Coronavirus outbreak puts Bellingham homeless encampment move in April on hold
The tiny homes village for the homeless in Fairhaven will be staying past its original closure date at the end of April because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Exactly how long is still under consideration, according to Rick Sepler, Planning and Community Development director for the city of Bellingham.
“There will be an extension due to the extraordinary circumstances we face with the coronavirus,” Sepler said to The Bellingham Herald. “The unsheltered are at much higher risk and moving at the height of a pandemic puts both residents and volunteers at risk.”
The nonprofit HomesNOW! operates the tiny homes encampment, now known as Unity Village.
An extension of 60 days has been discussed but hasn’t been finalized because there’s uncertainty over how long COVID-19 — a global pandemic that is hitting King County and Washington state especially hard since its spread to the U.S. from its origin in China — will last.
“We don’t know the duration of the health event, unsure if it will be 30 or 45 or 60 days before new cases decrease substantially and we can roll back some of the protective restrictions we have placed,” Sepler said, referring to travel and social distancing measures that require people to avoid gathering in large numbers in places that include restaurants, entertainment venues, gyms and K-12 schools, and, admonishes keeping at six feet away from others in public settings.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
As of Wednesday, March 18, seven Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, but public health officials here have said that there are many more cases in the county than those that have been confirmed by testing, which remains limited.
More than 214,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 8,700 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 7,300 confirmed cases, with at least 115 deaths.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 52 deaths and 1,012 confirmed cases in the state as of Tuesday afternoon. Those totals don’t include the two new cases in Whatcom County or new cases from other Washington counties.
The tiny homes encampment is now in the parking lot at 210 McKenzie Ave. near the Post Point Water Treatment Plant in the Fairhaven neighborhood. It originally was permitted to be there through April 30.
Bellingham officials were deciding whether to allow Unity Village’s residents to relocate to the former Clean Green site at Lakeway Drive and Woburn Street, where it would have been the fourth temporary site on city-owned land made available to encampments for the homeless operated by HomesNOW!
The tiny homes encampment at Lakeway and Woburn would have been similar to the existing one in Fairhaven in that HomesNOW! could have up to 20 tiny homes to provide overnight shelter for up to 28 residents, Bellingham officials have said.
Now, the move is on hold.
“We are very concerned about COVID-19 and its potential adverse effect on our community in general,” he said. “We also have specific concerns about the pending relocation — the timing would put it at a very challenging point in the virus’ life cycle.”
