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AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Bellingham)
Whatcom County · Affordable Housing
AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Bellingham) — Affordable Housing (district BHAH13)
Loans and grants for affordable-housing development, preservation, and supportive services; deployed through the Whatcom Housing Alliance and partner nonprofits.
Active
Voter-approved
AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Bellingham)
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Cumulative collected
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Latest year levy
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Latest rate / $1,000
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Growth since 2018
About this levy
One of two Bellingham property-tax streams dedicated to affordable housing. This one is collected as its own taxing district (district code BHAH13) at /bin/zsh.1132 / $1,000 of assessed value, generating roughly $2.69M / year (2026). The companion stream is collected through the BELLINGHAM city category at $0.0576 / $1,000 (~$1.37M / year).
Combined, the two affordable-housing property-tax streams generate ~$4M/year. Both flow into the city Low Income Housing Fund (Fund 181) where they sit alongside the dedicated 0.1% affordable-housing sales tax (RCW 82.14.530, Fund 182).
Authorization
When the levy was authorized, by whom, and at what rate or revenue cap.
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Collection history
Year-by-year revenue and rate, county-wide.
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Programs funded
Spending programs that draw funding from this levy.
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Discussed in meetings
Real Briefings that mention this levy.
The May 4, 2026 Ferndale City Council meeting featured a comprehensive presentation on property tax and multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) policy by Whatcom County Assessor Rebecca Czar, clarifying longstanding confusion ...
The Community and Economic Development Committee met to address two significant items affecting Bellingham's housing and economic development landscape. The committee unanimously recommended approval of the city's 2026 ...
The April 20 City Council meeting was dominated by a comprehensive work session on the city's Growth Management Act-mandated comprehensive plan update, specifically focused on proposed zoning changes throughout the ...
The Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole addressed several governance and organizational improvements on April 13, 2026, including receiving a comprehensive report on the 2026 state legislative session and ...
The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee approved three significant infrastructure items that will advance sustainable forest management, reduce development costs, and improve downtown accessibility. The ...
The City Council Planning Committee held a work session to review the results of a landlord and property manager survey conducted in October 2025, following the implementation of new rental regulations targeting unfair ...
The Budget and Finance Committee received a comprehensive year-end financial review for 2025, revealing a city that narrowly avoided deficit spending through strategic revenue adjustments but faces mounting fiscal ...
Whatcom County Council advanced multiple comprehensive plan chapters on April 7, 2026, in a marathon committee session focused primarily on water adjudication policies and agricultural land protections. The most ...
The Ferndale City Council held a public hearing on proposed comprehensive plan updates focused on zoning and future zoning designations as part of the state-mandated 2025 Comprehensive Plan periodic review. This ...
The Bellingham Planning Commission held an informational meeting on April 2nd, featuring two significant policy discussions that could reshape how the city approaches parking requirements and small-scale commercial ...