned near the Kendall Yards neighborhood on the 1400 block of west Mallon Avenue, is now estimated to cost $6 million, up from an earlier projection of $4.6 million. Rising construction costs and other inflationary factors have driven the increase, says Van Keulen.

Despite the higher price tag, fundraising efforts have remained strong, she says. The organization has secured $4.8 million through a combination of state and federal grants, as well as private donations and contributions. The total includes over $3 million in public funding as well as previously committed resources, such as the land purchase and early donor support, she says. The organization is now evaluating borrowing options to cover the remaining amount.

Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane, has been selected as the general contractor, and Spokane-based Sayler, Owens, Kerr, Inc., which does business as SOK Design Studio, is the project architect. Van Keulen says Cancer Can’t has begun working with a team of engineers, landscape architects, and geotechnical and environmental consultants as they get closer to submitting for permits.

The project scope remains largely unchanged from its original concept, Van Keulen says. Plans call for 20 Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant one-bedroom units within four two-story buildings, which will all be connected under one roof.

Each unit will feature about 635 square feet of living space, an open kitchen, a washer and dryer, and a private balcony. As envisioned, a flexible living room area will be able to be converted into a second sleeping area to offer caregivers space while the patient rests.  

A common space is planned that can be used for patient support groups, nutrition classes, and other community programming, she says. The property is located just west of the courthouse and a short drive from local hospitals. It is also walking distance from My Fresh Basket grocery store, restaurants, and venues like the Podium Powered by STCU and One Spokane Stadium.

What sets the project apart, Van Keulen says, is its self-sustaining business model. Cancer Can’t plans to generate ongoing revenue by partnering with local medical providers that often cover hotel stays for some transplant and cardiac patients. Those patients, Van Keulen suggests, could instead stay at the Cancer Can’t property through a corporate rental model, helping offset operating costs for cancer patients to stay free of charge.

“So, some of the units will be holding other types of patients, but it will be partnered with other medical facilities who are paying, and then the revenue from that will support the cancer patients' stay,” she says.

Additionally, the nonprofit will list available units on short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO when they are not in use, typically on the weekends when patients travel back to their homes.

“We anticipate that it will provide another income source,” says Van Keulen, suggesting that certain travelers to the region would enjoy knowing their stay is a donation that will subsidize future cancer patient lodging.

Cancer Can’t was established in 2014 by Van Keulen and her husband, Jonathan Van Keulen, who had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. During his treatment and recovery, the couple started Cancer Can’t from Jonathan’s hospital room to provide help and services to adult oncology patients in Spokane. Jonathan has since passed away, but Van Keulen has carried on with their mission.

Today, the organization has six part-time staff and is fully remote. It has maintained its core services while raising funds for the facility. Its volunteer transportation program, which assists patients who can’t drive themselves to treatment, is one of the largest of its kind in the Inland Northwest, Van Keulen contends. In recent months, volunteer drivers provided over 500 rides. The organization also provides emergency grants for everyday expenses like housing, utilities, and phone bills, and partners with Cancer Care Northwest Foundation to manage their funds used for similar things. During the holidays, the organization manages a Christmas gift program for families affected by cancer.

The organization’s lodging program started during the COVID-19 pandemic when the American Cancer Society left the region and asked Cancer Can’t to take on its hotel contracts, Van Keulen says. However, Cancer Can’t made modifications to some of the rules the American Cancer Society had in place, such as not allowing patients to use the room if they didn’t plan to spend the night in the hotel.

Still, the need for lodging remains pressing, especially for rural patients undergoing treatment, which can require five-day-per-week stays for up to six weeks, she says. Cancer Can’t currently caps hotel stays at eight nights per patient, even though many need significantly more.

Hence, the lodging project, Van Keulen says.

“Once the facility is built and we raise the money to build it, it should be self-sustaining,” she says.