Boost to Bellingham’s affordable housing, child care options expected in spring
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- Cedar Commons will deliver 120+ affordable units and a 5-classroom early learning center.
- Phase 1 opens spring 2025 with family housing and 80 new child care slots.
- Phase 2 finishes by spring 2027 and adds sensory-friendly senior units.
A long-anticipated Bellingham affordable housing project for families and seniors is making significant progress in development.
Now officially named Cedar Commons, the two-phase project on the corner of Eliza Avenue and Bellis Fair Parkway will include more than 120 affordable apartments and a five-classroom early learning center.
The units will be ADA-compliant. Half of the units will be rented to households making 50% or less of the area’s median income. The other half of the units will be rented to households making 30% or less of the area’s median income, according to previous reporting by The Herald.
Phase 1: Family housing and child care
Phase 1 of the Opportunity Council project is expected to be completed this spring. It includes housing for families and the early learning center, creating up to 80 new child care slots for the community.
It will feature shared courtyards and green spaces to promote “intergenerational connection” and offer areas for community events, outdoor recreation and quiet space.
“In Phase 1, we’re making sure that families have homes that that can grow as kids do: open floor plans, accessible bathrooms, and flexible spaces will create places where every family’s circumstances and lifestyle are a priority,” Opportunity Council said in a project update announcement.
The early learning center comes as Washington is facing a statewide child care crisis. Washington ranks as the 11th least affordable state for child care, according to a statewide study published in 2024. The study showed that about 63% of Washington residents live in a “child care desert” where there are more than three children under age 5 for every licensed child care slot.
The state’s child care crisis resulted in a $6 billion loss to the state’s overall economy in 2023, according to the study. A 2021 WWU Child Care Demand Study forecast that Whatcom County would need to increase its age 0-5 child care capacity by 5,817 and its school-age capacity by 6,252 by 2025 to meet the predicted total demand in the local region.
“The child care crisis in Whatcom County continues to threaten the stability of families in our neighborhoods,” Opportunity Council’s Emily Martens wrote in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
Phase 2: Senior housing
Phase 2 is expected to be complete by spring of 2027 and will prioritize private, “sensory-friendly” units for adults age 62 and older.
That means units will include “calming colors and low-stimulation environments,” according to Opportunity Council.
The housing will also include shared wellness spaces and the ability to accommodate live-in caregivers or roommates with two-bedroom options.
“Wellness and movement rooms and flex space for visiting health care providers will also be on the property to promote the overall well-being of residents,” according to Opportunity Council.
Environmental, community health a focus
Each unit will feature an Independent Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system to help circulate fresh air while filtering out allergens, smoke and other environmental pollutants, while also reducing energy use and lowering utility costs.
Cedar Commons will also prioritize native vegetation and trees in its outdoor spaces to help beautify, shade and regulate temperature.
In partnership, the city of Bellingham is adding new bike and pedestrian paths in the neighborhood surrounding Cedar Commons to support carless transportation for residents.
