After several years of planning and renovation, the doors will soon open to an 86-bed assisted-living facility in Bellingham for adults with behavioral health issues.
The Lake Whatcom Center (LWC) — a local DSHS and DOH-licensed not-for-profit organization providing residential and community mental health services to adults with mental illness — purchased the facility building in 2023 and is set to open it this month, according to an announcement from Whatcom County Health and Community Services (WCHCS).
The renovated Birchwood neighborhood building is expected to house residents from two existing LWC facilities, with additional capacity for new residents.
The two vacant facilities are expected to later be repurposed with up to 48 beds for substance use recovery. Whatcom County currently has just 16 recovery residence beds, according to Lake Whatcom Center CEO Jenny Billings.
The Lake Whatcom Center is preparing to open an 86-bed assisted living facility for adults with behavioral health issues. Rachel Showalter The Bellingham Herald
“The new Birchwood facility will improve ADA accessibility, allow residents to be more independent in their daily living, have a greater sense of community belonging, and allow us to support more people with behavioral health issues who need to be in an assisted living environment,” Billings said in the announcement.
The project is partially supported by a $1 million grant from funds collected through a 0.1% Whatcom County sales tax known as a 1590 fund. A 2020 state law allowed local governments to use sales and use taxes to support either mental and behavioral health facilities or affordable housing for individuals earning less than 60% of the area median income.
The Lake Whatcom Center. Rachel Showalter The Bellingham Herald
For this project, the funding was used to replace the building’s windows and HVAC system. Whatcom County used money from the 1590 fund to help facilitate the YWCA emergency shelter for women and children, which opened in 2025.
The YWCA purchased and remodeled the former King Health medical center building on Lakeway Drive to serve as a shelter for women and children in Bellingham. Rachel Showalter The Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County is also using these funds to support local nonprofits on three additional projects expected to be complete in 2026, including:
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
Related Stories from Bellingham Herald
The Bellingham Herald
Rachel Showalter graduated Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a degree in journalism. She spent nearly four years working in radio, TV and broadcast on the West Coast of California before joining The Bellingham Herald in August 2022. She lives in Bellingham.