WSCH
PO Box 14461
Tumwater, WA 98511
(360) 357-6990
Whatcom County Coalition for the Homeless
(Also serves San Juan County)Contacts:
Gail de Hoog, Community Services DirectorOpportunity Council1111 Cornwall Ave, Ste. CBellingham, WA 98225(360) 734-5121 ext. 344
Gary A. Williams
Whatcom County Health Department
Human Service Division Supervisor509 Girard StreetBellingham, WA 98227-0935360-676-6829
gwilliam@co.whatcom.wa.us
Web Site: www.oppco.org - Opportunity Council
Regular meetings: First Thursday of every month, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Fireside Room in the Bellingham Municipal Courthouse
The Whatcom County Coalition for the Homeless (WCCH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non-profits that collaborate to work towards a system of housing and services that seamlessly moves homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self--sufficiency. This concept is called Continuum of Care (CoC). The WCCH meets monthly to network services, provide public information forums, and to address the community's homeless issues as they arise. Staff from the Community Development Division chairs the Coalition, providing leadership, coordination, and administrative support, and works with agencies to
secure federal homeless housing and service program grants.
History In the fall of 1994, after working together for many years to collaborate on providing comprehensive housing services, shelter providers formed the
Whatcom County Homeless Coalition.
In March, 1996 the Coalition partnered with the City of Bellingham and began the process to draft a local Continuum of Care Plan (CoC Plan) that would guide them in their work toward ending homelessness. To develop the CoC Plan, the group used a model developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The community-wide planning process brought together housing and support service providers, including representatives from mental health and substance abuse programs. This was the first time these entities met together to address the comprehensive needs of homeless
people in Whatcom County.
By 1997, the Coalition had changed its name to the Whatcom County Coalition for the Homeless. Through collaborative efforts utilizing the Continuum of Care, HUD funds had provided funding for Dorothy Place, Northwest Youth Services Transitional Housing, Opportunity Council case management services for homeless families, in addition to the Shelter Plus Care Program, which subsidizes transitional and permanent housing units
for the mentally ill.
Additional WCCH projects included creating a Continuum of Care that focused specifically on homeless youth, and completion of a homeless survey count in April, 1997. This count has been repeated annually, on a smaller scale, and provides essential supportive information for the
Coalition's annual federal grant applications.
Activities The WCCH provides community education and advocacy for homeless people along the entire spectrum of housing needs—from preventing homelessness to accessing permanent housing. In 2003, a group of housing and service providers worked with the City of Bellingham and a consultant to develop a Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Whatcom County, and updated
the Whatcom County Continuum of Care Strategic Plan.
The WCCH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care (the array of local services available) and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services. The Coalition also works collaboratively to access
funding opportunities which meet the greater needs of the community.
Coalition members provide assistance to community groups and individuals interested in starting new housing projects or support services by sharing their experience on projects, funding options, and strategies for
successful programs.
Monthly Meetings The WCCH meets the first Thursday of every month from 3:30 - 5:00 PM. Meetings focus on coordinating program planning between member agencies, identifying gaps or concerns in the delivery of housing and services to the homeless, and developing new projects. Presentations on relevant topics are given at meetings, and attendees are given the opportunity to
give brief agency updates and make announcements to the group.
A Steering Committee meets monthly to coordinate the direction and work of the Coalition, and ad hoc subcommittees are formed as needed to focus on
specific topics and issues.
All work of the WCCH is done in coordination with the Washington State
Coalition for the Homeless (WSCH).