Drop-In Center to move to Bellingham High School amid coronavirus outbreak

Lighthouse Mission Ministries moved its emergency Drop-In Center for the homeless to Bellingham High School Friday, March 20, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The move is temporary and is a partnership between Lighthouse Mission, the Bellingham School District and Whatcom Unified Command, according to a press release from Whatcom Unified Command Joint Information Center late Thursday.

Lighthouse Mission Ministries is a faith-based organization that provides overnight emergency shelter to those who are homeless at the Drop-In Center at 1013 W. Holly St. in Bellingham. The organization also provides transitional housing. In all, it serves roughly 231 men, women and children each day.

The Drop-In Center has been in operation since October 2016 and is open year-round and 24 hours a day. It can house up to 160 people per night. The new space will allow for up to 200 people, possibly more, according to Hans Erchinger-Davis, executive director of Lighthouse Mission Ministries.

By moving, the Drop-In Center can comply with social distancing guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health departments set in place for the novel coronavirus outbreak, the release states. The housing of homeless people is limited to the gymnasium, where men and women are separated, and the commons area, such as the cafeteria and courtyard in front of the school.

“People without homes don’t have the ability to create the social distancing required when they are seeking shelter,” said Anne Deacon, Human Services manager for the Whatcom County Health Department, in a prepared statement. “By moving the Drop-In Center to a larger facility, we are providing the social distancing necessary to reduce opportunities to spread COVID-19. This not only benefits vulnerable individuals but protects the health of the entire community.”

Choosing the school

Bellingham High School provides “significantly more square footage” than the current Drop-In Center, and will allow for mats to be placed six feet apart and for daytime socializing, which will take place in the cafeteria area, to also be six feet apart, according to Erchinger-Davis and a City of Bellingham FAQ page.

Erchinger-Davis said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald that the Drop-In Center didn’t have the option to isolate people if needed and to follow social distancing-guidelines required the shelter to turn away some people. On March 3, there were 146 people who slept on mats at the Drop-In Center.

People who are showing symptoms or need to be tested will be isolated in the choir room away from others staying at the shelter until test results come back, Erchinger-Davis said. Guests are also screened for symptoms before they’re allowed to stay at the shelter, he said.

Those who have existing trespasses from the Drop-In Center are not allowed to stay. Anyone under the age of 18 not accompanied by a parent or guardian is also not allowed to stay. Pets are welcome as long as they respond to commands and are potty-trained, Erchinger-Davis said.

He said the move was a major undertaking. It required numerous trips Friday of at least three Whatcom Transportation Authority buses taking people from the Holly Street shelter to the high school. The buses couldn’t be filled completely, due to social distancing guidelines and space needed for people’s belongings.

The current Drop-In Center on Holly will shut down while the shelter at the high school is operating, the FAQ states, as staff wouldn’t be able to safely operate two shelters.

Because public schools are closed, they are available to be used in an emergency, the city FAQ page states.

“This site was selected due to its layout, amenities and central location. Whatcom Unified Command has worked in close partnership with the Bellingham School District, the Whatcom County Health Department, local law enforcement, and partner agencies; all agree that this is an appropriate location to respond to this urgent public health need.”

Unified Command said it does not anticipate any significant impacts to the surrounding neighborhood from the relocation. The number of staff and volunteers will be increased, police presence will be increased at the beginning of the move and there will be professional security guards, according to the FAQ page. Those who loiter on the premises, but aren’t engaging in services will be asked to leave, the page states.

“By providing food, shelter, hygiene, medical, and other social support services all in one site gives guests an option to stay in a safe and secured environment,” the page states.

Guests will only have access through the Ohio Street entrance to the school, which is away from residential areas. The Lighthouse Mission is the lead agency handling this effort. There are no registered sex offenders currently staying at the Drop-In Center, and there won’t be any at the high school, the FAQ page states.

There are no planned school district operations that will happen at the high school while the shelter is operational, according to the page. Prayer and bible studies will be offered at the shelter, but the activities are voluntary. There is no religious participation requirement to receive services provided at the Drop-In Center, the page states.

Preparing early

Erchinger-Davis said the Drop-In Center has been taking steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus for several weeks. They’ve been disinfecting mats and washing blankets daily.

Erchinger-Davis said only essential services are still being offered by the Mission. He said the closures are a combination of devoting resources to fighting the outbreak, as well as keeping staff and the people they serve healthy and safe.

While the Drop-In Center is moving, the rest of Lighthouse Mission’s programs will remain in their current locations.

Erchinger-Davis said since the outbreak, the Lighthouse Mission, which is privately funded, has seen a reduction in donations. He said he understood this was a challenging time for everyone as the economy comes to a standstill, but that marginalized people often suffer the most during disasters. He said he wanted people to take care of themselves but also wanted to be able to continue providing needed services to the homeless population in Whatcom County.

“People on the margins suffer the most during disasters so it’s super important that they’re cared for well, and that we continue to give them the dignity we believe they deserve,” Erchinger-Davis said. “If COVID-19 hits the homeless it’s not good. I think this will literally save lives, because I believe the coronavirus will hit us at some point.”

Erchinger-Davis said the coronavirus is especially dangerous for the homeless population because those who are homeless often have less or no access to healthcare and are prone to getting sick or already have health complications.

“People on the streets are just as scared, if not more so, of this virus. The unknowns for them are so much more. Our people have already lost everything, so what do they have left? One thing that’s stable that they have is the Mission,” Erchinger-Davis said.

Aoife Kelly said the move was hard on people like herself who have mental health struggles, but that staff at the Mission helped. She said she appreciated that they were doing their best to keep the homeless out of harm’s way.

Kelly said her biggest worry was that as soon as one person gets sick, it will spread throughout the entire homeless population. The coronavirus outbreak has also made it more difficult for Kelly to find safe places to be during the day, since Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all restaurants, coffee shops and bars to close down.

“We’re people. We’re just normal people. We have our wants and needs, and some of us just want to live a life — have a job, have a family. It doesn’t make us any different because we’re homeless. Some of us are homeless for mental reasons, others lost their job and that means that they lose their house. Not all of us are drug users or alcoholics,” Kelly said. “We’re just trying to live and trying to stay safe just like everyone else.”

Kelly said while she didn’t agree with the move, she will follow the rules and was appreciative that the Mission and others were taking steps to keep the homeless population safe. She said she felt like the staff at the Mission really care about the people they help.

“That’s all we need is for people to show love, because we don’t get that that much,” Kelly said.

Bellingham High School students and families will receive related information from Bellingham High School Principal Linda Miller and Bellingham Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker, the release states.

If you have questions or concerns, contact Jessica Hess at: jessicah@thelighthousemission.org or 360-733-5120 ext. 103.

This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 6:54 PM.