Whatcom County’s severe weather shelter in Bellingham will open Friday, Jan. 17 for at least five days, coinciding with property owners’ clearing of a homeless encampment on Northwest Avenue and Bakerview Road.
Health department staff will provide support to former residents of the encampment, and other homeless community members, during the extended shelter opening, according to a health department news release. The shelter may be open for additional days, but it is dependent on weather, staffing and supplies.
The City of Bellingham has urged the clearing of a homeless encampment on Northwest and Bakerview for months. City staff intend to formally notify camp residents on Thursday, Jan. 16, and property owners will begin the cleanup the week following. The encampment, which spans six pieces of private property, has roughly 50-70 residents and has drawn community complaints.
“We are announcing this extended shelter opening earlier than usual, so outreach workers and houseless people at this location can make plans to come to the shelter,” said Ann Beck, community health and human services manager, in the release. “The severe weather shelter is more than a warm place to sleep for the night, we also provide warm meals, wound care, and a connection to services.”
The county’s shelter typically can house around 70 individuals, but the health department is preparing to “surge and expand the number of beds available” if needed.
Homeless advocate and outreach volunteer Tukayote Helianthus, who authored a petition asking the health department to open the shelter for more days this winter, previously advocated for opening the shelter for two weeks to coincide with the encampment clearing.
“The biggest benefit I see is that [the encampment residents are] in a location where resources can be brought to them,” Helianthus said last week. “If they could bring these folks into a shelter for 14 days, [outreach workers] would have 14 days of access to these folks.”
The proposal caught on: the Whatcom County Council is set to discuss approval of a letter to the executive tomorrow, asking the health department to open the shelter for at least 14 days starting no later than Jan. 17. So far, the county’s health department has committed to only five nights.
The shelter is located at 925 N. Forest St. in Bellingham. Check-in is from 4-9 p.m. and checkout is at 9 a.m. the following morning. Dinner and breakfast are provided.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
