Part three of three in our election-season series on what voters and candidates are talking about: Most candidates say they support continued investments in diversion and intervention programs.
For someone struggling with drug addiction, a second chance can often go further than jail time.
That’s what several candidates for office in Whatcom and Skagit counties say, citing the success of diversion and intervention programs in their communities. And they say continued investment in those programs is a priority for them.
“I’m a huge fan of behavioral health dollars and I think jail should always be our last resort,” said Elizabeth Boyle, candidate for Whatcom County Council District 2. “When we’re thinking about re-entry when folks have spent time in jail, we should be thinking about what our current systems are doing or not doing to help people when they’re going through very difficult challenges. Re-entry after serving time in jail is a really hard time. It’s a time when we can say, ‘We’re here for you and we’re going to make this next step a better choice.’”
Eighty-eight percent of people who go to a drug court in Washington state — where they’re prescribed long-term drug treatment and court supervision instead of jail time — commit no new felonies 36 months after starting treatment, according to the Washington State Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Seventy-seven percent commit no new crimes at any level, including misdemeanors, the association reported. Most were still employed 18 months after beginning treatment and most reported an increase in earnings, a likely indicator of job advancement, the association reported.
Meanwhile, the number of suspected drug overdoses in Whatcom County dropped to 807 this year, far lower than the 1,456 in 2023 and lower than in any year since 2019, according to Whatcom County EMS data reported on Whatcom Overdose Prevention, an online dashboard that displays data from county and state health agencies.
‘Money well spent’
Whatcom County has three intervention programs.
- Behavioral health specialists and public health nurses with the Alternate Response Team respond, instead of law enforcement, to nonviolent behavioral health 911 calls.
- People with behavioral and mental health challenges are connected to services they need through the GRACE Program.
- People who commit low-level criminal offenses stemming from behavioral and mental health challenges, substance use and homelessness are connected to services by case managers with the LEAD Program.
Individuals are referred to GRACE and LEAD by law enforcement, paramedics and medical personnel.
A similar program in Skagit County — North Star — coordinates services provided by local governments, housing and health care providers and first responders to assist people who experience chronic homelessness.
In addition, the Swinomish Tribe’s didgʷálič Wellness Center, an acclaimed drug treatment center, now provides addiction treatment and counseling in Bellingham. Clients can receive free transportation to didgʷálič in Anacortes for additional services like mental health care, primary care, cultural care, dental care, and social service case management.
Hollie Huthman, a candidate for Bellingham City Council Ward 2, said investment in diversion and intervention is “money well spent.” The programs “have a proven record of reducing hospital visits as well as jail visits significantly for their participants,” she said in a candidate forum. “That’s one of those areas where I would not want to see any funding cut because our community is saving money by investing in those programs that truly help people get the kind of resources that they need to address their challenges.”
The continued success of these programs could influence Whatcom County’s plans for a new jail, the size of which will be based on population growth trends, the average daily population in the jail and average length of jail stay. The current jail opened in 1984 and has space for 212 people, in addition to 150 at its work center. The county’s Project Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan predicts the new jail will need 480 beds by 2030 and as many as 720 beds in 2050.
Funding for jail construction comes from a 0.2% sales tax increase approved by voters, but county officials said at a recent public meeting that the county would probably not be able to afford to build a jail based on currently projected needs.
Health requires housing
Solving homelessness continues to be a challenge, and the candidates hope this multipronged approach will help with at least some of the factors causing people to lose housing. Some 815 people in Whatcom County were homeless during the annual point-in-time count in January, a slight decrease from the previous year but an increase from 2023. This count represents individuals in shelters and those living unsheltered in places like tents or vehicles.
Andrew Reding, candidate for Bellingham City Council Ward 6, said the multipronged approach will fail without housing affordability.
“Unless we get control over the gap between the housing needs we have and the reality here, we’re going to be funneling more and more people on a conveyor belt into homelessness,” he said at a candidate forum. “And there’s nothing more expensive than having to do precisely this kind of stuff. It’s extraordinarily expensive to have to deal with people who are unhoused. If they are housed, it’s a fraction of the cost. So that’s why it’s absolutely essential. We must house everybody. And I do mean it. Everybody. No exceptions. And for that, we’re going to have to do this very drastic change.”
Reding said allowing more homes to be built per acre would increase the number of homes available for sale or rent and result in lower housing costs. “We’ve got to make it possible to have more units per acre because land costs aren’t going down,” he said.
Jessica Rienstra, candidate for Whatcom County Council District 3, shared the same concerns about the downward spiral of homelessness.
“Everybody deserves to have a safe place to sleep and certainly to be able to get back on their feet,” she said at a candidate forum. “We also know that when people don’t have stable housing, it really affects our whole community — our health, our safety and our economy. … We’re seeing more people fall through the cracks. This should be kind of a flag for us to give more attention to this issue. We can’t just be responding when folks are already living on the street. We need prevention. We need housing. We need services all working together. That means rental assistance to stop evictions. That means rapid rehousing programs to move people quickly back into their homes and more shelter beds so that no one has to sleep outside.”
In Skagit County, 682 people experienced homelessness during the point-in-time count in January, a significant increase from the previous year. “As housing prices rise, so does the number of people without homes,” the county’s report states. “Over the last decade, median home prices and fair market rent values have more than doubled, and the number of people experiencing homelessness reflects a similar increase.”
Two candidates for Anacortes City Council said they want to make sure emergency responders have the training they need to respond to behavioral and mental health challenges that can be a factor in homelessness.
“I’m still concerned about proper mental health support training,” said Luke Currier, candidate for Anacortes City Council Position 4. “Some of that is happening through the Anacortes Family Center and through outreach and collaboration, but I think a lot of times our firefighters and paramedics are the first to respond when there’s mental health issues and they need more training and support.”
Courtney Orrock, a candidate for Anacortes City Council Position 6, said at a candidate forum that she likes North Star’s coordination of services, but that city law enforcement and training must take funding priority.
“I believe North Star will be coming to the city of Anacortes with a request for funding,” she said. “That funding will be coming from the Opioid Settlement Funds. The Anacortes Police Department just came forward a couple weeks ago with another request for Opioid Settlement Funds to possibly go in with the City of Oak Harbor on a new training facility.
“Do we fund North Star? Do we fund the police department? I would go more with funding of our police department and their training.”
By Richard Arlin Walker
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Child care, housing costs hamper business recruitment,” Oct. 16, 2025
• “Candidates talk affordable housing solutions, Oct. 13, 2025
• “Whatcom’s LEAD program offers lifeline, faces limits,” Aug. 7, 2025
• “When ‘lock ’em up’ doesn’t make sense,” June 25, 2024
• “Leaning into ‘treatment over punishment’: jail diversion programs,” April 8, 2022