As smoke becomes a feature of the forecast each year, the homeless community in Whatcom County has few places to breathe clean air. While the county supported some needs during extreme heat and poor air quality this year, shelters for smoke and heat are currently just a conversation.
Jed Holmes, Whatcom County Community Outreach facilitator, said in an email there are no specific plans for opening smoke shelters, but that the county is having talks about it. He said it is hard to plan for high smoke levels, which is more difficult to predict than weather.
On Oct. 16, Whatcom County’s air quality was the worst of the season, hitting an index of 257 and labeled as very unhealthy, according to IQAir.com.
In a Sept. 27 County Council meeting, Ann Beck of the Whatcom County Health Department described plans to provide severe weather shelters in the winter months. She mentioned the possible need for smoke and extreme heat shelters, too.
“At this point, we’re focused solely on the cold because it affects our unhoused neighbors the most,” she said in the meeting. “Heat and smoke have a tendency to impact the larger community in general.”
Beck cited another reason these shelters do not exist: a lack of staffing.
“Our staff’s role in doing this work is helping to get the funding that comes from the state and the feds out into the community through contracts,” she said.
Beck cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for staffing challenges, an issue she believes many nonprofits also face.
While there are no shelters for this specific purpose, the county has supported existing homeless services with funds to purchase protection against extreme weather.
In a July 5 agreement, $2,700 was given to the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) — which manages the Gardenview Tiny Home Village on Woburn Street — to provide residents of the tiny home village protection from extreme heat and poor air quality.
The letter of agreement between Whatcom County and LIHI stated the funds would be used to purchase AC units, fans, an ice machine, a shade tent, misting station supplies, masks and other severe-weather supplies and equipment.
The county also provided funds to HomesNOW!, which operates two tiny home villages in Bellingham: Unity Village on McKenzie Avenue, and Swift Haven on Puget Street. HomesNOW! was given $2,500 to purchase fans, installation equipment and more to prepare for severe weather.
Whatcom County will be offering cold-weather shelters as needed through a contract with Roads2Home. Last December, Beck opened and helped staff a cold-weather shelter when no outside organization took initiative.
“We’re grateful because we haven’t had somebody who has stepped forward like this in a long time,” Beck said of the health department’s efforts.
Road2Home, alongside LIHI, also has a partnership with the city of Bellingham which was announced in February 2021 and established the Gardenview Tiny Home Village.
Poor air quality is just one sign of a changing climate.
“There are some larger conversations happening about how to keep the health and safety of the entire county with all the changes that are happening from flood to smoke to heat and to severe cold weather,” Beck said.
The issue of smoke and the harm it can bring is new territory to the health department. Conversations throughout the county and community must be had so planning and resources are maximized, Beck said in an email.
“We are open to building capacity in the community to support groups addressing these issues, including protecting vulnerable populations from smoke,” she said.
