BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Cleanup and outreach efforts continue at the site of a former encampment in Bellingham’s King Mountain neighborhood.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that residents received notices from Bellingham Public Works to vacate the 40-acre site during the week of Aug. 3.
Brittany Hargrove, Chief Program Officer of Lighthouse Mission Ministries, says their teams have been working to build trust among the encampment’s residents for weeks.
“It’s not a situation where you can just go in and offer resources and services a lot of the time and have folks take you up on that,” Hargrove said. “It really is kind of a slow-churn process.”
The Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team said in a statement to My Bellingham Now that they’ve also been in extended contact with individuals from the encampment. They add that they will continue to provide transportation to Base Camp and continue their connections with those who have been displaced.
Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy adds that no one was arrested during the vacation process, but officers recovered and impounded several weapons, including rifles and a sword.
Murphy in comments to My Bellingham Now emphasized the care officers and other city officials took to make sure the encampment was safe and free of living things before demolition began early this week. She emailed the following to my Bellingham Now:
“On Aug. 10 and 11 BPD officers and Public Works entered the properties with search warrants in hand. Slowly and methodically the officers made their way to each structure and tent, announced themselves and entered to ensure no humans or domestic animals were inside. When the structure or tent was found empty, Public Works staff took the structure down. There were less than 10 people remaining on the property the morning of the 10th.”
Public Works is currently in the process of building access roads to prepare for future logging operations. Ram Construction has been contracted to assist in this work according to Murphy.
