Whatcom Housing Week 2026 is just around the corner, and City staff are polishing their presentations and dusting off their sneakers in preparation. This year, the City team will facilitate everything from a Home Share Happy Hour event and a Middle Housing Walking Tour to a conversation about changes in housing regulations.
Housing Week is held each year to build awareness and support for innovative housing solutions. You can learn more about City-facilitated events and others, and RSVP for them on the Whatcom Housing Alliance website.
We hope you’ll join us for one (or all!) of the following:
Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. – City Housing Data Resources
In City Council Chambers
A 45-minute information session featuring City Planning staff and a live tour of Bellingham’s key housing data tools, including the Housing Stats StoryMap, Development Dashboard, and new Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Dashboard. Attendees will learn what the data tells us about housing and development in Bellingham, how to access and use these resources, and have time to ask questions.
Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. – Middle Housing Walking Tour
Lettered Streets Neighborhood – starting at the southwest corner of Halleck Street and B Street
Recent changes in state law now require cities to plan for and accommodate middle housing on residential properties. Come explore the Lettered Streets Neighborhood with Bellingham’s Planning Director, Blake Lyon, to look at both past examples of middle housing spanning multiple decades and new or recently constructed examples. Evaluate multiple examples, learn how the City is approaching this new responsibility, and provide your thoughts and opinions on this exciting new phase of community building.
Conveniently, the Middle Housing tour ends where the Home Share Happy Hour begins, so you can cap off your tour with a beverage while learning about a new City program.
Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. – Home Share Happy Hour: Turning Spare Rooms into Spare Income
At Structures Brewing
Do you or someone you know have a spare bedroom and could also benefit from additional monthly income? Join the City of Bellingham for the Home Share Happy Hour at Structures Brewing on Holly St. to have a cold beverage while learning about the new Bellingham Home Share program. The program matches homeowners who have extra bedrooms with good-fit renters, providing much needed housing options to the community in exchange for rent and, sometimes, chores.
Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. – Working within a Changing State Legislative Landscape
In City Council Chambers
Recent years have seen significant housing-related legislation passed at the state level. Many of these bills interact with one another and require changes to the Bellingham Municipal Code over the next year. The City of Bellingham is working through these changes and will discuss their anticipated impacts, timing, and resulting approaches.
Those are just the City-facilitated Housing Week events – there are a lot more to check out.
