Advocating for Continued
Improvement
Cities and communities, including Bellingham, are facing challenges to address increasing homelessness, drug use and distribution, mental health crisis, property theft, and other crime. These circumstances are further exacerbated by the national, state, and county housing crisis. In tandem, staffing and resources for law enforcement and service agencies are facing shortages. Lastly, legislative changes resulting from 2020’s social justice movements have forced change and disrupted legacy systems. Our community leaders and the Downtown Bellingham Partnership continue to advocate for increased funding, resources, short-term, and long-term policies to insure Main Street America downtowns are safe place for families now and in the future.
Past Initiatives & Public Forums Led By The DBP
Town Hall Meeting September 2022
Downtown Neighborhood Meeting October 2022
2023 Public Safety Campaign
Community Campaign Overview
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership, in collaboration with the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and a group of community-minded leaders and business owners, are working together to encourage additional public safety solutions and investment in Downtown Bellingham. Since mid-2021, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and the City of Bellingham recognized increasing public safety, property vandalism, and cleanliness concerns from the public and the business community. Since early 2022, new programs including Safety Ambassadors, Security Patrols, and Graffiti Abatement have been launched or expanded, totaling nearly $1M of services investment by the City of Bellingham. Simultaneously, new Whatcom County Health Department programs to divert people in crisis, or are in frequent use of emergency services, to alternative health and human services launched. We acknowledge the value of these programs and understand the state legislative changes resulting from 2020’s social justice movements have forced change and disrupted legacy systems.
We also are aware of the significant the impact open drug distribution and use poses to all of our community’s residents and visitors. We welcome the recent passage of the ordinance to address open drug use in Bellingham, however we believe there is more to be done.
Because of this, we are urging the community to sign in support of additional action from our local government officials to prioritize the vitality of Downtown Bellingham. We will gather signatures and testimonials for several weeks beginning Tuesday May 23, 2023, and present, along with other supportive data, to the Mayor and City Council in early summer 2023.
2023 Primary Mayoral Candidate Forum