As frigid weather sets in, Bellingham opens temporary warming site for the homeless
The City of Bellingham is opening a temporary warming site downtown for people who are homeless, according to Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood.
The city will be opening a temporary warming site for at least a week at Depot Market Square at 1100 Railroad Avenue. The site will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and be open 24 hours a day until noon Tuesday, Feb. 16, Fleetwood said in a prepared statement sent Tuesday to The Bellingham Herald.
The Opportunity Council Volunteer Center is coordinating volunteers who will staff the site. Fleetwood said the site is “the right thing to do to provide an additional place for people living unsheltered to stay warm.”
The warming site will be open to anyone experiencing homelessness. The city said COVID-19 precautions will be required, including social distancing measures and mask use, while people use the space.
The warming center can hold a maximum capacity of 35 people, according to the city. Quiet time and lights out starts at 10 p.m., and no drugs or alcohol are allowed on the premises. Weapons will be checked with staff for safe keeping, and a maximum of one cart of belongings is allowed, the city stated.
Service animals are allowed, and smoking is allowed in designated areas only.
The move comes as frigid air moves south from British Columbia, bringing unseasonably cold temperatures, wind chills potentially reaching 0 degrees and a chance of snow to lowland Whatcom County.
Volunteers and community members also worked to set up a warming shelter Tuesday afternoon at a homeless tent encampment in the lower parking lot of Frank Geri Softball Fields off of Puget Street, according to social media statements by BOP (Bellingham Occupied Protest) Mutual Aid.
“Temps this week are going to deadly levels, we need your help to keep folks dry (and) warm,” BOP’s statement said, also asking for donations of propane heaters, cots, hot water bottles and other items.
The city provided notice early last week that residents of the encampment had to move themselves and their belongings by 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5. As of Monday afternoon, Feb. 8, several dozen tents and make-shift shelters remained set up at the encampment near the ball fields, and the city had not taken action to clear the encampment.
A homeless tent encampment, known as Camp 210, started in November on the lawns of Bellingham City Hall and the Bellingham Public Library as an occupied protest over the lack of shelter available in the area for homeless people.
The city spent nearly $75,000 on the Jan. 28 removal of the downtown tent encampment, which was cleared a day before the city’s deadline for the homeless encampment to leave. Protesters used wooden pallets to block officials from clearing the encampment, while volunteers helped the encampment move to the lower parking lot near the ball fields.
People wishing to sign up to volunteer can do so online and will be contacted to receive an identification check. Once cleared, volunteers will be given training materials and instructions on how to sign up for a shift, according to the city.
Donations of prepackaged snacks and hand warmers are allowed and can be delivered to the front desk by the door on Maple Street. Donations of clothing, prepared food, blankets or bedding materials are not currently being accepted, the city said.
Lighthouse Mission reaches out
Lighthouse Mission Ministries is reaching out to homeless people in the Whatcom County area and their supporters to encourage them to stay at its emergency shelters as temperatures plummet throughout the week.
Lighthouse Mission operates Base Camp, an overnight homeless shelter at 1530 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham that has space for up to 200 people. The mission has also opened an overflow shelter at its former Drop-In Center at 1013 W. Holly St. The space can accommodate up to 39 men during the cold, winter months.
As of Monday, Feb. 8, there were 68 beds available between Base Camp and the overflow shelter, according to a Lighthouse Mission Ministries release. The shelter uses rapid COVID-19 testing upon entry and places an emphasis on hand washing, wearing masks and social distancing, the release states.
The shelter’s minimal entry guidelines have been relaxed during the inclement weather, according to the release. People can call 360-733-5120 ext. 215 or show up at Base Camp to reach the shelter. The mission is also operating its Street Connect van, which offers blankets, gloves and a ride to Base Camp if people need.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 2:59 PM.
