900 supporters and counting—our voices are growing louder, but the county still isn’t listening.
Tonight, Wednesday (1/29), the Whatcom Severe Weather Shelter is closed despite a forecasted low of 32°F—a temperature that meets their own threshold for activation. Looking ahead, snow and dangerously cold conditions are in the forecast, yet there is no plan to open the shelter beyond Tuesday (1/28).
Since November 2024, there have been 29 nights where temperatures have dropped to 32°F or below—nights that should have automatically triggered an emergency shelter opening. Instead, the shelter has only been open 16 of those nights. That means the shelter has been closed 45% of the time it should have been open.
This is unacceptable. The county has the funding to continue opening the shelter—but it’s choosing not to.
Staffing Shortages? The County Set Themselves Up for Failure
The county claims staffing shortages are preventing shelter openings. However, multiple people have reported that they applied for paid or volunteer shelter positions and were never contacted.
• The most recent job posting for shelter assistants was only open for 4 days before being taken down.
• There was no widespread advertisement for the position.
• People who signed up to volunteer also were never contacted.
If the county was serious about staffing this shelter, they would actively recruit and ensure that all applicants were considered. Instead, they closed hiring and then blamed staffing shortages for shelter closures. This is an unacceptable excuse.
The County Must Immediately Reopen Hiring for Shelter Staff
We demand that Whatcom County immediately reopen the job listing for shelter assistants and widely advertise the hiring opportunity. Additionally, the county must retroactively contact everyone who applied for paid staff or volunteer positions to update them on the status of their applications.
• If an applicant was denied a staff or volunteer position, the county must provide them with a reason why.
• If applications were ignored, the county must rectify this immediately and move forward with hiring to ensure no further shelter closures due to staffing shortages.
This situation is entirely preventable. If Road2Home was able to operate a winter shelter for 90 days continuously without staffing issues, then the county should have been able to do the same.
Whatcom County’s Own Words Contradict Their Actions
Let’s look at what Whatcom County officials have admitted:
• “We need another shelter, I don’t disagree with the intent of the petition.” — Erika Lautenbach, Whatcom County Health & Community Services
• “Our region needs another shelter.” — Erika Lautenbach
• “We very much wanted to open the shelter overnight on Thursday, Jan. 23. However, despite multiple emails to our staffing pool requesting people sign up for shifts, we were unable to secure sufficient staffing.” — Whatcom County Health & Community Services
The county admits staffing is a crisis, yet they suspended hiring for shelter staff. They refuse to invest in a stable workforce for the shelter, unlike Road2Home, which successfully operated a winter shelter for 90 days continuously without these staffing issues.
The Shelter Has the Budget—Use It Now
The City of Bellingham has pledged an additional $150,000 in funding once the county’s budget for the shelter is exhausted. However, at this moment, it will take another 39 days of operation before that funding is applied.
Meanwhile, the shelter lease is already paid for through March, meaning the facility is sitting empty on nights when people are suffering in the cold.
The County Must Act Immediately
With snow in the forecast and more dangerously cold nights ahead, we must demand that the shelter be opened immediately and remain open every night that temperatures dip to 40°F including wind chill.
Call or email your leaders TODAY and demand an immediate shelter opening and the reopening of shelter staff hiring.
Contact Your Leaders
Email:
• Satpal Sidhu (County Executive): ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us
• Whatcom County Council: council@co.whatcom.wa.us
• Mayor Kim Lund: mayorsoffice@cob.org
• Whatcom County Health & Community Services: wintershelter@whatcomcounty.us
Example Email to Send:
Subject: Open the Severe Weather Shelter Now – Freezing Temps & Snow in Forecast
Dear [Official’s Name],
I am deeply concerned that the Whatcom Severe Weather Shelter is closed tonight (1/29) despite forecasted freezing temperatures and snow. Since November, there have been 29 nights at or below 32°F, yet the shelter has only been open for 16 of those nights.
The shelter has the funding and resources to continue operations but remains closed due to preventable staffing shortages. People will suffer and die in these conditions. I urge you to act immediately to open the shelter and ensure it remains open for all future nights that drop to 40°F including wind chill.
Additionally, multiple individuals have reported applying for shelter staff and volunteer positions and never being contacted. The most recent job posting for shelter assistants was only open for four days before being removed without broad outreach. This is no excuse for a staffing shortage. If Whatcom County was serious about keeping people safe, they would have kept hiring open and ensured all applicants were processed.
We need leadership, not excuses. Please act now to protect our most vulnerable community members.
Thank you for your time,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Your City]
Were You Ignored After Applying for a Shelter Position?
If you applied to work or volunteer at the Whatcom Severe Weather Shelter and were never contacted, please submit your experience here:
https://form.jotform.com/250247511361044
We are gathering this information to hold the county accountable for their staffing failures.
Keep the pressure on—sign and share the petition with your friends, family, and community.
Petition Link: https://www.change.org/WhatcomWinterShelter
The fight isn’t over. We won’t stop until our most vulnerable community members are given the shelter and dignity they deserve.
With Gratitude,
Tukayote Helianthus