Justice Project Moves Forward Towards the Design Phase

Whatcom County, WA sent this bulletin at 04/27/2026 10:49 AM PDT

Prevention, Restoration, Accountability
April 2026

ffab meeting picture in the council chambers

Justice Project Moves Forward Towards the Design and Construction of new Facilities

Substantial progress has been made in the Justice Project in the last month, as staff, consultants, community advisory groups, stakeholders and Council all worked diligently to finalize the details of the new Justice Facilities.

Here are some highlights:

On March 25, the County announced they had identified a new site for the Jail facility on Hannegan Road. The location includes better construction conditions, a simplier permitting pathway, a more compact construction timeline and is only a few blocks from the site of the future Behavioral Care Center (BCC).
Consultants delivered an updated Jail Population Forecast Analysis which used multiple comprehensive data extracts from our Jail record to calculate criminal court processing times and establish a predictor variable for lengths of stay at the jail.
Consultants also delivered a Behavioral Health Analysis looking at the service model of the new BCC in terms of needed bed count, operating costs, facility needs and diversion potential. This research will be used to shape the design and operations of the facility, set to be built at the same time as the Jail.
The Finance and Facility Advisory Board delivered their recommendation of a budget cap of $205 million for the new jail and $20 million for the BCC. Council is set to consider a cap along with an accompanying resolution outlining commitments, priorities, and values at their April 28th meeting.
Led by the efforts of the Justice Project Oversight and Planning (JPOP) Committee, the County launched a new data tracking site to share currently available data related to the Justice Project. The site presents data and reports from a variety of sources with a nexus to the county’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems, including the Anne Deacon Center for Hope Crisis Triage Center, the Sheriff’s Office, and various diversion programs operating in the county.

collage of pictures from the lake whatcom center tour including satpal sidhu speaking and facilities

Lake Whatcom Center Opens New Site for Adults with Behavioral Health Challenges

The Lake Whatcom Center (LWC) will open an expanded and renovated 86-bed assisted living facility for adults with profound behavioral health issues in the coming weeks, thanks, in part, to a $1 million grant from a Whatcom County housing fund.

While not directly funded by the Justice Project sales tax, this project represents a critical investment of County funds towards Project 12 of the Justice Project implementation plan.

Project Overview

LWC purchased the building at 1200 Birchwood Avenue in 2023 and has been renovating it for the last several years. Whatcom County used the Sales and Use Tax for Housing and Related Services fund to pay for the replacement of the aging building’s HVAC system and windows. The building is set to open later this month.

The renovated Birchwood building will house LWC residents from two existing facilities and will provide additional capacity for new residents. In a future Phase II, the two vacated facilities will be repurposed for substance use recovery.

“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,” said Jenny Billings, Lake Whatcom Center CEO. “Our Phase II renovations will help address the lack of substance use recovery residences in Whatcom County with up to 48 additional beds at a time when there are only 16 recovery residence beds in our community.”

Supported by Whatcom County Housing Funds

The county used funds collected through a dedicated 0.1% sales tax known as a ‘1590 fund’ to support renovations of the new Birchwood facility. Money from this dedicated fund must go towards projects that support mental/behavioral health facilities and affordable housing benefiting individuals earning less than 60% of the area median income. Whatcom County is currently working with local non-profits on four additional projects using 1590 funds:

YWCA Women Shelter, $1,000,000, completed in 2025
- 19 Unit emergency shelter housing women and their children
Bellis Fair Family Housing, $2,000,000; completion 2026
- 65 Unit Affordable Housing complex with 20% of the units set aside for families with children exiting homelessness.
Sean Humphrey House, $100,000, completion expected in 2026
- 6 units of supported housing for individuals living with HIV
Lydia Place, $166,950, completion 2026
- Renovation of Gladstone House to accommodate large families

Whatcom County, Washington

311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225

Website | 360-778-5000

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