THE REAL BLOG

A Real Issues Analysis Introduction: The Story You’ve Been Told vs. The Truth You Haven’t For years, Bellingham officials and outside advocacy groups like the Sightline Institute have pushed one message: “Density equals affordability.” It’s repeated so often that many people assume it must be true. But when you look at the data, follow the money, and compare Bellingham’s actions to its own past promises, a very different story emerges. This is not a housing strategy. It’s a r

The Untouchables: How Bellingham’s Planning Department Quietly Took Over Housing The Most Powerful Department You Never Voted For Everywhere you look, Bellingham is talking about housing. Affordability. Density. Infill. Middle housing. Climate goals. Transit corridors. But almost nobody talks about the most powerful force shaping all of this: The Planning Department The department that decides: What gets built What cannot  be built How long permits take How many homes can exi

This is what happens with the residents are not kept informed on what policy changes are happening.

We’re for ADUs that help real homeowners stay solvent, not for fantasy policies that no one can actually build or buy into.

Bellingham housing costs aren’t just market forces. Government policies limit homeownership choices, pushing rentals over single-family homes.

Bellingham’s Greenways Levy and watershed programs have been sold to voters as ways to preserve open space, protect water, and improve...

Let’s talk about parking—because no one at City Hall wants you to. In addition to rebranding multifamily rentals as “Middle Housing” to...