Base Camp on Cornwall Avenue will continue to operate as a homeless shelter until mid-November, at which point all residents will be relocated to Lighthouse Mission’s new shelter on West Holly Street.
Bellingham City Council approved a five-month extension until Nov. 17 of Lighthouse’s temporary shelter renewal request for Base Camp at a Monday, June 3 meeting. The shelter, which opened in July 2020 at 1530 Cornwall Ave., currently houses 200 people nightly, and provides bathrooms, showers, food, laundry facilities and other amenities. City council approved an extension of Lighthouse’s sublease last year.
The building does not “strictly” comply with all code requirements for temporary shelter, but site inspections found the building is safe and poses no “threat to human life, health or safety,” according to a staff report.
City planner Sarah Ullman said at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting that the hope is that by the end of the extension, Lighthouse Mission’s new building will be constructed.
The new 300-bed shelter is expected to open in October. It’s a five-story building in Old Town, which will provide space for 140 men and 60 women and a specialized shelter room for 100 more homeless people — specifically for families, the elderly, medically fragile people and people who have mental health conditions. It will have 100 additional beds available during weather emergencies. The current location frequently hits maximum capacity, according to nightly numbers released by Lighthouse Mission.
Lighthouse Mission expects to begin the process of moving departments and guests at Base Camp to the new building before Oct. 1, Loran Zenonian, chief advancement officer for Lighthouse, said in an email Monday.
Services at the Cornwall Avenue location, including meals and showers for guests, will continue until the move is complete, said Lighthouse Mission Marketing and Communications Coordinator Derek Smith-Rivera.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
