Whatcom County Severe Weather Shelters will open starting Sunday night, January 12, 2020 / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access Whatcom County’s Winter Emergency Shelter Options page

January 10, 2020  Dena Jensen

Emergency Winter Shelter Hotline: (360) 788-7983

The big storm that weather services have been predicting for the last couple weeks is here.  People without shelter will be getting soaked, with extremely chilling temperatures closing in during the weekend. Whatcom County has posted Severe Weather Shelter openings starting Sunday night when lows are predicted to be 18 degrees according to the National Weather Service forecast specifically for Bellingham.

At this point, Whatcom County has said shelters will be open until Wednesday and that,
“The need for severe weather shelters to operate after Wednesday night will be reevaluated as forecasts are updated next week.”

Note that two shelters will be open January 12, at Garden St. United Methodist Church, serving families with children, and at Christ the King Church serving adult men. Seventh Day Adventist Church will open their shelter on Monday January 13 and it is projected to remain open until January 15, serving adults. Fountain Community Church, serving adults, will open on Wednesday January 15.  Continue reading →

Letter to the Whatcom County Homeless Strategies Workgroup RE the scarcity of access to severe weather shelters / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access the Homeless Strategies Workgroup Meeting Information page on the Whatcom County website

January 8, 2020  Dena Jensen

To: Barry Buchanan <bbuchana@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Michael W. Lilliquist <mlilliquist@cob.org>; Daniel C. Hammill <dchammill@cob.org>; Ann Beck <abeck@co.whatcom.wa.us>; michael_parker@whatcomhsc.org <michael_parker@whatcomhsc.org>; Carol Frazey <cfrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Michael Shepard <michaels@portofbellingham.com>; Mike Hilley <mhilley@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Cathy Halka <chalka@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Tyler Schroeder <tschroed@co.whatcom.wa.us>; rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org <rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org>

Cc: mayorsoffice@cob.org <mayorsoffice@cob.org>; Satpal Sidhu <ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us>; hahuthman@cob.org <hahuthman@cob.org>; laanderson@cob.org <laanderson@cob.org>; hestone@cob.org <hestone@cob.org>; Pinky T. Vargas <ptmvargas@cob.org>; Gene R. Knutson <gknutson@cob.org>

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Severe weather homeless strategies: picking up the pace to come from behind / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic of Bellingham City Council Member Dan Hammill wearing a gray and white plaid shirt sitting in a black chair in Bellingham City Council chambers to access video of the 8/26/19 Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole meeting

August 30, 2019 Dena Jensen

“Okay, I’ll just take a quick point of privilege just to say that we absolutely recognize we have the need for shelter, especially – we have it all year round – but especially in the winter months. The group I believe, that Council Member Lilliquist is referring to, is the Homeless Strategies Workgroup. Council Member Barry Buchanan from the County’s side of the street organized that group. Stakeholders, several of us, attend that every two weeks. We take that issue very seriously and we want to come to a resolution on providing safe shelter for our most vulnerable neighbors. So, we absolutely take it very seriously.” – Bellingham City Council Member Dan Hammill

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Jim Peterson is stoked: Winter Haven is a go! / Facebook post, Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access this video in the Homes NOW! Bellingham Facebook group

November 3, 2018  Dena Jensen (Thanks to Jim Peterson’s video)

Jim Peterson of HomesNOW! Not Later. is stoked!:

“Winter Haven, our temporary emergency encampment for the winter, is a go. We got a green light today. We met with the City. We don’t have a site yet, but there will be a site…Not this coming Monday, but two weeks from this coming Monday, the site will be announced publicly.

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There’s no home in leadership for David McEachran or Doug Ericksen / Noisy Waters Northwest

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ericksen and mceachran

Left, rendition of a photo of Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney David McEachran from the Whatcom County Website. Right, rendition of a photo of Senator Doug Ericksen from a recent campaign mailer.

October 18, 2018  Dena Jensen

In regards to homeless issues, it is lucky that we will be replacing County Prosecuting Attorney David McEachran this election season because he seems to be spreading a perspective about statistics regarding crimes involving “transients” in our community that is biased towards assuming the criminal intent of people who are traveling through Whatcom County.  Continue reading →

Whatcom nonprofit forms to end homelessness and create homes — now! / Real Change, Jim Peterson

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homesnow real change op ed blurb

June 13th, 2018  Jim Peterson
Opinion

Whatcom County is nestled between the Salish Sea, Mount Baker and Canada, about 100 miles north of Seattle. By most accounts, it is an idyllic location: a university town (Bellingham), agriculture, outdoor recreation, a beautiful climate. But it has problems too, including ever-increasing homelessness.

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