Whatcom Housing Alliance

Whatcom Housing Alliance Creating opportunities for more diverse housing choices in all neighborhoods, and contributing toward equitable, prosperous, and healthy communities.

08/31/2026

Every Bellingham project runs into something, and right now there's nowhere to take it.

In coordination with the Mayor's Office, Planning and Public Works, the Whatcom Housing Alliance built the "Housing Delivery Improvement Program." And we're going to pilot it this fall to see if we can improve communication between our development community and the City.

The only way we're going to see if we can make progress is if you share what you know!

Here's how it works. You get a form so we can track. You tell us what happened on a real project: what happened, what you expected, what actually happened, what it cost or delayed. Every submission gets screened.

The ones with a broader pattern go to City staff, who respond with their own context before anything gets discussed, we discuss openly to create education for everyone and we track what comes of it.

You know what happens on the ground. Staff know why a requirement exists in the first place. This is how those meet and learn from each other.

Not an appeals process. Not a complaint line.

Builders, designers, engineers, lenders, nonprofit developers: if you've got a project worth learning from, I want to hear about it.

Reach out!

08/17/2026

Today is the last day to register for the 2026 Middle Housing Design Competition! Head to our website and register now. It closes at 11:59pm. Designs are not due until October 1st. The winners are announced during Housing Week 2026 at the Middle Housing Design Competition Happy Hour! Award Money goes to the Jury Award and the People's Choice Award.

Share with the design community!

08/07/2026

Laurel Forest, @ Forest and Laurel Streets. 56 one-bedroom apartments for adults 55+, built by the Opportunity Council, opened 2024.

Two rent tiers: $540/month at 30% AMI, $900/month at 50% AMI. Market rate for a one-bedroom in Bellingham runs closer to $1,500.
Both wait lists are currently at capacity.

How it was built: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits covered 58% of construction costs. LIHTC is federal, capped nationally, allocated to states, and awarded here by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission through one competitive round a year. The rest came from state and local sources, including the voter-approved Bellingham Home Fund, plus a mortgage sized to what capped rents can carry.

Why the structure exists: new construction runs roughly $400,000 per unit. Rents here are set against income, not the market. Public funding fills that gap, up front, before anyone moves in.

Why seniors: older adults on fixed incomes are among the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness, locally and nationally. Bellingham has multiple senior projects in the pipeline, including Mercy Housing's 74-unit Holly Senior Housing in Old Town and Phase 2 of Cedar Commons, which adds 65 senior units.

The scale: Whatcom County is projected to need ~35,000 new homes by 2044, about 22,000 of them affordable. Bellingham's share is over 10,000.

🏡 The Middle Housing Design Competition is Now Open!We're excited to announce that Whatcom Housing Alliance's Middle Hou...
07/01/2026

🏡 The Middle Housing Design Competition is Now Open!

We're excited to announce that Whatcom Housing Alliance's Middle Housing Design Competition is officially accepting registrations until August 17th.

This is an opportunity for architects, designers, students, and creative thinkers to help reimagine housing options in our community and showcase the potential of middle housing throughout Whatcom County.

Have an innovative design idea? Now's your chance to bring it to life and contribute to the conversation about creating more diverse, attainable housing options for all neighborhoods.

Scroll to check out past Middle Housing Design Competition winners!

Register and learn more here: https://whatcomhousingalliance.org/middle-housing-design-competition-2/

06/23/2026

Last week Bellingham Mayor released an Executive Order on Economic Development.

Mayor Lund’s new Economic Development Executive Order is focused on jobs, business growth, downtown vitality, and economic opportunity.

It also highlights an important connection: housing and economic development depend on each other.

Businesses need workers. Workers need homes. And new homes need clear processes, infrastructure, financing, incentives, and partners who can help good projects move forward.

That is why this order matters from a housing perspective too. Efforts to support downtown and waterfront revitalization, review incentives like MFTE, reduce barriers, and make City processes easier to navigate can all help shape how Bellingham responds to both economic and housing needs.

In a housing crisis, vacant and underused spaces, workforce housing, and development feasibility should be part of the same conversation.

We encourage community members to review the full Executive Order and think about how these tools can help support a more vibrant, affordable, and livable Bellingham.

Link in bio.

Whatcom County is projected to add more than 65,000 people over the next 20 years.That means we need a real plan for whe...
06/02/2026

Whatcom County is projected to add more than 65,000 people over the next 20 years.

That means we need a real plan for where people will live.

The Comprehensive Plan is one of the biggest tools local governments use to shape growth, housing, jobs, transportation, infrastructure, farmland, public services, and the environment.

For WHA, the housing question is central: Can we grow in a way that gives people more choices, supports affordability, and allows the next generation to build a life here?

Growth is coming. The choice is whether we plan for it well.

>> WHA encourages community members to stay engaged, follow the Comprehensive Plan process, and share specific, constructive ideas for how Whatcom County can meet this moment. Full article linked in bio.

Different people need different homes.A healthy community works better when more people can find a home that fits their ...
04/22/2026

Different people need different homes.

A healthy community works better when more people can find a home that fits their life, budget, and needs.

This carousel looks at five housing types that each play a different role in our community:

• MDU = mobile dwelling unit, such as a tiny home on wheels

• ADU = accessory dwelling unit, such as a backyard cottage or small secondary home

• Multifamily = many homes in one building, such as apartments or condos

• Middle housing = duplexes, triplexes, cottages, and townhomes

• Single-family homes = one home on its own lot

Each type can serve different households, including people in transition, older adults, renters, working households, first-time buyers, and larger families.

The goal is not one kind of home for everyone. The goal is a wider range of homes so more people can find the right fit and stay in the community.

What housing options do you think are most needed in Whatcom County?

Supply and demand is not just a theory. Bellingham's local attempts to increase housing supply are grounded in fact.Betw...
04/11/2026

Supply and demand is not just a theory. Bellingham's local attempts to increase housing supply are grounded in fact.

Between 2021 and 2026, Austin emerged as a national outlier. While most cities saw prices climb, Austin’s median rent fell by more than 16%.

How? By radically prioritizing housing production:

30% Housing Stock Growth:
* Added 120,000 units since 2015.

Regulatory Reform:
* Eliminated parking minimums and legalized ADUs citywide.

Competition Works:
* When tens of thousands of units hit the market, landlords have to compete for tenants, driving rates down.

While supply alone isn’t a "silver bullet" for every affordability challenge, Austin proves that we cannot build our way out of a shortage by staying stagnant. If we want lower rents, we have to allow more homes to be built, of all varieties.

Key Takeaways for the Coalition:
* Regulatory barriers are interconnected; solving the shortage requires a multi-pronged approach (Zoning, ADUs, Density Bonuses).

Shortages do not improve when little is built.

Competition impacts the entire market—including older, non-luxury buildings. Full article in bio.

The City of Bellingham is hosting a screening of "Decade of Fire" on April 22nd, to honor the passage of the Fair Housin...
04/10/2026

The City of Bellingham is hosting a screening of "Decade of Fire" on April 22nd, to honor the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and reflect on the ongoing work to ensure equal access to housing for all.

Set in the South Bronx during the 1970s, Decade of Fire documents how systemic neglect, redlining, and discriminatory policies contributed to the destruction of housing and the displacement of nearly half a million Black and Puerto Rican residents. Through the lens of Bronx-born Vivian Vázquez Irizarry, the film also tells a story of resistance, resilience, and rebuilding.

Following the screening, local leaders and City staff will join a panel discussion connecting the film’s themes to Bellingham and Whatcom County, including the lasting impacts of redlining, restrictive covenants, historic disinvestment, and inequities that continue to shape our housing system today.

Join us for an important evening of history, reflection, and local conversation. Register at link in bio

04/10/2026

The City of Bellingham Washington is hosting a FREE screening of "Decade of Fire" Mount Baker Theatre, April 22nd, to honor the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and reflect on the ongoing work to ensure equal access to housing for all.

Set in the South Bronx during the 1970s, Decade of Fire documents how systemic neglect, redlining, and discriminatory policies contributed to the destruction of housing and the displacement of nearly half a million Black and Puerto Rican residents. Through the lens of Bronx-born Vivian Vázquez Irizarry, the film also tells a story of resistance, resilience, and rebuilding.

Following the screening, local leaders and City staff will join a panel discussion connecting the film’s themes to Bellingham and Whatcom County, including the lasting impacts of redlining, restrictive covenants, historic disinvestment, and inequities that continue to shape our housing system today.

Join us for an important evening of history, reflection, and local conversation. Register at link in bio.

Address

1701 Ellis Street STE 221
Bellingham, WA
98225

Telephone

+13606477093

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