Lighthouse Mission's innovative shelter in Bellingham combines housing with job training

On F Street in Bellingham, a new building has opened to tackle the city’s growing homelessness crisis.

The shelter is located at 1312 F Street, and was an almost $30-million-dollar project that was mostly paid for by private contributions. The shelter is run by Lighthouse Mission Ministries.

The facility has 300 year-round shelter beds. Starting in the winter of 2025, it will have room for 100 more beds during severe weather.

Brittany Hargrove, the chief program officer, said, “We serve single adults and families (six individual family rooms, which can house an intact family or a single dad/mom). We have a low barrier walk-in emergency shelter, which operates on a night-by-night basis, and enhanced shelter programs, which offer more wrap-around services and support, including case management, resource referral, assistance with basic needs, and life skills/recovery classes.”

Hargrove said in the future, new businesses will be opened that will employ those who are homeless to give them valuable job experiences and skills.

“One thing we were able to do with this intentional design is build in some business suites on the bottom floor,” Hargrove said. “These will be functioning businesses contributing to the economy of this community, but what’s really special about that is that it’s going to offer workforce development opportunities for our residents.”

The services moved from the previous shelter in the downtown area on Cornwall Avenue. The focus of this new shelter will also be on making sure it achieves its goals, but also making sure the area around the buildings stays safe, and issues don’t spill out into the community.

Hargrove said, “We don’t want to pretend that doesn’t exist. We want to meet at the table (with the community) and talk through those things.”

Hargrove said drugs, alcohol, and weapons are not allowed in the building. The building is staffed 24/7.

Security personnel hired by the city are also currently patrolling the blocks around the shelter.