New report details usage and cost of Whatcom County’s severe weather shelter
A new report from Whatcom County Health and Community Services highlights the successes and ongoing challenges of the county’s severe weather shelter program, which operated on the coldest nights between Nov. 1 and March 15.
WCHCS has operated a severe weather shelter for adults in Bellingham for the past three winters after failing to find community partners willing to take on the job. The shelter is open when temperatures are projected 48 hours in advance to reach 32 degrees or below.
The shelter was located at the former Central Lutheran Church building on N. Forest Street, in the Sehome neighborhood south of downtown Bellingham. It was open for 26 nights between December and March. However, later analysis showed there were 20 additional nights when the shelter should have been open but wasn’t.
“This struggle to schedule staff on short notice based on incomplete forecast information makes situations like this nearly impossible to avoid, despite improvements,” the report states.
WCHCS said 232 people stayed at the shelter over the course of the season, with 1,398 total guest stays. The previous year, the shelter was open for one additional night and served 315 people, with 2,287 total guest stays.
Unsheltered homelessness in Whatcom County decreased by more than 120 people between 2024 and 2025, according to the county’s annual report. However, demand for shelter still exceeds the capacity.
The severe weather shelter in Bellingham actually decreased the number of available beds to 60 this past season, noting that guests reported greater comfort and higher quality sleep due to more personal space.
Fifteen individuals were turned away from the shelter but were offered a ride to Lighthouse Mission Ministries’ drop-in shelter if there was availability. If not, the individuals are offered supplies like warm bedding, hand warmers and hot food. In some cases, people refused shelter at Lighthouse Mission Ministries or were prohibited from staying there due to past rule violations.
The report pointed out that both shelters were never full at the same time this past winter.
How much did it cost?
WCHCS spent about $357,000 on the severe weather shelter this winter, far below the $450,000 set aside for expenses by the county. Over half of the funds went toward staffing, followed by contracted services such as waste removal and laundry and facilities like site leasing and maintenance. Five percent of funding went toward operating supplies.
The cost per bed per night rose from about $200 to $220 this season, according to the report. This cost includes dinner, breakfast, staff, medical support and transportation to and from the shelter.
The report attributes the increased cost to inflation and rising prices of other services and contracts. Money was also allocated to add a fence around the outer perimeter of the facility to decrease loitering and camping following community feedback. Neighbor complaints were “significantly reduced” this season, according to the report.
The report from WCHCS ended with two major recommendations. First, they recommend prioritizing a nightly winter shelter model over a criteria-based severe winter shelter approach. This would be “significantly more cost-effective,” WCHCS said.
The second recommendation is to find a contracted provider to operate this suggested nightly winter shelter. The city of Bellingham recently announced plans to open a day shelter in the fall, and has requested proposals for a provider to manage it with the ability to offer overnight sheltering for severe weather or continuously through the winter.
If they are unable to become operational before the 2026-2027 winter season, WCHCS has a contingency plan to possibly operate a nightly winter shelter.