## Meeting Overview On the evening of October 10, 2024, the Community Development Advisory Board gathered in the Mayor's Boardroom to tackle an ambitious agenda heavy with presentation, funding decisions, and policy framework discussions. Chair Karin Jones presided over a meeting that drew representatives from across Bellingham's housing and social services ecosystem, marking an evening that would see significant budget allocations and strategic planning for the city's affordable housing future. The board welcomed presentations from two major service organizations—the Max Higbee Center and the Bellingham Whatcom County Housing Authority—before diving into substantial discussions about funding priorities, budget allocations, and the frameworks that guide how federal and local dollars flow to address housing needs in the community. With nine of twelve voting members present, the board would make consequential decisions affecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in housing funding and establish the groundwork for the coming year's grant allocation process. ## Max Higbee Center's Weekday Program: A Lifeline for Vulnerable Populations Kate Whiteside, outgoing executive director of the Max Higbee Center, delivered a comprehensive presentation about the organization's weekday program, which receives $30,000 annually from the City of Bellingham's human services grant. What emerged was a picture of an organization serving as a critical piece of infrastructure for people with developmental disabilities in Whatcom County—and notably, the only organization of its kind. "Max Higbee Center is the reason that many individuals and families live in Bellingham, the reason they stay in Bellingham, or even the reason they moved to Bellingham in the first place," Whiteside explained, "because it is such an important resource that improves quality of life and family support that they can't imagine living somewhere without a Max Igby Center." The weekday program operates Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, serving 181 individuals with developmental disabilities and supporting 114 families who provide housing and long-term care for adult family members. The program's flexibility allows participants to attend anywhere from once a week to every day, depending on their individual needs. Activities range from yoga and cooking classes at their facility on State Street to supported community outings to places like the YMCA, library, and community gardens. W…