Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission

**Home Share Program Implementation:** Staff presented the new Nesterly platform as an innovative approach to immediately increase housing supply without construction delays. The program requires hosts to be homeowners living in their primary residence, with a fee structure of $95-195 booking fee plus 2.5% monthly service charge. Currently only three rooms are listed citywide. The city invested $55,000 annually for two years ($110,000 total) to bring the platform to Bellingham and Whatcom County, with plans for a five-year pilot program. **Justice Project Budget Crisis:** The jail and behavioral health facility project faces a significant funding shortfall…

**Jake Charlton (Happy Valley):** Asked clarification questions about home share ownership requirements, Zoom meeting logistics, and neighborhood sign repair funding. **Katie Herson-Horvath (Birchwood):** Expressed enthusiasm for the home share program, shared insights about community living arrangements, and provided detailed advice on neighborhood association management including membership models and outreach strategi…

**Taylor Littrell, on home sharing potential:** "Instead of waiting for a building to be constructed, which can be costly and time-consuming, as a community, we could potentially utilize up to 14,000 vacant bedrooms that are currently available in our community." **Forrest Longman, on jail project challenges:** "It's becoming apparent that it'll be difficult to meet all the goals specified in the enabling ordinance." **Mayor Lund, on the Justice Project situation:** "I wish we would have had…

The behavioral health facility model shifted from in-custody to out-of-custody design, relocating to Division Street. The Justice Project revealed a significant budget crisis requiring renegotiation of the voter-approved 50-50 capital/services funding sp…

### Meeting Overview The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission met on February 18, 2026, at City Hall with Mayor Kim Lund presiding. The meeting focused on three major topics: the new Bellingham Home Sharing Program in partnership with Nesterly, a critical update on the Justice Project (jail and behavioral health facility), and the debut of the city's first digital State of the City address. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Nesterly:** A Boston-based company selected through competitive procurement to provide an online platform for home sharing in Bellingham. Offers matching services, background checks, lease creation, and mediation support for hosts and renters. **Justice Project:** A comprehensive initiative to build a new 480-bed jail facility and behavioral health center, funded by a 0.2% sales tax approved by voters in 2023. Originally estimated at $150 million but now facing significant cost overruns. **Booking Restrictions:** The current jail's practice of turning people away due to overcrowding, which has existed for approximately 15+ years. The new facility aims to eliminate this problem. **Home Sharing:** A housing arrangement where homeowners rent rooms to tenants, either short-term (30 days) or longer (up to one year). The city requires hosts to own and live in their primary residence. **Behavioral Health Center:** Originally planned as an in-custody facility, now redesigned as an out-of-custody center to be located at the Ann Deacon Center for Hope on Division Street, serving the broader community. **Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC):** A body representing various neighborhood associations that meets monthly to discuss city issues and coordinate between neighborhoods and city leadership. **Ask Us Anything Series:** A new community engagement initiative where Mayor Lund and department heads host informal public meetings across different areas of the city, starting March 18th at the Cruise Terminal. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kim Lund | Mayor of Bellingham | | Taylor Littrell | Planning and Community Development Department | | Kathleen Morton | P…