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Community Development Advisory Board (City of Bellingham)

BEL-CDA-2025-04-10 April 10, 2025 Community Development Advisory City of Bellingham
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The Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board convened on April 10, 2025, to finalize their recommendations for the city's 2025 Housing and Human Services funding allocations amid significant budget constraints. The meeting centered on a comprehensive review of staff recommendations for approximately $3 million in competitive discretionary funding, representing 23% of the city's overall housing action plan budget. Staff presented a sobering financial reality: the affordable housing sales tax projection was reduced from $3.9 million to $3.56 million, forcing difficult funding decisions. The board ultimately approved staff recommendations that maintained a "no new programs" philosophy while attempting to preserve existing successful initiatives. The recommendations included complete elimination of some programs, reduced funding for others, and strategic preservation of high-priority services. The most significant cuts included elimination of Opportunity Council's housing navigation program and rejection of funding for several new programs despite high scores, including Unity Care's Way Station day center and World Relief's housing assistance program. The board grappled with the tension between program quality scores and funding sustainability, particularly for programs like Francis Place permanent supportive housing, which received substantial funding despite scoring poorly due to operational challenges. The discussion revealed broader systemic issues affecting Bellingham's housing and homelessness response, including staff turnover at key agencies, the lack of robust clinical mental health services to support permanent supportive housing, and the challenge of coordinating funding across multiple sources and jurisdictions. Staff emphasized their regular quarterly meetings with funded agencies and the importance of understanding each program's broader funding context when making allocation decisions.

- **2025 Housing and Human Services Funding Plan:** Approved unanimously by voice vote - **Total Competitive Funding:** Approximately $3 million allocated across housing services ($2 million) and human services ($1 million) - **Complete Program Eliminations:** Housing navigation program (Opportunity Council), all Tier 4 programs as designated by CDAB - **New Program Rejections:** Unity Care Way Station, World Relief housing programs, Road to Home, and others despite som…

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**Budget Constraints and Allocation Strategy** The meeting opened with staff explaining the challenging fiscal environment driving their recommendations. The affordable housing sales tax reduction of approximately $340,000 forced a comprehensive re-evaluation of funding priorities. Staff adopted a philosophy of preserving existing programs over funding new initiatives, even when new programs scored well in the competitive review process. This represented a shift from previous years when growth in services was possible. Staff explained their multi-step evaluation process, including rubrics scoring population served (25 points), high priority needs, equity and social justice, collaboration, and agency capacity. The scoring involved panels of local stakeholders for housing and human services applications, with staff handling the program capacity evaluations based on their ongoing contract management experience. **Permanent Supportive Housing Challenges** The discussion of Francis Place funding revealed systemic challenges in Bellingham's permanent supportive housing sector. Despite scoring poorly in multiple categories and experiencing high eviction rates and staff turnover, the program received $150,000 in continued funding. Staff explained that permanent supportive…
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**City Staff (Samia, Kathleen Morton):** Advocated for a conservative approach prioritizing existing program stability over expansion. Emphasized the importance of sustainable funding levels and honest communication with agencies about future cuts. Supported continued investment in struggling programs like Francis Place based on community need and lack of alternatives. **Board Members:** Generally aligned with staff recommendations but expressed concern about some specific decisions. Multiple members questioned the Francis Place funding level given its poor performance scores. Karen Jones expressed disappointment about World Relief's rejection, citing recent positive media coverage of their effectiveness. **Andrew Cu…
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**Samia, on the budget philosophy:** "We also decided in talking also, with higher level management to have a philosophy of no new programs. We feel like this is a time to just really buckle down and try to shore up the programs that we do have in our community that are that are working, and and not kind of water things down thin things down." **Samia, on Francis Place challenges:** "Permanent supportive housing is really meant to operate in an environment where that is the case, right where t…
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- **City Council Review:** Staff will present CDAB's recommendations to Mayor and City Council on May 5, 2025, at the regular council meeting, with potential continuation on May 18, 2025 - **HUD Action Plan Submission:** The complete action plan must be submitted to HUD within 60 days of receiving federal allocation notice (not yet received as of April 10) - **Committee Discussions:** Robust council discussion expected during daytime committee meetings (Community & Economic Development Committee or Committee of the Whole) - **Public Comment Opportunity:** Council's evening meeting will inclu…

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After this meeting, Bellingham's 2025 housing and human services funding landscape shifted significantly toward consolidation and sustainability over expansion. The city formally adopted a "no new programs" philosophy, marking a departure from previous years' growth-oriented approach. This represents the most constrained funding environment the Community Development Advisory Board has navigated in recent years. **Funding Eliminated:** The Opportunity Council's housing navigation program was completely eliminated, representing the loss of dedicated housing placement services. All Tier 4 programs designated by CDAB were confirmed for zero funding. Multiple new programs, including Unity Care's Way Station day center and World Relief's housing assistance, were rejected despite high performance scores. **Funding Reduced:** Several established programs face operational cuts, including Francis Place permanent supportive housing (though still receiving $150,000), Opportunity Council's rapid rehousing, and Northwest…
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# Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board Tackles Tough Funding Decisions Amid Budget Constraints ## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) convened on Thursday evening, April 10, 2025, for what would prove to be a pivotal meeting in the city's annual housing and human services funding process. The board gathered both in-person and virtually to review staff recommendations for the 2025 Housing and Human Services applications and the HUD Action Plan — a $26 million budget that would shape the city's approach to affordable housing and social services for the coming year. The meeting, chaired by an unidentified board member, included representatives from across Bellingham's wards: Catherine Freeman (at-large), Karen Jones (Sunnyland), Matt Unger (3rd Ward, Puget neighborhood), Samuel Lutz (city employee), Ben (5th Ward, Happy Valley), and Deidre Prado (at-large, Cordata). Staff members Kathleen Morton and Samia led the presentation, with Andrew Culkins from the Housing Authority also present. Notably, this would be Karen Jones's final meeting after serving through the challenging funding cycle, as she transitions to focus on other board commitments. The evening's agenda centered on a comprehensive work session reviewing staff recommendations for competitive funding allocations — decisions made more difficult by budget constraints, including a significant reduction in projected affordable housing sales tax revenue from $3.9 million to $3.56 million. ## Wrestling with Reduced Resources and Hard Choices The heart of the meeting focused on approximately $3 million in competitive funding for housing and human services, representing just 23% of the broader Action Plan budget. Staff presented a methodical approach to their recommendations, walking the board through their scoring process that evaluated appl…
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A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. ## Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) met to review and approve staff recommendations for the 2025 housing and human services funding allocations and the HUD Action Plan. The board ultimately voted unanimously to approve the staff recommendations totaling approximately $3 million in competitive funding. ## Key Terms and Concepts **HUD Action Plan:** The annual plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that outlines how the city will use federal community development block grant funds and other housing-related funding. **CDAB Tier System:** The board's prioritization system where Tier 1 represents highest priority for funding, and Tier 4 represents programs recommended not to receive funding. **Affordable Housing Sales Tax:** A local sales tax dedicated to affordable housing programs in Bellingham, projected at $3.56 million for 2025, down from an earlier projection of $3.9 million. **Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH):** Housing combined with supportive services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, often with disabilities or behavioral health challenges. **NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability):** The competitive application process through which organizations apply for city housing and human services funding. **Consolidated Plan Goals:** The city's five-year strategic plan priorities that guide funding decisions, focusing on vulnerable populations and housing stability. **Community Development Block Grant (CDBG):** Federal funding from HUD with strict requirements on how it can be used, including limits on spending for services. **Davis-Bacon and Related Acts:** Federal requirements that apply to construction projects funded with certain federal dollars, requiring prevailing wage rates. ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Catherine Freeman | CDAB Member, Columbia Center | | Karen Jones | CDAB Member, Sunnyland representative | | Matt Unger | CDAB Member, 3rd Ward/Puget neighborhood | | Samuel Lutz | City of Bellingham employee | | Kathleen Morton | City of Bellingham staff | | Andrew Culkins | Bellingham and Whatcom County Housing Authorities | | Shannon Laws | Community representative | | Ben | CDAB Member, 5th Ward/Happy Valley | | Deidra Prado | CDAB Member at Large, Cordata resident | | Samia | City staff presenting recom…
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Budget & Finance Housing Government Operations City Council Francis Place Hud Northwest Youth Services Opportunity Council Unity Care Way Station Whatcom County Whatcom Dispute Resolution World Relief Ywca Andrew Culkins Ben Ward5 Catherine Freeman Deidre Prado Karen Jones Kathleen Morton Matt Unger Samia Staff Samuel Lutz Shannon Laws Affordable Housing Sales Tax Agency Capacity Scoring Behavioral Health Budget Constraints Budget Finance Clinical Mental Health Gaps Day Center Services Fair Housing Funding Sustainability Homelessness Housing Navigation Housing Services Human Services New Program Philosophy Permanent Supportive Housing Permanent Supportive Housing Challenges Program Evaluation