There's a critical housing shortage in Bellingham making it nearly impossible for working-class residents to afford homes. Leaders are looking at solutions to encourage the development of missing middle housing as they plan for 2045.

Whatcom County faces a pivotal choice in planning for the next 20 years of growth. In the 2025 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the county and its consultants evaluated four scenarios for updating the Comprehensive Plan: No Action Alternative (status quo growth), Alternative 1 (OFM medium growth), Alternative 2 (the Multi-Jurisdictional Resolution ), and Alternative 3 (high growth). Among these, Alternative 2 – Multi-Jurisdictional Resolution emerges as the optimal path...

Bellingham faces a pressing need to accommodate housing growth over the next 20 years in a way that is both sustainable and inclusive. As the city’s population climbs and housing shortages intensify, local leaders are debating how best to manage development and many emphasize infill development – building within existing urban areas – as the environmentally sound and cost-effective choice. Indeed, Bellingham’s current comprehensive plan leans heavily on infill and urban densification, noting...