This page provides additional information related to topics covered by the Bellingham Plan.
American communities and government practices have together caused exclusionary practices in the past across the country and here in Bellingham. Washington House Bill 1220 (2021) requires cities like Bellingham to reverse this practice and address “racially disparate impacts” of current policies and practices. This includes the reversal of practices that protect traditionally single-family areas over other residential areas, which relates to a racist history and today disproportionately impacts people of color.
Here is some important historical context related to land use segregation:
Early 1900s:
The reconstruction era saw the rise of thriving racially integrated communities. Beginning in the early 20th century, various cities across the U. S enacted zoning codes prohibiting people of color from moving into neighborhoods where the majority of residents were white. This was ruled unconstitutional in 1917. Despite this, serval cities continued racial zoning practices well into the 1980s.
1920s – 1940s:
Racially restrictive covenants that disallow any residents of color were widespread. These were deemed unenforceable in 1948 but remain on many deeds today.
A University of Washington project shows over 1,400 restricted properties in Bellingham and surrounding area. These covenants are no longer legally enforceable, but represent remnants of an exclusionary history that succeeded in driving most people of color from the city. Areas platted between 1925 and 1948 were often racially restricted.
For example: Squalicum Park Plat (148 properties) – “No persons of any race other than the White or Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building or any lot, except that this conveyance shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race.”
Visit the Whatcom County Restrictive Covenant page to how to search for restrictive covenants and file to remove them.
1926 – Present:
Zoning has been used across the country to separate uses that are considered incompatible. Single-family zoning was widely used in collaboration with other practices “as an attempt to make the suburbs racially exclusive,” (Commerce HB 1220 Guidance) while industrial and other “incompatible” uses generally located near BIPOC neighborhoods, impacting health and well-being.
1930s – 1970s:
Redlining was a standard practice, with the Federal Home Owner’s Loan Corporation deeming neighborhoods to be financially risky (and labeled in red to designate a “hazardous” area) if occupied by residents of color. This has resulted in clear lines of racial segregation in cities across the country that follow the original redlining maps.
A variety of widespread government-sponsored home loan programs and processes assist white families in purchasing homes in the newly constructed suburbs while generally excluding families of color from home ownership opportunities. Some well-documented examples include the 1933 Homeowners Refinancing Act and the 1944 GI Bill.
1950s – 1970s:
Urban renewal projects stemming from the 1949 Housing Act targeted areas of disinvestment that were disproportionately occupied by BIPOC communities. Federal funds were used to rebuild existing neighborhoods, forcing BIPOC families to move away, often replaced by white families due to other segregating policies.
1957 – 1977:
The development of the Interstate Highway System sped up suburbanization and racial segregation. Land and homes in predominantly BIPOC communities were often seized through eminent domain and destroyed for the construction of highways.
Source: Washington State Department of Commerce’s “Guidance to Address Racially Disparate Impacts – Updating your housing element to address new requirements”
