Lummi Nation addresses homelessness crisis with 40 transitional tiny home units
The Lummi Nation community is preparing to welcome residents into its new 40-unit transitional housing village, following a grand opening celebration for the project Wednesday.
The village — named Kwensot Qelat, meaning “to begin again” — is intended to shelter unhoused tribal members who are transitioning into permanent housing “as they move from unsafe environments like the streets or vehicles,” according to an announcement from the Lummi Nation.
“Our highest calling is to care for our relatives,” said Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire in the announcement. “Our grandmothers also wished for us the best care, as did their elders before them. Getting healthy means getting housed. People can’t recover — whether from illness or substance use disorder — when they’re living outside. The Kwensot Qelat village is truly about beginning again.”
Each unit is a 64-square-foot tiny home that features a lockable door and windows, a bed, and heating and air conditioning. The village has a communal kitchen and dining area, community showers, restrooms and laundry facilities.
Residents in the village on Scott Road will have access to wraparound services, including visits from medical professionals, social workers, peer support counselors and substance-use disorder specialists.
Residents are expected to begin moving into the village in early September.
The Kwensot Qelat emergency housing units were manufactured by Pallet Shelter, an Everett-based company that builds prefabricated tiny homes. Pallet calls itself “the leader in rapid-response shelter villages that combine the dignity of personal space with the healing of community.”
The organization’s tiny homes have been used to establish more than 100 shelter communities across the United States and internationally to address issues including homelessness, disaster and workforce housing. Establishing a Pallet shelter is “rapid,” “scalable,” and “cost-effective” with each shelter able to be assembled in less than an hour at a fraction of the cost of traditional homeless shelters, according to Pallet.
The Kwensot Qelat housing village adds to the growing list of tiny home communities in the Bellingham area, including North Haven and Gardenview.
This story was originally published August 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
