Winter Soltice gathering honors lives lost while experiencing homelessness in Bellingham
More than 100 people gathered outside of Bellingham’s City Hall on Dec. 21, the longest night of the year, to observe National Homeless Persons Memorial Day.
The event, organized by the Opportunity Council every year, is meant to remember and honor the lives of community members who lost their lives while experiencing homelessness.
“Everyone’s life is equally valuable — none should be forgotten by those around them,” the event description reads on Opportunity Council’s website.
87 people died on the streets locally this year, up from 64 deaths in 2022, according to speakers at the vigil.
Participants at the candlelit ceremony read the names of 84 people who died and acknowledged three people whose identities were unknown.
They all were “born with hopes and dreams,” one speaker said.
Homelessness continues to increase
Homelessness in Bellingham and Whatcom County increased substantially this year, reaching an all-time high and topping 1,000 people for the first time, according to an annual survey of people without a place to live.
The 2023 Point-in-Time Census of Homeless Residents report, which was released earlier this year, showed a sharp increase among “unsheltered” residents. Those are people living outside — such as in a car, tent or recreational vehicle.
Overall, homelessness increased by 27% from 2022 to 1,059 in Whatcom County, according to the report, which was conducted in cities and states nationwide on Jan. 26.
Homelessness in Whatcom County was previously at its highest level in more than a decade in 2021, when 859 people were homeless — the most since the nationwide count began in 2008.
A breakdown of the numbers
Sixty-one percent of all surveyed homeless people were staying in transitional housing or emergency shelters such as Base Camp or other specialized shelters at the time of the count. That’s down from 72% in 2022. The number of people using emergency shelters or transitional housing increased by about 9%, from 650 to 711.
Thirty-nine percent of all surveyed people were unsheltered. That’s up from 28% in 2022. Of those people, about 74% of them slept outside in a tent, doorway or vehicle.
Since 2019, the number of seniors age 60 and older experiencing homelessness has increased by 141% from 68 individuals in 2019 to 164 in 2023. Seniors accounted for 15% of all people counted. The oldest person counted was 89 years old.
The rates of homeless families with children also continue to rise. From 2021 to 2023, the number of homeless families counted has averaged 88 households. From 2018 to 2020, the average was 68. Juveniles accounted for 15% of all unhoused individuals identified in 2023. The youngest person counted in 2023 was an infant less than a year old.
Two-thirds of the people surveyed reported dealing with one or more of the following: mental illness, chronic substance use, chronic illness, or a physical or developmental disability.
This story was originally published December 23, 2023 at 11:00 AM.
