Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund announced today, Nov. 21, 2024, the second executive order of her term, committing the City to take immediate steps to increase housing opportunities, with a focus on creating more – and more affordable – housing choices to match the growing needs in Bellingham.
“We have a critical shortage of housing in Bellingham,” said Mayor Lund. “We have yet to catch up from the deficit of housing that resulted from the 2008-2012 economic recession, and we aren’t adding enough new housing today. We need more housing overall, and more options that are within reach for everyone.”
Lund continued, “What’s at stake is the vibrancy and resiliency of our community, the opportunities for people to make this place their home. We need sufficient, affordable housing because it’s foundational for health and well-being, fostering stability and prosperity for all community members. We need it to promote economic growth and viability. We need it to attract and retain qualified workers for a variety of jobs at all income levels. We need it to maintain our city as a desirable, equitable and attainable place to live.”
The order, which takes effect immediately, directs action in three broad areas: diversifying and expanding housing options in all neighborhoods through priority development review and proposed, interim legislative changes; streamlining the City’s permitting processes to spur housing development and reduce housing costs; and incentivizing, funding or partnering to create more housing opportunities that are harder to develop, such as permanently affordable housing or transitional housing options like tiny home villages.
“Local government has the ability to influence the supply and affordability of housing and the responsibility to do so. This executive order is about taking action to reduce barriers to expanding housing that are within our control. These actions alone won’t solve our housing crisis, but they are an important part of the solution. They are achievable, smart fixes we can implement now.”
Mayor Lund says she and other City leaders feel urgency to invest in this work now, ahead of required changes that will come as a result of new state laws.
“Bellingham is asking for change,” Mayor Lund said. “Over the past year during our engagement on the Bellingham Plan, we heard clearly that people want all neighborhoods across the city to have more housing, with choices for everyone and a variety of housing types. Even though many of these changes will come eventually because of state requirements, we are jumpstarting the process – and going above and beyond – because it’s what our community desires.”
Administrative actions to streamline and focus development where we need it most
The executive order details strategies Mayor Lund directs City staff to act on in the next several months. Many actions are intended to create more housing density and help focus development on middle housing types that are more affordable for both renters and homeowners, including new approaches and process improvements for the City’s Development Review Team, prioritized development application review and identifying catalyst housing development sites in downtown Bellingham. Mayor Lund said these actions will help us accommodate more housing in the city’s existing footprint, while retaining the character of residential neighborhoods.
Two actions called for in the order also address low-income and transitional housing. City staff will begin identifying a new location for an additional tiny home village and will continue assertively seeking property and partnerships for future affordable housing developments.
Proposals for City Council consideration
Mayor Lund and City staff will also be bringing several proposals to Bellingham City Council in the next several months to accelerate legislative actions to promote more housing opportunities. Among them are two proposed ordinances on topics Council has previously discussed. The first would remove parking minimums – rules that require a set amount of parking for housing developments – throughout the city, while maintaining standards for ADA parking and other factors. Removing parking minimums frees up land for housing, helps reduce housing costs and promotes environmental stewardship.
The second interim ordinance would adopt the City’s existing toolkit for middle housing across the city, not just in select neighborhoods, a change that aligns with pending state requirements. The City’s Infill Toolkit, first adopted in 2009, includes development guidance and standards that promote development of duplexes, cottages homes, accessory dwelling units, and other small, neighborhood scale types of housing.
“We are bringing these interim ordinances to City Council for consideration because these policy changes are critical levers to drive the housing supply we need,” Mayor Lund said. “By creating interim ordinances, it also gives us the time and flexibility to test strategies that other communities have used to increase housing supply. We can see how they work here in Bellingham, hear feedback and evaluate their effects, and respond to what we learn as we fine-tune the rules.”
Find more information and a copy of the Executive Order on the City’s website.
“I am looking forward to working with the City Council, members of the community, and City staff on this hopeful work that will create enduring public good for Bellingham,” said Mayor Lund.
