Bellingham plans a tiny home village for 2027; other cities show what running one costs

It is set to open in early 2027. The nonprofit HomesNOW! will run it.

Setup costs $1.2 million: $500,000 from the City's housing property tax, $400,000 from the City's share of the jail sales tax, and $300,000 from partners.

On Oct. 27 the County Council approved $200,000 for the village, the County's draft minutes record.

City rules let a village stay 2 years, plus up to three 1-year extensions.

No yearly cost to run the Bellingham village has been published.

Other Washington cities that built villages published what they cost:

• Tacoma202560 homes, about $2 million to build, the operator told the Peninsula Gateway. Pierce County gave more than $1.9 million for land and site work.
• Olympia202250 homes. A $6.2 million state grant covered about $2.9 million to build and $3 million to run it for 3 years, The JOLT reported.
• Vancouver2022A 1-year contract to run its second site cost $552,212, the city said. In 2023 it added $1.4 million to another operator's contract to raise pay for peer support staff, The Columbian reported.

Building is paid once. Staff and services are paid every year.

What's next: the Bellingham village is set to open in early 2027.