Community Development Advisory Board

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 determined" - No formal vote required **Application Review Process Approval:** - Board accepted four-tier funding recommendation system: Full Funding, Previous Year Level, Partial Funding, Low Priority/No Funding - Agreed to individual pre-meeting scoring submission to staff - Public hearing scheduled for March meeting on unbalanced action plan

**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 or slow it down significantly." **Catherine Freyman, on local rental costs:** "I was talking about Fairhaven, and just 2 blocks from that pit there's a $3,000 a month what is it like? Maybe a 2 bedroom, and everyone just blew there. It just blew everyone's mind when those rates were published." **Sydney Prusak, on comprehensive planning:** "A lot of this plan is like, I mean, I'm joking, but it's serious. It's like planning to plan. And so it's like setting the stage for future efforts." **Ryan Wood, on volunteer engagement:** "I would just like to put my hand forward to volunteer to prune right up to up to one day, and not for a year or 10 years, but at least a day or 2. I think that it's a worthwhile contribution to a needy cause." **Samuel Lutz, on federal funding uncertainty:** "Our Federal funding is a tiny fraction of the overall funding that is part of recommending. So I think we need to move forward with business as usual."

# 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 favoritism when roommate conflicts arise. But expansion has met immediate obstacles. "We are going to be losing one of the units in the meridian neighborhood," Osley reported. "The property was bought out by someone new, new property management was brought in, and they've decided to make some changes." This forces the program back to the challenging process of finding willing landlords who'll work with them at affordable rates. The financial constraints are stark. The unit they're losing cost less than $1,300 per month for a two-bedroom. Newer units in Ferndale run $2,200-2,300 monthly. "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," Osley said. "So trying to really use our connections" to avoid such delays again. Ryan Wood pressed on the funding structure: "So you mentioned the division of Skagit and Whatcom County provisions. So how does that funding work?" Osley clarified that most funding is county-specific, with separate contracts for each county's programs, though some flexible spending can cross county lines. The program provides everything except food: toilet paper, laundry detergent, work clothes, non-slip shoes for fast food jobs, bus passes, and IDs through downtown voucher programs. "We provide everything that they need on a daily basis except for food. None of our contracts allow us to purchase food," Osley noted. Care coordinators visit three times weekly, checking smoke alarms, cleanliness, and participant wellbeing while providing transportation to jobs and appointments. Success comes in small but meaningful numbers. "We've already had 3 successful exits this year," Osley announced, explaining that exits can mean job corps enrollment, housing vouchers, relocation to family, or transitioning to other housing programs. "What we are seeing, especially since I've been in this position for about the past year and a half, 2 years, is that they're staying until their 540 day and then we're basically game planning that entire time on what a successful exit would look like for them." The program has added innovative elements like Samaritan, a direct cash transfer program. "We're expecting and thinking and believing that they know what's best for them and what's best for them to spend their money on," Osley explained. Participants can set goals—anything from cleaning their room to attending appointments—and receive cash transfers upon completion. Community members can even donate toward specific participant needs like furniture or pet supplies. Board member Catherine Freyman asked about landlord incentives. "We don't have any incentives written into our contracts," Osley responded, but emphasized other advantages: "rent is guaranteed. It comes on the 1st of the month every month. All bills are completely paid all the time." The frequent staff presence also means property managers can call Northwest Youth Services instead of handling tenant issues themselves. ## The Bellingham Plan: Reshaping Housing Policy for 2045 City planners Sydney Prusak and Elizabeth Erickson presented the most comprehensive update to Bellingham's growth planning in nearly a decade. With Whatcom County projected to reach 293,000 people by 2045—adding 57,000 residents—Bellingham plans to accommodate 130,000 people, requiring dramatic shifts in housing policy and zoning. "The last comprehensive plan, the one that we're working under right now was adopted in 2016," Prusak explained. "And now we're working on this plan to hopefully get this one adopted by the end of this year." The update responds to significant state legislation, particularly House Bill 1110 allowing up to four units per lot in all residential zones. "That's a big change for Bellingham, considering we have a lot of traditionally single family neighborhoods," Prusak noted. "This is not all going to happen overnight, but we need to plan for that." Other bills require accommodating affordable housing at all income levels, removing policies with racially disparate impacts, allowing co-living units, and streamlining design review processes. Ryan Wood questioned the growth projections: "Is there anything that we are doing to outreach and predict to a secondary level of who may or may not be coming here to help us project what we're just intaking?" Erickson explained that the Office of Financial Management provides projections based on current population, cost burden, and healthy vacancy rate needs. "As far as going beyond income levels, OFM doesn't try to get too detailed, because it's very hard to predict that." The engagement process was extensive: three surveys (two mailed to every household), 14 open houses including one entirely in Spanish, and over 750 participants on the online platform. "We partnered with Vomos to reach Spanish speaking people here, we went to the high schools and gave presentations in civics classes," Prusak said, acknowledging the challenge of reaching everyone. Housing policies focus on three main areas: housing for all incomes, serving at-risk populations, and homeownership opportunities. The plan emphasizes mixed-income development and strengthens affordable housing incentives. "We have found that a lot of the ones in our code, they are not juicy enough or really like, don't provide enough benefits. So no one's really using them," Erickson explained. Board members pressed on mandatory inclusionary zoning. Erickson referenced an October presentation to Council: "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 slow it down significantly." The plan instead strengthens incentives while monitoring market conditions for future mandatory programs. The plan introduces new approaches to emergency and supportive housing. "We've identified emergency shelters and emergency housing that might have more inconsistent occupants and saying that we also want that to be allowed in all zones across the city," Erickson explained, differentiating these from traditional supportive housing with consistent residents. Anti-displacement policies represent a major new focus. "We're also like everything that's an orange here is really new to the plan," Erickson noted, pointing to preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing and equitable distribution of projects. "If one particular neighborhood provides a lot of opposition, that's not necessarily a reason to not locate there and locate somewhere where maybe people don't have as much time to say, I don't want that." Matt Unger asked about combating community resistance. "A big trend is towards streamlining things, so they're more predictable and really having the code itself reflect what is allowed and what's not," Erickson responded. "Even if community neighbors say, I really don't want this here, if it's allowed in the code, it's allowed in the code." ## Community Well-Being: A New Chapter for Human Needs Prusak presented the plan's new community well-being chapter, responding to themes that emerged during public outreach. "A lot has happened since our 2016 plan and community well-being, there was a lot of themes that we heard in our outreach, and just all living in the world that we really felt like this concept needed its own chapter." The chapter covers supporting organizations serving people with mental disabilities and substance use issues, early childhood learning programs, homelessness reduction, food systems, healthcare access, and physical and intellectual justice. "We had policies related to food spread throughout our plan in 2016 on the land use and economic development. But we put them—it's thinking about like the Maslow hierarchy of needs, needing food like starting with basic needs." Matt Unger pressed on food desert definitions and mapping. "Depending on who you talk to, some people considered Haggen as a grocery store. But it's like, okay, well, if you're looking for like toilet paper, or like, you know something specific, it's not necessarily an area that people would consider within walking distance." He advocated for topographic analysis: "Even if the sidewalks and the roads, you know, we say it's a quarter mile, but if you're walking up Alabama Hill, some little lady is not going to be carrying her groceries up and down Alabama Hill." The conversation sparked enthusiasm for urban food forestry. "I was on the Green Ways Advisory Committee years and years ago, and something that I strongly advocated for was urban food, forestry," Unger said, explaining the concept of planting fruit and nut-bearing trees in public spaces. "The city at the time was not in favor because of maintenance. And I think that's something that we should look at again." Ryan Wood immediately volunteered: "I would just like to put my hand forward to volunteer to prune up to one day, and not for a year or 10 years, but at least a day or 2. I think that it's a worthwhile contribution to a needy cause, and also I am displaced from Colorado to Birmingham, and so I used to have a big parcel of land, and now I don't, and I really miss yard work and pruning." ## Leadership Transition and Application Review Process With current chair stepping down from the board, elections proceeded smoothly. Shannon Laws volunteered for chair and Matt Unger for vice chair, both elected unopposed. The transition begins next month as the board enters its most intensive work period. Samuel Lutz outlined the application review process for $17.6 million in requests across community facilities, homeownership, housing production, housing services, and social services. "It's not just simply a matter of us adding up all the funding we have," Lutz explained. "We have some funding that can only be used for housing capital construction. We have some funding that can only be used for housing services." Different evaluation panels assess applications: housing services reviews include Whatcom County staff, human services applications involve philanthropy representatives from groups like United Way, and capacity scoring happens internally with financial and contract management staff. CDAB members join these panels before the board makes final recommendations. "This really is CDAB's primary job is to remember our Consolidated plan goals," Lutz emphasized. "That is what we have to implement with this action plan." The board will use a four-tier system: full funding, funding at previous year levels, partial funding, or no funding. Board members requested staff recommendations be withheld until after their initial scoring to avoid influence. "I would love to have staff recommendation and be a surprise later, because I don't want it to influence my decision," one member said. Lutz agreed, explaining that scoring helps identify which applications meet established criteria and goals. The process emphasizes in-person participation. "I think these next 2 months meetings, it's really important for people to be here in person if they can be," the outgoing chair stressed. "It's a tough process to be looking down at your papers a lot and having a discussion." ## Federal Uncertainties and Community Engagement Ryan Wood raised concerns about federal budget impacts, noting that one-third of Washington State's budget comes from federal sources. Lutz provided reassurance: "Our Federal funding is a tiny fraction of the overall funding that is part of recommending. So I think we need to move forward with business as usual." The board discussed strengthening neighborhood engagement, particularly through associations. Deidra Prado suggested "working with the various neighborhood associations. I know we have a lot of very active, vibrant neighborhood associations that could help, you know, in those specific areas with things like the urban forests." Erickson acknowledged the challenge: "Not all neighborhood associations are as active as the others, and that's a constant challenge for us. But really finding ways to reach out and using networks that already exist and not trying to recreate processes when there already are great networks available." Staff continues seeking Ward 4 and 5 representatives, covering areas around Silver Beach, Lake Whatcom, Electric Avenue, and the Alabama Hill vicinity. Board members suggested creating a ward map for social media outreach to identify potential applicants in underrepresented areas. ## Looking Ahead As the meeting concluded, the board faced a pivotal period ahead. March brings public hearings on an intentionally unbalanced action plan showing all applications funded but revealing the funding deficit. April requires final recommendations that will determine which organizations receive funding for critical housing and social services. The comprehensive plan update continues through summer with Planning Commission review and final Council adoption expected by year-end. These policy changes will reshape how Bellingham approaches housing, development, and community services for the next twenty years. With new leadership, significant funding decisions, and transformative policy changes all converging, the Community Development Advisory Board enters what may be its most consequential months in recent memory. The challenge remains balancing community needs against available resources while preparing for unprecedented growth and change in housing policy.

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-CDA-2025-02-13 ### 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, Columbia Neighborhood/Citywide Rep | | Cara Jones | CDAB Member, Sunnyland Neighborhood Representative | | Deidra Prado | CDAB Member at Large (remote) | | Ryan Wood | CDAB Member, Happy Valley Representative (remote) | | Ben Spicer | CDAB Member, Happy Valley Representative | | Sydney Prusak | City Long Range Planner | | Elizabeth Erickson | Project Manager, Bellingham Plan | ### Background Context The Community Development Advisory Board oversees federal funding for housing and community services, with $17.6 million in applications submitted for the current funding cycle. This represents a significant increase from previous years, highlighting growing community needs as Bellingham faces a housing affordability crisis. Meanwhile, the city is updating its comprehensive plan for the first time since 2016, responding to new state housing laws that require allowing more dense housing types in previously single-family neighborhoods. The timing is critical as federal housing policy uncertainty creates additional challenges for long-term planning and funding commitments. ### What Happened — The Short Version Board members elected Shannon Laws as the new chair and Matt Unger as vice chair. Addison Osley from Northwest Youth Services presented their transitional living program, which provides 540-day housing placements for young adults ages 18-24 in 11 units across Bellingham and Ferndale. The program includes care coordinators, furnished units, and wraparound services, though they're losing one unit due to a lease non-renewal. City planners Sydney Prusak and Elizabeth Erickson presented the Bellingham Plan update, explaining new state housing requirements and proposed policies around affordable housing, anti-displacement, and community well-being. They outlined the public engagement process and timeline for City Council adoption by year-end. Staff explained the upcoming funding application review process, with $17.6 million requested across various housing and social service programs. ### What to Watch Next - March CDAB meeting will include a public hearing on the proposed action plan for federal funding allocations - April CDAB meeting will finalize funding recommendations for $17.6 million in applications - Bellingham Plan chapters continue rolling out for public comment through spring, with City Council adoption expected by December 2025 - State housing law implementations requiring zoning code updates by mid-2026 ---

## MODULE S2: FLASH CARDS **Meeting ID:** BEL-CDA-2025-02-13 **Q:** Who was elected as the new CDAB chair? **A:** Shannon Laws was elected as the new chair, with Matt Unger elected as vice chair. **Q:** How long is Northwest Youth Services' transitional living program? **A:** 540 days (18 months), though participants can exit earlier if they find stable housing. **Q:** How many housing units does Northwest Youth Services currently have in their TLP program? **A:** 11 beds total across multiple units - mostly 2-bedroom units in Bellingham and Ferndale, plus one studio. **Q:** What age group does the transitional living program serve? **A:** Young adults ages 18-24 who are homeless, couch surfing, or fleeing domestic violence. **Q:** How often do care coordinators check the TLP units? **A:** Three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for unit inspections and participant check-ins. **Q:** What is the total amount requested in CDAB funding applications? **A:** $17.6 million across all applications for housing, community facilities, and social services. **Q:** When was Bellingham's last comprehensive plan adopted? **A:** 2016 - the current update would cover the next 20 years through 2045. **Q:** What does House Bill 1110 allow? **A:** Up to 4 housing units per lot in all residential zones, a significant change for traditionally single-family neighborhoods. **Q:** How many people is Bellingham planning to accommodate by 2045? **A:** Approximately 130,000 people, up from the current population. **Q:** What new chapter is being added to the Bellingham Plan? **A:** A Community Well-being chapter focusing on mental health, substance abuse services, food security, and healthcare access. **Q:** When will the final CDAB funding recommendations be made? **A:** April 2025 meeting will include the final vote on funding allocations. **Q:** What happens if a TLP participant turns 25 during the program? **A:** They can complete the full 540-day program as long as they enrolled before their 25th birthday. **Q:** What is "naturally occurring affordable housing"? **A:** Rental housing that's affordable due to age, condition, or location rather than income restrictions. **Q:** How does the Samaritan program work? **A:** Direct cash transfers to young adults who complete goals or tasks, with community members able to donate to specific needs. **Q:** What is the timeline for Bellingham Plan adoption? **A:** City Council adoption expected by December 2025, with public hearings and Planning Commission review throughout the year. **Q:** What ward still needs CDAB representation? **A:** Ward 4 (Silver Beach, Lake Whatcom, Electric Avenue area) has no current applicants. **Q:** How many successful exits has the TLP program had this year? **A:** Three successful exits already in 2025, which staff noted as "huge" progress. **Q:** What is the mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Committee? **A:** A formal group with representatives from various neighborhood associations that provides citizen input to city government. **Q:** What does "anti-displacement" mean in housing policy? **A:** Strategies to prevent existing residents from being forced to move due to rising costs or neighborhood changes. **Q:** When is the next public hearing on funding applications? **A:** March 2025 CDAB meeting will include the public hearing on the proposed action plan. ---