Swift Haven and Unity Village Tiny House Village Relocation Project

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Project Background 

Swift Haven and Unity Village, two tiny home villages run by HomesNOW! must move from their current locations on City-owned property. We are working with HomesNOW! to relocate these villages.

The City purchased a property in the Birchwood Neighborhood near the intersection of Northwest and West Maplewood avenues to support future long-term affordable housing. In the short term, we intend to work with HomesNOW! to move Swift Haven and Unity Village tiny home villages to this site. The new village will be called North Haven. It has a target completion of spring 2025.

About the Current Swift Haven Location 

HomesNOW! operates the Swift Haven tiny home village currently located in the City-owned parking lot located within the Civic Athletic Complex at the Frank Geri Sport Fields. The current location is not viable in the long-term because it does not comply with the terms of use specified under grant funding the City received for development of the park. The City was granted a temporary extension to use the Geri Fields parking lot for a tiny home village while we pursue another suitable site. This extension expires in December 2024.   

About the Current Unity Village Location 

HomesNOW! also operates Unity Village, a tiny home village on City-owned property adjacent to the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Facility. Unity Village also needs be relocated in the near future to allow for a soil clean-up that’s needed ahead of planned expansions at Post Point.

Project Application, Timeline and Public Comment Period 

Project Application

To operate at the new location, HomesNOW must get a Temporary Shelter Permit and SEPA approval from the City. They submitted their application on May 31, 2024, and it was approved on June 28, 2024.

Project Process and Timeline

  • The City Council approved the purchase of the property on Northwest Avenue on April 8, 2024, and the property sale was finalized on April 30. 
  • The property purchase needed to be complete for HomesNOW! to submit a permit application for the tiny house village. The application was submitted on May 31, 2024.
  • As part of the application process, HomesNOW held an informal neighborhood meeting via Zoom on June 13, 2024. A notice of the meeting was sent to property owners within 500 feet of the site.   
  • The permit was approved with conditions on June 28, 2024. You can view the approved application here.
  • An appeal was filed by North Coast Credit Union on July 7, 2024, and then dropped on September 9, 2024, which caused a delay to the project 
  • The estimated move-in timeline for this project is spring 2025. 

Public Comment Opportunities (Closed)

The public comment period for this project opened on June 7, 2024, and closed on June 21, 2024. Comments about the application materials must be provided in writing to be considered in the application review. 

All comments submitted during the 14-day comment period for this proposal will be read and carefully considered by the City before a decision or staff recommendation is issued. 

Comments will be appropriately considered by staff as they prepare materials and recommendations for a decision by the Director of Planning and Community Development. 

Before commenting, you are encouraged to review the application materials. Public comments should focus on how you believe the regulations and criteria for temporary shelter are or are not met. Comments that express general support or opposition to the tiny home village are less likely to impact the decision. See the tips below for providing effective public comments. Temporary Shelter Regulations are outlined in the Bellingham Municipal Code – Chapter 20.15. 

  1. Review application materials – this is key. 
  2. Be as clear and concise as possible. 
  3. Stick to relevant points. 
  4. List specific code requirements an applicant is or is not meeting, and any gaps or errors in the City’s findings. 
  5. Explain why you’re interested – will it affect you directly or indirectly? 
  6. Share experiences or data that explain your perspective – be sure to tell us where you found data. 
  7. List specific impacts – if you can, include how those impacts might be measured. 
  8. Share your ideas and potential solutions. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Unity Village  

Unity Village is currently located on City-owned property adjacent to the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Facility. Unity Village must be relocated in the near future to allow for soil clean-up needed ahead of planned expansions at Post Point.

Swift Haven 

Swift Haven is currently located in the City-owned parking lot located within the Civic Athletic Complex at the Frank Geri Sport Fields. The current location is not viable in the long-term because it does not comply with the terms of use specified under grant funding the City received from the State for development of the park. The City was granted a temporary extension to use the Geri Fields parking lot for a tiny home village while we pursue another suitable site. This extension expires in December 2024.   

We are actively planning for future affordable housing and are acquiring property at 3300 Northwest Avenue (behind the North Coast Credit Union branch) for future affordable housing development. In the short term, the property will be used to support the relocation of Swift Haven and Unity villages. This new tiny home village will be called North Haven.  

We want to prevent the villages from closing and considered all available City property for the tiny home village relocation. However, no existing City property was suitable.   

Reasons the new location is suitable for the village and future affordable housing include: 

  • It was on the market. 
  • It’s along a transit corridor. 
  • It’s proximity to goods and services. 
  • It’s flat and paved, making it easier to build on. 
  • It’s set back from the main road. 

What are the reasons the City chose not to relocate Unity Village and Swift Haven to the Meridian Street property? 

When the City pursued the Parks Department’s property on Meridian Street for a potential tiny home village location, a preliminary study indicated there was a suitable site for the village outside of wetlands and buffers. However, when we conducted a more in-depth report, we confirmed the wetlands and buffers were much larger than originally thought. The costs associated with impacts to the extensive wetlands, as well as the cost to develop street frontage and utility connections along Meridian Street made siting tiny home villages at this location no longer financially viable. 

Current city code doesn’t allow tiny home villages in one place permanently. Our code currently allows permitted tiny home villages to operate in the same location for two years, followed by up to three one-year extensions.  

Any guests still at Swift Haven or Unity Village when it’s time to move will be invited by HomesNOW! to relocate to the new village.   

Final design and permits will dictate how many homes will be accommodated in this location. We are hopeful that we can accommodate approximately 50 tiny homes and as many residents.  

The City is purchasing this property for future development of affordable housing using a combination of local housing funds. The purchase price is $1.2 million.  

Construction of the village and initial set up is estimated to cost $900,000, which includes installation of utilities and amenities such as electrical, plumbing, kitchens, laundry and storage, plus replacement of houses and common areas that can’t be reused from previous villages. 

The tiny home village with goes through a permitting process, during which time the design and other details are evaluated. You can see the approved site plan with the land use permit here.  

We are also identifying infrastructure that can be salvaged from the existing villages, and ensuring basic accommodations for sleeping, eating, bathing, and sanitation can be configured on the new site.   

HomesNOW! is a nonprofit organization located in Bellingham. The organization provides transitional housing to individuals experiencing homelessness. HomesNOW! supports a Housing First model, meaning the organization serves to provide temporary shelter to those experiencing homelessness, offering them a stable environment to find a path back to permanent housing. 

HomesNOW! began operating tiny home villages beginning in 2019. Their first village, Winter Haven, was behind City Hall. It opened in early 2019 and operated for 90 days. Their second village was a tented village called Safe Haven located in the Sunnyland neighborhood. This village ran from April through August 2019. 

The third of their tiny home villages, Unity Village, opened in September 2019 near the Post Point Resource Recovery Plant. Swift Haven, located on the Geri Fields parking lot at the Civic Athletic Complex, opened in 2020. The villages are entirely peer-operated, have a strict set of admissions criteria, and enforce a code of conduct for all residents. 

Contact HomesNOW! or visit their website to learn about opportunities to support their work. 

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To learn more about this project, contact the Mayor’s Office.

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