To the Editor:
Bellingham city staff have indicated they will not provide funding for Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team beyond December 31, 2026. The Homeless Outreach Team makes connections with our unhoused neighbors and assists them with access to various services. Currently the City of Bellingham provides two thirds of the funding for the team. Without the city’s support, the team would be drastically reduced and limited to special populations only.
The reason given: the city feels the outreach has served its purpose (?) and they choose to reserve these funds for their proposed homeless day shelter instead.
At the May 13 Roosevelt community meeting regarding the proposed day shelter, City Staff estimated operating costs will be around $500,000–$700,000 annually and stated they are coming out of the city’s housing and opioid settlement funds.
I agree that a permanent day shelter for our unhoused neighbors is desperately needed.
However, cutting other needed and successful services for our unhoused neighbors to pay for it makes no sense whatsoever! It is also a fact that some folks will not use a shelter of any type, for a myriad of reasons. I guess those folks don’t matter.
Please contact Bellingham Mayor Lund mayorsoffice@cob.org (360) 778-8100 and urge her to continue the funding for the Homeless Outreach Team — a very much needed and successful service for our unhoused neighbors.
—Helen Campbell, Bellingham; June 10, 2026