This Bellingham affordable housing project to support families with children

Bellingham Herald - 4/1/2023

Apr. 1—A new affordable housing development and childcare center is on its way to Bellingham's Meridian neighborhood, next to Bellis Fair Mall.

The project, planned by the Opportunity Council in partnership with the city of Bellingham, will be built in two phases. The first building is intended to provide 62 affordable apartment units for families and a five-classroom child care center.

The building, located south of Eliza Avenue and west of Bellis Fair Parkway, will have one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.

Half of the units will be rented to households making 50% or less of the area's median income. The other half of the units will be rented to households making 30% or less of the area's median income, according to Opportunity Council Housing Development Manager Adrienne Solenberger.

"There's been a substantial increase in homelessness — specifically among families with children," Solenberger said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald. "As we've seen the number of families either living in shelters or under-housed, we know it's a community priority to create more opportunities for families to have a home that can be a forever home within the margins of their realistic household income and earnings."

The child care center is intended to serve about 80 preschool students and toddlers before and after school, Solenberger told The Herald.

The housing community will have outdoor common spaces and play areas for children. The Opportunity Council, which will manage the building, is working with the Bellingham Public Works Department to integrate multi-modal trails that connect to Bellis Fair Mall and will allow for biking and walking access throughout the property, according to Solenberger.

"It's also right on the bus line, with one of the main routes that run every 15 minutes, and it's within walking distance of a number of amenities, which we think will be helpful," Solenberger said.

The project is also meant to be energy-efficient with the goal of incorporating solar energy on-site.

"We want to be able to provide reduced utility rates to our tenants, reinvest and keep it as affordable as possible," Solenberger said.

The second phase of the project will include at least another 60 units of low-income housing in another building on the site. The plan is to prioritize family housing in the second building, though that may change depending on future available data regarding the most pressing needs among the low-income community, Solenberger told The Herald.

The first phase of the project will cost about $24 million and is being paid for jointly by federal allocations, American Rescue Plan Act funds and Bellingham tax dollars. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2026, with the second phase expected to be constructed a few years after that.

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