In Whatcom County, political candidates and economic observers agree that housing affordability is the cornerstone of future economic expansion. With rising living costs, vacant commercial spaces, and declining sales tax revenues, local leaders emphasize that addressing housing shortages is essential to attracting and retaining skilled workers and employers. Currently, only about 25% of Western Washington University graduates remain in the county six months after completing their degrees. n nGuy Occhiogrosso, CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, described housing as the primary obstacle to economic development, questioning why companies would expand in an area where employees cannot afford to live. Several candidates have proposed targeted solutions, including prioritizing workforce housing and revising zoning policies to allow greater density near job centers. Kerri Burnside, challenging incumbent Skip Williams for a city council seat, argued that cultural investments alone won’t revitalize downtown without concurrent progress on residential availability. n nJessica Rienstra, running for county council in District 3, advocates building affordable units near Glacier while avoiding urban sprawl. Her opponent, Kyle Christensen, a former mayor and real estate professional, supports reducing regulatory burdens on developers to lower construction costs. He also expressed concern that rising taxes and operational expenses are pushing local businesses to invest outside the county, including in Idaho. n nHart Hodges, director of Western Washington University’s Center for Economic and Business Research, noted that the county’s economy is relatively stable due to its non-cyclical major employers—such as healthcare providers, educational institutions, and government agencies. However, he highlighted potential for growth in information technology and waterfront development. Ken Bell, incumbent Port of Bellingham commissioner, stressed the importance of creating high-wage union jobs through active use of the shipping terminal, estimating that 300 new positions could significantly boost local income levels. n nCarly James, Bell’s challenger, urged consideration of public space value, citing urban design principles like those seen in Manhattan’s Central Park. Tyler Schroeder, the port’s economic development director, identified maritime industries, food processing, and advanced manufacturing as key growth areas. Michael Lilliquist, a city council member, proposed reactivating Bellingham’s public development authority as a housing-focused entity. n nAndrew Reding, challenging Lilliquist, suggested redirecting municipal funds from national banks to local credit unions such as WECU to strengthen community investment. Maya Morales, a county council candidate, called for establishing a public banking system to retain local capital and fund underserved initiatives. She emphasized that wage growth alone cannot offset soaring market-rate housing prices, advocating for construction of units below market value. Elizabeth Boyle, her opponent, supports transit-oriented development to reduce congestion and parking demands. n
— News Original —nAffordability preludes economic growth in Whatcom County, candidates saynThis election reporting is provided free to all readers as a public service by your locally owned Cascadia Daily News. Thanks for supporting truly local news by donating to CDN or subscribing here. n nCollege graduates are entering an employment ecosystem in which their peers are struggling to find local jobs in increasingly unaffordable Whatcom County. This, in addition to empty offices and storefronts, large swaths of an undeveloped waterfront, and a drop in revenue from sales taxes, leaves ample room for candidates in an odd election year to discuss economic opportunities. n nFrom economic development and commerce observers to city and county candidates alike, housing affordability and availability reins as the linchpin to local economic growth. Throughout the past few months of campaigning and in conversations with Cascadia Daily News, candidates have continuously said making progress on housing is key to attracting employers and keeping those already here. Maybe then, some have suggested, more than the current 25% of Western Washington University graduates will find jobs in Whatcom County six months after graduation. n n“Housing is the pain point. Housing is the elephant in the room of economic development,” said Guy Occhiogrosso, president and CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. If workers can’t afford to live here, then why would a company move to or expand in Whatcom County, Occhiogrosso asked. n nWhen it comes to linking housing to economic opportunities, candidates have ideas, including multiple who’ve said workforce housing is a priority. Kerri Burnside, who is challenging Bellingham City Council incumbent Skip Williams for his Ward 4 seat, said having art and culture downtown isn’t enough — housing is the issue preventing downtown revitalization. Both candidates discussed urban villages in their campaigns. n nJessica Rienstra, a District 3 county council candidate, wants to build workforce housing near Glacier without increasing sprawl. n n“Can we do zoning for density to increase housing around the workforce, so folks can live where they work,” Rienstra, a mental health nurse practitioner, pitched. Former Sumas mayor and real estate agent Kyle Christensen, Rienstra’s opponent, told CDN he wants to see less housing permit regulation for developers. n nChristensen told CDN he is concerned that local businesses are investing outside of the county, including in Idaho, due to tax increases and what he said are the increased costs of doing business in the state. n n“We need to keep the cost of living lower. How do you do that?” Christensen asked. “You don’t over-regulate businesses.” n nLocal businesses that comprise Bellingham’s small economy are fairly insulated to economic swings, said Hart Hodges, the director of Western Washington University’s Center for Economic and Business Research. Whatcom County’s economy doesn’t see a rise in employment and rapid economic growth in times of expansion because the county’s largest employers — PeaceHealth, Western, Bellingham Public Schools, governments, tribes and BP — have a “non-cyclical core,” the economics professor said. n n“When things are slower, when there’s a bit of a contraction, we don’t slow down as much,” Hodges told CDN. “A lot of students stay for a little while, and then a lot of students have to leave because it’s a very small economy.” n nThis leaves open economic opportunities in the information technology sector and on the waterfront, Hodges said. Incumbent Port of Bellingham commissioner Ken Bell said the shipping terminal is number one on his list, “because there’s just no better place on the port to create the high-wage work that we need.” n n“We can subsidize housing until we’re blue in the face. We’re better off creating the good union jobs, the good, high-paying jobs,” Bell told CDN. “If we can bring in 300 jobs on that waterfront, which we would do if we were using it actively, all of a sudden you change the wage base. You’ve got more money in the community.” n nWhen it comes to the waterfront, Bell’s challenger Carly James said she’s not sure the “economic value of public space” is being fully considered. “There’s a reason Manhattan has a Central Park,” said James, who owns Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress in the Granary Building. n nIn 2012, Whatcom County designated the Port of Bellingham as the associate development organization (ADO), meaning it serves as the lead economic development body in the county as a local branch of the Washington State Department of Commerce. Each county in Washington has an ADO, which is often an economic development council (EDC), as was the case in Whatcom until the designation was ultimately bestowed upon the port. n nThe maritime district, original equipment manufacturers, boat building, food processing and storage are among the ripest opportunities for economic development, said Tyler Schroeder, the port’s director of economic development. Incumbent city council member for Bellingham’s Ward 6, Michael Lilliquist, said he’s looking at reviving Bellingham’s public development authority and re-chartering it to use as a housing development authority. n n“I don’t think we should be expecting heavy or large industrial in Bellingham, I think we probably want to remove some of those uses, restrain that, (and) focus more on the smaller acreages and advanced manufacturing,” Lilliquist said in an August council meeting. n nAndrew Reding, who is challenging Lilliquist’s 16 years on council, has raised the idea of reallocating city funds from national commercial banks to local nonprofit credit unions such as WECU to “boost local employment and community investment.” n nWhatcom County Council District 2 candidate Maya Morales cited local banking and institutional changes as the answer to new revenue. n n“I’d really like to press our state on public banking. We need a public depository, institutional power at the local level to do what we really need to be doing, which is really reinvesting locally in things that we cannot currently do in our current banking system, and also to keep our investments local,” said Morales, who served on the Charter Review Commission. n nMorales also brought up housing, saying the county can’t expect wages to rise enough to supplement the need for affordable housing while letting market rates continue to climb. New units need to be built below market, Morales said. n nElizabeth Boyle, Morales’ opponent, wants to keep people near transportation, and reduce traffic and the need for parking. n n“We have a recall to build housing and make sure that we have enough economic opportunity. So that’s our job. It’s not anything new, but I think what we can do a better job of is expanding the conversation,” like with state representatives, Boyle said.
