Bellingham considers moving emergency homeless shelter to former Public Market
The city of Bellingham, in a partnership with Whatcom County and Lighthouse Mission Ministries, is working to move Lighthouse Mission Ministries’ Drop-In Center for the homeless to a new temporary location once it moves out of Bellingham High School, according to a Wednesday afternoon press release.
While a formal agreement has not been reached, the former Bellingham Public Market on Cornwall Avenue is the preferred location to move the emergency shelter to, Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said in the city press release June 10. Fleetwood said there is an agreement in principle, and that the location best meets the identified needs of the Drop-In Center. The market closed in 2018.
“It is large enough, it is the most cost-effective option, it meets our very urgent time frame, and we have a property owner who is willing to work with local officials, and the site lends itself best to amenities that will help ease neighborhood concerns,” Fleetwood said in a prepared statement.
The Drop-In Center, which is an emergency overnight shelter for the homeless, moved out of its downtown location at 1013 W. Holly St. and into Bellingham High School on March 20. The temporary move allowed the Drop-In Center to comply with social distancing guidelines set to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
The high school provided the space for mats for up to 200 people to be placed six feet apart, and the ability to isolate or quarantine someone if need be. The housing of homeless people has been 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. It has been housing around 160 people a night, the city press release said.
Since the move in March, more than 475 unique individuals have been housed at the high school, according to Hans Erchinger-Davis, director of Lighthouse Mission Ministries. As of June 8, no Drop-In Center guests have tested positive for COVID-19, the city press release states.
Lighthouse Mission Ministries is a faith-based organization that provides overnight emergency shelter to those who are homeless at the Drop-In Center, which has been in operation since October 2016. The organization also provides transitional housing. While some of Lighthouse Mission Ministries programs have a required religious component to them, the emergency shelter does not and religious activities are optional.
The Drop-In Center is expected to vacate the high school by mid-July, giving Bellingham Public Schools the time to prepare the high school for the fall school year. The use agreement formally expires August 10, according to city council documents.
City, county put in money
The city and county have committed $1.3 million to relocate the Drop-In Center once it moves from the high school.
An interlocal cost-sharing agreement was approved by the Whatcom County Council at its June 2 meeting, and by the Bellingham City Council at its June 8 meeting. The agreement outlines the cost, operational and organizational responsibilities of each partner, including Lighthouse Mission Ministries, according to city council documents.
Bellingham has committed $500,000 of its $2.7 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funding. Another $200,000 will come from the existing budget of the city’s housing levy as part of the Community Development Division’s 2020 Action Plan, according to city council documents. The CARES Act allows funding for care of homeless populations to mitigate COVID-19 and comply with public health precautions, council documents state.
Whatcom County will reimburse Bellingham up to an additional $800,000 for the relocation, council documents show. In total, estimates to relocate the Drop-In Center are around $1.3 million, the records show.
It costs Lighthouse Mission Ministries roughly $1.5 million a year to operate the facility, Tara Sundin, community and economic development manager for Bellingham, said at Monday’s city council meeting. Sundin said it would be expected that Bellingham would lease or purchase the facility, and then sub-lease to Lighthouse Mission Ministries. Lighthouse Mission Ministries will continue to operate and run the facility.
The city and county expect the shelter’s next temporary location to be in use for up to four years while Lighthouse Mission Ministries plans to build a permanent shelter at its current location in Bellingham’s Old Town, Erchinger-Davis said in the city press release. The anticipated lease is for three years, with a one-year extension if the permanent facility is under construction.
While finding an existing building for the shelter to temporarily move to is the preferred option, the agencies are also considering a second option that would include leasing land or using city or county land and then purchasing or leasing a modular building, according to council documents. Because of the tight timeline to move out of the high school, this option is not preferred as it may not be able to be completed by the time the school district needs the high school back, Sundin said at the meeting. It also would increase the cost of the project by at least $1 million, she said.
If the Drop-In Center were to go back to its original location on Holly Street, more than 100 people would no longer be served and be living unsheltered due to social distancing restrictions required at the facility, the council documents state.
“We are pleased to partner with the city of Bellingham and Whatcom Unified Command to provide a solution to help address this community-based need. As we work through the challenges of COVID-19 together, we are mindful that our most vulnerable depend on us for a safe place to shelter with social distancing capability,” Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said in the press release.
A healthy living space
Fleetwood said he anticipates requesting a special City Council meeting next week to consider the project. Fleetwood said he recognized there were “strong opinions on the impacts, perceived and real,” that the relocation would have on adjacent businesses, and that the city is committed to navigating those issues to ensure negative impacts are minimized.
“We simply have no choice. We must create healthy living space for people experiencing homelessness during this public health emergency, or they will have no option other than to live unsheltered. Protecting the health of people who need shelter services greatly reduces the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak among shelter guests, among staff and volunteers, and throughout the whole community,” Fleetwood said in the release.
A press release sent Wednesday from the North Downtown Property and Business Owners Working Group expressed concern for the shelter being considered low-barrier, which means someone who is suffering from substance use disorder or alcoholism can still be housed, and that there was no opportunity for public comment. The working group contacts were listed as Frank Chmelik, who is a downtown lawyer who has represented the Port of Bellingham; Ken Reinschmidt, who owns Saratoga Property Management, which handles various downtown real estate; and Dianna Del Giorgio, who owns Cafe Adagio downtown.
“After an almost two-year effort to locate a controversial low-barrier shelter, this is now being handled as an emergency with no public hearing or comment allowed,” the press release stated. “This issue, which is so important to the future of our downtown business district, needs more engagement.”
The release said local business owners created an alternative proposal that would have funding contributions from the business community. A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment Wednesday regarding the alternative proposal or funding contributions.
Opportunities for public comment about the emergency shelter moving to the former Bellingham Public Market site will be available when the City Council considers lease terms, and when Lighthouse Mission Ministries applies for permits required to be in place if the COVID-19 emergency ends before a permanent facility is available, the city press release states.
Any facility selected for temporary use for the emergency shelter must provide the space for guests to sleep with a minimum of six feet between them, Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department, said in the release. The shelter requires at least 15,000 square feet of enclosed buildings with additional outdoor space due to COVID-19 public health recommendations, according to city council documents.
“It’s critically important that as a community we do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially for people who are more vulnerable to this virus,” Lautenbach said in a prepared statement. “For our neighbors experiencing homelessness, we need a shelter with enough space for physical distancing that will limit the chances of the virus spreading. Protecting those who use the shelter from an outbreak of COVID-19 also protects the health of our entire community.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 4:27 PM.
