Concerned with Bellingham’s fair housing practices? Now’s your chance to comment
The city of Bellingham has released its draft 2023-2027 Assessment of Fair Housing and the public is being asked to comment on it.
The Assessment of Fair Housing is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and looks at how well the community is carrying out fair housing practices.
It is designed to identify fair housing issues locally, determine the factors that significantly contribute to those issues and develop a strategy to reduce them.
Here are some of the main fair housing issues identified in the draft assessment:
▪ Bellingham has a significant racial and ethnic disparity among homeowners. Of the owner-occupied housing units in Bellingham, only 10% were occupied by non-white householders.
▪ Segregation between whites and non-whites has increased over the last decade; there are more Census tracts where both non-white and low-income residents are concentrated, compared to the city average.
▪ Disproportionate housing needs are highest among renters, single-female households with children and Native American households.
Here are some of the main contributing factors identified in the draft assessment:
▪ Lack of access to opportunity due to high housing costs.
▪ Location and type of affordable housing.
▪ Availability of affordable units in a range of sizes.
▪ Source-of-income discrimination.
▪ Lack of local private fair housing outreach and enforcement.
▪ Land use zoning laws.
▪ Community opposition.
Based on the identified fair housing issues and their contributing factors, the city’s draft plan outlines three goals for improvement.
1. Implement planning policies that support expanded housing choices and increased inventory.
2. Support people facing housing discrimination by examining where the city may want to add additional support and protections.
3. Provide education on Fair Housing to property managers, owners, renters and tenants to increase public understanding of Fair Housing laws.
Public comments will be accepted until Oct. 28. Comments can be submitted to kebartholomew@cob.org or via the dedicated Engage Bellingham page.
