Last night, temperatures dropped to 30°F, with wind chills reaching 24°F. A layer of frost covered everything this morning—clear evidence that it was freezing overnight. Yet again, the shelter was closed. Why? Because Whatcom County continues to rely on inaccurate forecasts instead of real-time conditions. This isn’t an accident. This is a broken system—a system that fails the most vulnerable people in our community. And the county refuses to fix it. A Shelter That Stays Closed While People Freeze Let’s remember what we already know: • The county publicly pledged to consider wind chill and precipitation when deciding whether to open the shelter. They have not done so a single time. • The county ignored 957 people who signed this petition demanding a higher temperature threshold. • County Council asked Executive Satpal Sidhu for cost estimates to operate the shelter at 35°F or 40°F. He never responded. • 15 nights […]

It has been 2.5 months since this petition started. 928 of you—concerned community members—have signed, demanding a life-saving change: raising the emergency shelter threshold to 40°F to prevent hypothermia, suffering, and death. And yet, Whatcom County has ignored every single one of you. A Pattern of Neglect and Broken Promises County Council asked for cost estimates to operate at 35°F and 40°F. No response from County Executive Satpal Sidhu. Multiple emails sent to county and city officials asking for change and warming centers. Only one county councilmember has replied. Fifteen qualifying nights where the shelter should have been open—including a night when temperatures dropped to 24°F. Whatcom County left people outside in deadly conditions. The county publicly pledged to consider wind chill and precipitation when deciding to open the shelter. Reality? Not once have they done so. Wind chills reached 22°F on a closed shelter night. The county supposedly uses […]

921 Supporters Strong We commend Whatcom County for stepping up and opening the Severe Weather Shelter for 10 consecutive nights from February 2nd through February 11th. This is a significant step forward and exactly the kind of predictable, consistent sheltering that our community has been asking for. It will provide lifesaving warmth to those who have nowhere else to go. Thank you to the County staff and volunteers who are making this possible. The Fight Isn’t Over – Where Are the Warming Centers? Even with this good news, daytime warming spaces remain nonexistent, leaving our unhoused neighbors outside in freezing temperatures for up to 16 hours before they can return to the shelter. With wind chills dropping as low as 5°F this past week, prolonged exposure is not just uncomfortable—it is life-threatening. Other cities across Washington and the U.S. have daytime warming centers during cold weather emergencies. Why doesn’t Whatcom […]

918 supporters agree: The temperature threshold must be raised, and shelter operations must be consistent and fully staffed. No more last-minute closures due to staffing shortages. We need a long-term solution. That’s why we are calling on the city and county to begin planning TODAY for the 2025/2026 severe weather shelter operations. This year’s failures cannot be repeated. But we also need urgent action right now. Despite dangerously cold temperatures this week, there are NO official daytime warming centers. People who sleep at the Severe Weather Shelter at night are forced out into the cold during the day, facing up to 16 hours of exposure in wind chills that dropped to 5°F earlier today. This is inhumane and life-threatening. Hypothermia does not wait for nighttime. We need immediate action from our local leaders to open daytime warming centers for unsheltered individuals. We are demanding that city and county leaders find […]

We appreciate the county’s announcement that the Whatcom Severe Weather Shelter will be open from Sunday, Feb. 2, through Thursday, Feb. 6. Keeping people safe from freezing conditions is crucial, and we are grateful for these confirmed nights. However, despite forecasted qualifying conditions (including estimated windchill), the shelter will remain closed Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, with no clear explanation from the county. This means two more nights of dangerous cold before the next scheduled opening. Here are the details for the upcoming openings: • Location: 925 N. Forest St. (downstairs of former Lutheran Church) • Check-in: 4-9 PM each evening • Check-out: 9 AM the following morning • Meals Provided: Dinner and breakfast • Well-behaved pets allowed We continue to ask: Why isn’t the shelter open tonight and tomorrow, especially with freezing temperatures and snow in the forecast? The county has the funding, the space, and the […]

From: Tukayote Helianthus <emailme@tukayote.com>Date: Friday, January 31, 2025 at 13:31To: mayorsoffice@cob.org <mayorsoffice@cob.org>, ccmail@cob.org <ccmail@cob.org>, hestone@cob.org <hestone@cob.org>, hahuthman@cob.org <hahuthman@cob.org>, dchammill@cob.org <dchammill@cob.org>, Cotton, Jace A. <jacotton@cob.org>, ehwilliams@cob.org <ehwilliams@cob.org>, laanderson@cob.org <laanderson@cob.org>, mlilliquist@cob.org <mlilliquist@cob.org>, Council <council@co.whatcom.wa.us>, CFrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us <CFrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us>, kgallowa@co.whatcom.wa.us <kgallowa@co.whatcom.wa.us>, bbuchana@co.whatcom.wa.us <bbuchana@co.whatcom.wa.us>, tdonovan@co.whatcom.wa.us <tdonovan@co.whatcom.wa.us>, tbyrd@co.whatcom.wa.us <tbyrd@co.whatcom.wa.us>, belenbaa@co.whatcom.wa.us <belenbaa@co.whatcom.wa.us>, DTanksle@co.whatcom.wa.us <DTanksle@co.whatcom.wa.us>, ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us <ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us>, Jon Scanlon <JScanlon@co.whatcom.wa.us>Subject: Whatcom Severe Winter Shelter – Closed on Saturday and 45% of the nights that met the 32F threshold Dear Executive Satpal Sidhu, Whatcom County Council Members, Mayor Kim Lund, Bellingham City Council, and Sheriff Tanksley, I am writing to you with urgent concern regarding the continued failures in operating the Whatcom Severe Weather Shelter, particularly in light of the Winter Storm Watch issued for our region this weekend. As of now, the Whatcom County Severe Weather Shelter is not scheduled to open on Saturday, February 1st, despite forecasted temperatures of 31°F without wind chill factored in, and significant snowfall […]

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 […]