New apartment available for family exiting homelessness. Here’s what to know

A Bellingham nonprofit has completed the first five-bedroom permanent supportive housing unit in Whatcom County. Lydia Place says the apartment will help fill a critical gap for larger families experiencing homelessness.

FULL STORY: New Whatcom County housing unit will serve family exiting homelessness

Here are key takeaways:

• Lydia Place announced May 26 the completion of its first five-bedroom apartment, the only permanent supportive housing unit of its size in Whatcom County. The unit was expected to be ready for lease by June 1.
• Permanent supportive housing combines long-term rental assistance with supportive services to help households achieve stability.
• About 1,160 Whatcom County students — roughly one in 24 pre-K to grade 12 public school students — met the federal definition of homeless in the 2024-2025 school year. Bellingham Public Schools saw a 19% increase in homeless students from the previous year.
• More than 1,000 households applied for housing through the county’s Coordinated Entry System in 2024, including 190 families with children. Only about 20% of the need was being met by available housing services.
• Lydia Place served 383 households in 2025, including more than 650 children. Local government funding provides 66% of the nonprofit’s support, with 26% of its nearly $6 million budget coming from community donations and private foundation grants.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.