A new service center in Bellingham for people experiencing homelessness will benefit from a three-year, $1.5 million federal Housing and Urban Development grant, the state Department of Commerce announced this week.
Unity Care Northwest will use the funds to provide hygiene and other services at The Way Station, opening by early 2024 at 1500 N. State St.
The Way Station, modeled after the Urban Rest Stop in Seattle, will provide access to restrooms, showers and laundry facilities at no cost to unhoused people. The grant funds will pay for staffing, utilities and supplies, such as toothbrushes and towels. Some of the money will go toward behavioral health care staff and case managers, said Chris Kobdish, Unity Care’s director of planning and development.
Unity Care also will provide medical care to homeless individuals at The Way Station. Kobdish said the agency expects to see 750 patients a year.
Homelessness has risen in Whatcom County over the past decade. The annual Point in Time census of homeless residents counted 832 individuals in 2022, compared to 493 in 2012.
The Way Station also will offer respite beds for people discharged from PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. Additionally, the Opportunity Council will provide housing services in the space, and Whatcom County Health and Community Services expects to house its Alternative Response Team at the location.
An $11.5 million renovation of the State Street building will begin in the coming months, after construction permits are approved, Kobdish said. The building remodel was partly funded by a $4 million state appropriation and a $2 million federal earmark.
