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Community Development Advisory Board

BEL-CDA-2025-02-13 February 13, 2025 Community Development Advisory City of Bellingham
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The Community Development Advisory Board held a comprehensive February meeting featuring two major presentations and key administrative decisions that will shape housing policy implementation in Bellingham. The meeting opened with leadership transitions as Shannon Laws was elected as the new board chair and Matt Unger as vice chair, following the outgoing chair's announcement of stepping down from the board. Northwest Youth Services Director Addison Osley provided an in-depth briefing on their Transitional Living Program (TLP), which receives partial city funding and currently operates 11 beds across Whatcom County for homeless young adults aged 18-24. The program faces a significant challenge with the loss of one two-bedroom unit in the Meridian neighborhood due to property management changes, highlighting ongoing difficulties in securing affordable housing partnerships. The centerpiece presentation came from City planning staff Sydney Prusak and Elizabeth Erickson, who delivered a detailed overview of the Bellingham Plan (comprehensive plan) update process. This 20-year visioning document, required by state Growth Management Act, must accommodate projected growth to 130,000 residents by 2045 and incorporate recent state housing legislation including House Bill 1110, which allows up to four units per lot in residential zones. The plan introduces new chapters on community well-being and civic practices while strengthening policies around affordable housing incentives, anti-displacement measures, and equitable distribution of housing services. The meeting concluded with preparation for the upcoming funding allocation process, with staff explaining the review procedures for $17.6 million in funding applications across housing and social services programs. This represents the board's primary annual responsibility - implementing the city's Consolidated Plan goals through strategic funding recommendations.

**Board Leadership Election:** - Shannon Laws elected as Board Chair (unanimous) - Matt Unger elected as Vice Chair (unanimous) - Both positions are one-year terms - New leadership effective immediately **Annual Calendar Adoption:** - Board reviewed and accepted 2025 meeting calendar - November/December meeting timing left as "to be d…

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**Transitional Living Program Challenges:** Northwest Youth Services operates an 11-bed program across Bellingham and Ferndale, expanded from 6 beds in July 2024 through additional grant funding. The program serves homeless young adults with 540-day stays, providing fully furnished units, care coordination, and wraparound services. A critical challenge emerged with the loss of a Meridian neighborhood unit due to new property management refusing lease renewal. Osley emphasized the difficulty of building community partnerships, noting it took seven months to secure the previous expansion units. The program struggles with high rental costs, paying $2,300 monthly for new two-bedroom units in Ferndale compared to under $1,300 for the unit being lost. **Comprehensive Plan Housing Framework:** The Bellingham Plan addresses state-mandated housing reforms through multiple policy approaches. The plan emphasizes mixed-income development incentives, though staff acknowledged current market conditions make mandatory inclusionary zoning unfeasible after October 2024 feasibility analysis showed it would halt development entirely. Instead, the city will strengthen voluntary incentives and regularly monitor market conditions for future mandato…
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**Addison Osley (Northwest Youth Services)** emphasized the critical need for community partnerships in housing provision, describing the seven-month search process for expansion units and advocating for landlord incentives beyond guaranteed rent payments. She highlighted the program's success with three exits already in 2025 and the innovative Samaritan direct cash transfer program for participant goal achievement. **Sydney Prusak and Elizabeth Erickson (City Planning Staff)** presented a measured approach to housing reform, emphasizing incremental policy changes over dramatic shifts. They acknowledged market constraints on mandatory affordable housing while pushing for strengthened voluntary incentives. Both stressed the importance of extensive community engagement to prepare residents for coming changes. **Ryan Wood** questioned regional funding coordination between Skagi…
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**Addison Osley, on housing partnership challenges:** "It took me about 7 months from the time that we got the funding for the additional transitional living units to our move in date, it took me 7 months to find someone that was willing to work with us." **Elizabeth Erickson, on housing affordability:** "Right now it's hard to even make market rate housing development feasible. And so, looking at, if you were to incorporate mandatory requirements, you would just stop development entirely or …
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**March Board Meeting:** Public hearing on unbalanced action plan showing $17.6 million in applications against available funding. Staff will present application summaries and conduct practice scoring exercises. Full applications will be available for board member review. **April Board Meeting:** Final funding recommendation votes on all applications across community facilities, homeownership production, housing production, housing services, and social services categories. **Comprehensive Plan Process:** Planning Commission will discuss land use and housing chapters over the ne…

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**Board Leadership:** Shannon Laws assumed chair role and Matt Unger became vice chair, replacing outgoing leadership that is departing the board entirely. **Comprehensive Plan Status:** The plan moved into Phase 4 legislative process, with three draft chapters now available for public comment and board/commission review beginning. **Application Review Framework:** The board confirmed its four-tier evaluation system for the upcoming $17.6 million funding allocation proc…
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# Community Housing Challenges and Planning Ahead: Bellingham Development Advisory Board Charts Course for Critical Year ## Meeting Overview The Community Development Advisory Board met on February 13, 2025, in the Mayor's Boardroom, bringing together representatives from across Bellingham's neighborhoods alongside housing and services professionals. With nearly $17.6 million in funding applications on the table and significant changes ahead through the Bellingham Plan update, this meeting captured a board preparing to make some of its most consequential decisions in years. The session featured two substantial presentations: Addison Osley from Northwest Youth Services detailed the challenges facing their transitional living program amid a housing crisis, while city planners Sydney Prusak and Elizabeth Erickson outlined how the comprehensive plan update will reshape housing policy for the next two decades. The board also elected new leadership and prepared for the intensive application review process ahead. Present were board members Matt Unger (Ward 3 representative), Shannon Laws (community representative), Catherine Freyman (citywide representative), Cara Jones (Sunnyland neighborhood), Andrew Calkins (Housing Authority executive director), Samuel Lutz (city housing program manager), and remote participants Deidra Prado (member at large), Ryan Wood (Happy Valley), and Ben Spicer (Happy Valley). The meeting reflected the board's broad community representation while highlighting persistent gaps in Ward 4 and 5 coverage. ## Northwest Youth Services: Housing Young Adults in Crisis Addison Osley opened with a sobering reality: finding housing for young adults has become exponentially more difficult, even for programs with dedicated funding. Northwest Youth Services' transitional living program serves homeless individuals aged 18-24, providing fully furnished units for up to 540 days while participants develop tenancy skills and work toward independence. "We used to only have 6 beds until July 1st of 2024, when we were able to get an additional grant," Osley explained. "We expanded to 11 beds total." The program operates across Bellingham and Ferndale, with two-bedroom units housing separate participants who don't know each other before moving in. Each participant gets an individual care coordinator to avoid any appearance of favorit…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board met in the Mayor's Boardroom on February 13, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The meeting focused on housing program updates and the city's comprehensive planning process, with presentations from Northwest Youth Services on their transitional living program and city planners on the Bellingham Plan update. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Transitional Living Program (TLP):** A 540-day (18-month) supportive housing program for homeless young adults ages 18-24, providing fully furnished units with care coordinators and wraparound services. **Comprehensive Plan:** A 20-year planning document required by Washington State's Growth Management Act that guides how cities accommodate population growth and development. Bellingham calls theirs "The Bellingham Plan." **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law requiring cities to plan for growth through comprehensive plans updated every 10 years, with goals including housing, transportation, and reducing sprawl. **Middle Housing:** Housing types between single-family homes and large apartments, such as duplexes, townhomes, and cottage housing. State law now allows up to 4 units per lot in residential zones. **Consolidated Plan:** A federal requirement outlining how cities will use Community Development Block Grant and other HUD funding over five years to address housing and community development needs. **Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB):** The citizen board that reviews applications for federal housing and community development funds and makes funding recommendations to the City Council. **Anti-displacement:** Policies and strategies designed to prevent existing residents from being forced to move due to rising housing costs or neighborhood changes. **Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing:** Rental housing that is affordable to lower-income households without income restrictions, typically due to age, condition, or location of the property. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Matt Unger | CDAB Member, Ward 3 Representative | | Shannon Laws | CDAB Member, Community Representative | | Addison Osley | Director of Whatcom Housing, Northwest Youth Services | | Samuel Lutz | City of Bellingham Housing and Services Program Manager | | Andrew Calkins | Executive Director, Bellingham/Whatcom County Housing Authority | | Catherine Freyman | CDAB Member, …
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Housing Government Operations City Of Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board Northwest Youth Services Opportunity Council Planning Commission Whatcom County Whatcom Housing Addison Osley Addison Osley Ben Spicer Catherine Freyman Deidra Prado Elizabeth Erickson Matt Unger Ryan Wood Samuel Lutz Shannon Laws Sydney Prusak Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Incentives Anti Displacement Bellingham Plan Community Engagement Community Well Being Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Planning Food Security Funding Allocation Growth Management Act Housing Policy Housing Services Middle Housing Neighborhood Associations Transitional Living Program