BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Plans have been finalized to expand winter shelter availability in Bellingham.

The Whatcom County Council approved a contract with Road2Home on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to operate a nightly shelter this winter.

The county was forced to operate the winter shelter itself over the past three winters and only opened it on the coldest nights of the year.

But with Road2Home at the helm, the shelter will be open every night from this December through February 2027 and potentially into March, depending on funding.

“Finding an organization to operate a nightly winter shelter on behalf of our community’s most vulnerable individuals has been a goal of ours for years, and we are pleased that Road2Home will be able to provide that service,” Ann Beck, Community Health and Human Services Manager, said in a news release.

“For the last three winters, the Health and Community Services Department has operated a shelter on the coldest nights of the year, but our goal has always been to contract with a community organization that can provide consistent, nightly shelter that people can rely on without needing to check for updates all season long,” she added.

The shelter will remain at its previous location at the former Central Lutheran Church building on N Forest Street. It will have a 60-bed capacity, with room for 10 extra beds during severe weather events.

It will be open from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., though county staff can choose to keep it open during the day if freezing temperatures are in the forecast.

The county will reimburse Road2Home up to $585,000 to operate the shelter, funded by local document recording fees and sales tax revenue.

Along with the Bellingham shelter, the county says it has renewed its agreement with Ferndale Community Services to operate a severe weather shelter in Ferndale.