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Real Briefings

Community Development Advisory Board

BEL-CDA-2024-10-10 October 10, 2024 Community Development Advisory City of Bellingham
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The Community Development Advisory Board met on October 10, 2024, for a substantive session covering affordable housing development, funding allocations, and program policy updates. The board heard presentations from two key community partners—Max Higbee Center on their daytime program for people with developmental disabilities, and the Bellingham Whatcom County Housing Authority on their development pipeline. The centerpiece of the meeting was a detailed discussion of the Administrative and Financial Plan budget for housing levy and affordable housing sales tax funds, resulting in approval of staff's recommended allocation despite a request from Kulshan Community Land Trust to increase homeownership funding. The board also reviewed proposed changes to the Notice of Funding Availability process to align with the updated Consolidated Plan priorities. Key decisions included approving up to $600,000 in housing preservation funds for a new YWCA family shelter and endorsing the A&F Plan budget that allocates 56% to production and preservation, 31% to rental assistance and services, and 7% to homeownership assistance. The board voted to revisit the budget allocation in two years rather than make immediate adjustments requested by community partners. Staff also introduced new scoring criteria for the services funding process, including agency capacity metrics designed to ensure accountability for public funds.

**Housing Preservation Funding for YWCA Shelter** - APPROVED unanimously. Motion by Aran Clauson, seconded by Jasmine Fast. Authorizes up to $600,000 from affordable housing sales tax banked capacity for rehabilitation of the YWCA building on Lakeway for families with children shelter. Final amount contingent on capital needs assessment due end of October. **A&F Plan Budget Approval** - APPROVED with one dissent. Motion by Matt Unger, seconded by Aran Clauson. Maintains staff-recommended allocation: 56% production/preservation, 31% ren…

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**Housing Development Pipeline**: Andrew Calkins presented the Housing Authority's ambitious development plans, highlighting three major projects: the completed 171-unit Samish Commons (former Aloha Motel site), the planned Unity Street development near the clinic (60-70 units targeting 60% AMI and below), and King Mountain project (110 units across two parcels serving 30-80% AMI). The Unity Street project represents strategic infill development with good transit access, while King Mountain will provide mixed-income workforce housing. Board members explored the potential for commercial space integration, particularly addressing food security issues in the King Mountain area. **Budget Allocation Tensions**: The most substantive policy debate centered on housing levy fund allocation. Kulshan Community Land Trust's letter requesting increased homeownership funding (from 7% to 8%) sparked disc…
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**Kate Whiteside (Max Higbee Center)**: Emphasized the critical role of public funding for disability services, noting that 56% of adults with developmental disabilities in Whatcom County live with family caregivers (up from 50% pre-pandemic). Highlighted their unique position as the only such service in the county and the growing waitlist of 40-70 people. Advocated for fair wages for direct care staff, noting many earn minimum wage despite challenging work including mandated reporting responsibilities. **Andrew Calkins (Housing Authority)**: Positioned the authority as a key player in addressing the federal tax credit resource constraints, emphasizing their perma…
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**Kate Whiteside, on the impact of isolation:** "Isolation and loneliness are bigger predictors for health outcomes like diabetes, obesity and cancer, like more so than smoking 12 cigarettes a day. It is dangerous to be isolated and to feel lonely." **Andrew Calkins, on funding vs. development constraints:** "If we have the resources there, we will find projects and build housing. I think resources [are the constraint]. I think there's land or developable land." **Jasmine Fast, on homeowner…
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**October 21st**: City Council considers YWCA shelter funding recommendation. **Mid-November**: City Council considers complete A&F Plan for Housing Levy and Affordable Housing Sales Tax programs. **November 14th**: Staff will notify potential grantees about upcoming services NOFA release. **November 18th**: Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week begins, featuring November 19th presentation by author Stephanie Land. **November 19th**: Services NOFA officially released to comm…

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The Community Development Advisory Board endorsed a $47.6 million ten-year funding plan for housing programs, maintaining staff-recommended budget allocations despite community pressure to increase homeownership funding. The board rejected Kulshan Community Land Trust's request to increase homeownership allocation from 7% to 8%, preserving 56% for production/preservation and 31% for rental assistance/services. A new YWCA family shelter received $600,000 in rehabilitation funding authorization, moving the facility closer to opening for families with children experiencing homelessness. The funding comes from banked affordable…
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## Meeting Overview On the evening of October 10, 2024, the Community Development Advisory Board gathered in the Mayor's Boardroom to tackle an ambitious agenda heavy with presentation, funding decisions, and policy framework discussions. Chair Karin Jones presided over a meeting that drew representatives from across Bellingham's housing and social services ecosystem, marking an evening that would see significant budget allocations and strategic planning for the city's affordable housing future. The board welcomed presentations from two major service organizations—the Max Higbee Center and the Bellingham Whatcom County Housing Authority—before diving into substantial discussions about funding priorities, budget allocations, and the frameworks that guide how federal and local dollars flow to address housing needs in the community. With nine of twelve voting members present, the board would make consequential decisions affecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in housing funding and establish the groundwork for the coming year's grant allocation process. ## Max Higbee Center's Weekday Program: A Lifeline for Vulnerable Populations Kate Whiteside, outgoing executive director of the Max Higbee Center, delivered a comprehensive presentation about the organization's weekday program, which receives $30,000 annually from the City of Bellingham's human services grant. What emerged was a picture of an organization serving as a critical piece of infrastructure for people with developmental disabilities in Whatcom County—and notably, the only organization of its kind. "Max Higbee Center is the reason that many individuals and families live in Bellingham, the reason they stay in Bellingham, or even the reason they moved to Bellingham in the first place," Whiteside explained, "because it is such an important resource that improves quality of life and family support that they can't imagine living somewhere without a Max Igby Center." The weekday program operates Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, serving 181 individuals with developmental disabilities and supporting 114 families who provide housing and long-term care for adult family members. The program's flexibility allows participants to attend anywhere from once a week to every day, depending on their individual needs. Activities range from yoga and cooking classes at their facility on State Street to supported community outings to places like the YMCA, library, and community gardens. W…
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### Meeting Overview The Community Development Advisory Board met on October 10, 2024, to review housing and human services programs, evaluate funding requests, and discuss administrative policies. The meeting featured presentations from the Max Higbee Center and the Housing Authority on development projects, with major decisions on budget allocations and funding priorities. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB):** A citizen advisory committee that reviews housing and community development funding recommendations before they go to City Council. **Administrative and Financial Plan (A&F Plan):** A document that governs how Housing Levy and Affordable Housing Sales Tax funds are allocated across different programs over multiple years. **Housing Levy:** A property tax approved by Bellingham voters in 2018 that generates about $4 million annually for affordable housing programs through 2028. **Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA):** The competitive application process through which nonprofit organizations apply for city housing and human services grants. **Area Median Income (AMI):** The midpoint household income for the region, used to determine eligibility for affordable housing programs. 30% AMI, 50% AMI, and 80% AMI are common thresholds. **Low Income Housing Tax Credits:** A federal program that provides tax incentives to developers who build affordable rental housing, often the largest funding source for new affordable housing projects. **Consolidated Plan:** A five-year federal planning document that sets priorities for using HUD funding and guides local housing strategy. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Karin Jones | CDAB Chair | | Samya Lutz | City Housing & Services Program Manager | | Kathleen Morton | City Staff | | Kait Whiteside | Executive Director, Max Higbee Center | | Andrew Calkins | Executive Director, Housing Authority | | Matt Unger | CDAB Member, Ward 3 Representative | | Jasmine Fast | CDAB Member, Cordata Representative | | Jace Cotton | City Council Representative | ### Background Context This meeting addressed critical decisions about how Bellingham allocates approximately $8 mill…
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Housing Budget & Finance Social Services Government Operations Bellingham Whatcom County Housing Authority City Of Bellingham Habitat For Humanity Housing Finance Commission Kulshan Community Land Trust Max Higbee Center North Coast Credit Union Opportunity Council Unity Care Clinic Western Washington University Whatcom County Ymca Ywca Andrew Calkins Aran Clauson Deidra Prado Jace Cotton Jasmine Fast Jon Stubblefield Josh Sanders Karin Jones Kate Whiteside Kathleen Morton Matt Unger Samya Lutz Shannon Laws Taylor Webb Accessibility Affordable Housing Behavioral Health Budget Finance Development Fees Homelessness Homeownership Housing Authority Housing Budget Housing Policy Public Transportation Rental Housing Social Services Subsidies Policy Workforce Development