County to continue funding permanent supportive housing at 22 North
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Greg Winter, Opportunity Council executive director
Contact Opportunity Council Leadership
Phone: 360-734-5121 ext. 1346
Opportunity Council’s permanent supportive housing facility, 22 North, will continue to provide care and secure housing to 40 Whatcom County residents after a resolution to cut off all county funding for the project was tabled indefinitely at Tuesday’s County Council meeting.
“While we would have preferred to see this resolution defeated in its entirety, we’re grateful to hear of the County Council’s continued commitment to working together across the community to find solutions to the converging opioid and affordable housing crises,” said Opportunity Council’s Executive Director, Greg Winter. “We are also thankful for the many people who stepped up to advocate for our most vulnerable neighbors over the past few weeks.”
Winter said that 22 North works as part of the federally mandated Coordinated Entry System to triage housing support for people who are homeless. In Whatcom County, people demonstrating the highest risk for mortality are prioritized for the highest level of support—meaning if they get housing, it’s likely to be in permanent supportive housing projects like 22 North.
When 22 North was opened in 2018, the world looked very different, Winter remarked. He said the increased drug overdose deaths in our community, including the people who have passed away while living at 22 North, are heartbreaking.
“The grief and loss caused by the opioid crisis in our community is unbelievable,” Winter said. “Our hearts go out to the loved ones of each person who has passed away because of this lethal drug and any other traumas caused by homelessness.”
During the pandemic, low staffing and eviction moratoriums meant that guest policies and evictions weren’t enforced as much as was needed at 22 North, Winter said. Since then, the agency has enlarged the 22 North staff team and evicted residents who were causing problems.
The team also increased screening criteria for residents to promote safety in the building and continues to enforce a stricter guest policy and perform regular wellness checks. This has resulted in a sharp decrease in calls to law enforcement and positive feedback from neighboring businesses.
“Opportunity Council is thankful for ongoing collaborations with the 22 North Neighbors Task Force,” Winter said. “It will take a community-wide response to address the many challenges faced by the people we serve.”
Winter said that while the agency has turned things around since the challenging times during the pandemic, there’s still more that can be done to better integrate addiction recovery partnerships into the onsite services, ensuring our goal is that 22 North residents and neighbors experience the most calm and safe environment possible. His team is determined to continue improving the project and bringing the community in on updates and the intricacies of permanent supportive housing.
“We consider ourselves accountable both to the community that makes our services possible and to the people we serve and who make their homes at 22 North,” Winter said. “I look forward to sharing more about our work and continuing to collaborate with local partners on next steps.”
Winter said he also wants to share hope with the community as people find their way toward success.
“We have a young adult living at 22 North who became homeless when their parent was incarcerated and is now getting a second chance at stability and success,” Winter said. “Now he’s working toward adopting his sibling and reuniting the family. These are the kinds of stories that remind us that, one person at a time, we can see our community thrive again.”
