Dec 5, 2024
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who has signed and shared this petition so far. Your support is helping to shine a much-needed spotlight on the dangerous and inefficient policies surrounding winter weather shelters in our community. We are making our voices heard—but we need to keep going. Please continue to share this petition with your friends, family, and networks. Together, we can make a difference.
Temperatures dropped below 32°F this week and despite pledging to open at these temperatures, the county’s winter weather shelter remains closed. This is not just unacceptable—it’s life-threatening. We know hypothermia can set in at temperatures well above freezing, especially with wind chill or wet conditions. Yet, despite the dangerously cold weather, the county’s sporadic shelter model leaves unhoused individuals out in the cold.
The erratic scheduling of the county’s shelter doesn’t just put lives at risk—it also prevents the shelter from functioning efficiently. Unlike Road2Home, which operated a 50-bed shelter for 90 consecutive nights at $111 per bed per night, the county shelter opens only on short notice, limiting its ability to retain trained staff or schedule consistent volunteers. As a result, the county’s shelter costs $426 per bed per night—nearly 4 times as much as Road2Home’s shelter.
Road2Home proved that with consistent operations, shelters can:
• Save lives by providing reliable, safe spaces for unhoused individuals.
• Attract and retain experienced staff with regular, predictable schedules.
• Engage more volunteers who are able to plan their time effectively.
• Operate at a fraction of the cost by avoiding inefficiencies caused by erratic openings.
The current shelter policies and practices, paired with harmful encampment sweeps, scatter vulnerable individuals, disrupt outreach efforts, and fail to address the systemic issues at hand. We can—and must—do better.
Please keep sharing this petition to demand that the county:
1. Raise the winter weather shelter threshold to 40°F or colder, including wind chill.
2. Commit to a consistent shelter schedule that supports staff, volunteers, and those in need.
3. End harmful encampment sweeps during cold weather months.
Together, we can push for compassionate, cost-effective, and life-saving solutions. Let’s ensure no one is left out in the cold.
Thank you for your continued support, and let’s keep up the momentum!
On a positive note, the Bellingham Herald published an article about this petition today. Read more here: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article296570959.html
With Gratitude.
Tukayote Helianthus