Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham

Public Housing Servicesbellinghamhousing.org

The Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is a local government agency, founded in 1945 and combined with Whatcom County Housing Authority as BWCHA, that provides affordable housing to 7,000+ low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families across Whatcom County, Washington through 1,614 HUD-subsidized units across 35+ properties.

Company typePrivate
Founded1945
HeadquartersBellingham, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham does

The Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham (BHA) is a local government agency established under Washington State law and founded in 1945, providing affordable housing services across Whatcom County, Washington. It operates in conjunction with the Whatcom County Housing Authority (WCHA) under a combined entity known as BWCHA, governed by a unified Board of Commissioners. BHA manages a portfolio of 35-36 properties comprising 1,614 affordable housing units and 8 commercial spaces, serving approximately 3,000 households and 7,000+ residents annually across Bellingham, Blaine, Birch Bay, Sumas, Ferndale, and Lynden.

BHA's core offerings operate through three federally-funded program categories: Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Public Housing (both city and county), and Project Based Vouchers (PBV) for senior, family, and special-needs housing. Residents pay approximately 30% of adjusted gross income toward rent, with the remainder subsidized by HUD per-unit funding. Digital channels include Applicant, Resident, and Landlord portals for self-service program access. Notable recent developments include Samish Commons (172 affordable rental homes, 20,000 sq ft commercial space, completed 2021-2023), and ongoing projects at King Mountain, Unity Street, and Sumas Square (climate-resilient reconstruction funded by a $2.8M CDBG-DR grant). The agency has 11-50 employees and operates from 333 N. Samish Way, Bellingham.

The revenue model is government-funded through three streams: federal HUD subsidies (HCV and Public Housing operating/capital funds), rental income from income-adjusted public housing units, and discretionary grants such as CDBG-DR disaster recovery funding. The customer base is fully residential — low-income families, elderly residents (62+), people with disabilities, working families, and households transitioning out of homelessness — with no commercial customers or exportable services. Growth is constrained by federal appropriations, local government policy, and the fixed geographic market of Whatcom County.

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham
Legal name: Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham
Website: https://bellinghamhousing.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1945
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is a local government agency, founded in 1945 and combined with Whatcom County Housing Authority as BWCHA, that provides affordable housing to 7,000+ low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families across Whatcom County, Washington through 1,614 HUD-subsidized units across 35+ properties.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Housing Services
NAICS: Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)
SIC: Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-Social Services (8300)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYBPAIANAA
Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing)
Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development
SECONDARYBPAJAFAD
Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8)
Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Residential Property Management
SECONDARYFSALAKAI
Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based)
Financial & Insurance/Mortgage & Housing Finance/Housing Finance Agencies & Government-Sponsored Housing Programs
SECONDARYBPAIACAJ
Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs)
Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

Keywords

Public housing services
Affordable housing programs
Housing choice vouchers
Section 8 administration
Low-income rental assistance

Where Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Bellingham
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

Federal Housing Subsidies: Receives federal funding through HUD for Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) and Public Housing operations
Rental Income: Collects rental payments from residents in public housing and affordable housing properties based on income-adjusted rates
CDBG-DR Funding: Receives Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funding from Washington State Department of Commerce for disaster recovery projects such as Sumas Square reconstruction

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Income-based rental pricing for public and subsidized housing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is a local public housing agency that owns, manages, and maintains affordable rental housing units while administering the federal Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), Project-Based Voucher, and Public Housing programs for low-income households across Whatcom County, Washington. Through the combined BWCHA operation with the Whatcom County Housing Authority, it delivers specialized supportive housing for elderly persons, individuals with disabilities, veterans, foster youth, and families, and it develops new affordable housing projects such as Samish Commons.

Product overview

The Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham (BHA) is a local government agency offering a portfolio of affordable housing programs and services. The organization operates through two main divisions: BHA (city) and Whatcom County Housing Authority (county), serving approximately 3,000 homes housing over 7,000 residents. Core offerings include Affordable Housing Programs, Subsidized Housing Programs with the Housing Choice Voucher program, Project Based Voucher (PBV) programs for seniors and families, and 35 owned/managed properties across Whatcom County. Digital services include Applicant Portal, Resident Portal, and Landlord Portal for self-service access to housing services. Notable developments include Samish Commons, a 172-unit mixed-use mixed-income development completed 2021-2023 with senior, family, and transitional housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Public Housing Program
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
Project-Based Vouchers
Samish Commons Development
Specialized Supportive Housing Voucher Programs

Quantifiable outcome

7,000+ people supported annually through housing programs

Companies that use Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Washington State Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2025Partnership through HUD's Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program for the Sumas Square Apartments reconstruction project. Grant #P-21-WA-53-LDZ1 provides approximately $2.8 million to reconstruct an 11-unit flood-damaged building in Sumas, elevating it to be resilient to future flooding.
Whatcom County Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCombined operations to provide affordable housing throughout Whatcom County. The Bellingham Housing Authority and Whatcom County Housing Authority work together as BWCHA, governed by a combined Board of Commissioners, supporting 7,000 people annually.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Seattle Housing Authority: Largest housing authority in Washington State, providing similar affordable housing programs (Section 8, public housing, PBV) and operating a large property portfolio. Comparable due to shared business model and HUD funding dependency, though much larger scale.
King County Housing Authority: Large regional housing authority operating in Washington State with similar affordable housing programs and a sizable property portfolio. A broader peer in the same state with comparable program offerings and HUD funding model.

Direct peers

Housing Authority of Snohomish County: Public housing authority operating in Washington State with similar Section 8 and affordable housing programs. Directly comparable to BHA in mission, housing programs, and target demographics.
Everett Housing Authority: Mid-sized Washington State housing authority providing HUD-funded affordable housing programs. Comparable in scale and program offerings to BHA, serving a similar demographic in a Pacific Northwest mid-sized city.
Yakima Housing Authority: Washington State housing authority providing public housing and voucher programs. Comparable mid-sized regional housing authority with similar HUD-funded programs and rural/small-city service area.
Tacoma Housing Authority: Washington State housing authority providing affordable housing through federal HUD programs including Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and project-based vouchers. Directly comparable in mission, programs, and regulatory structure to BHA.
Spokane Housing Authority: Washington State public housing authority operating Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs. Directly comparable public-sector peer with similar operational model and HUD funding structure.

Others

WinnCompanies: National property management firm managing affordable and mixed-income housing. Tied to BHA through BHA's RFP for property management services for a 57-unit affordable property, indicating potential contractor relationship.

Emerging players

BRIDGE Housing Corporation: Nonprofit affordable housing developer and owner operating in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable to BHA in its mission of developing and operating affordable housing, though structured as a nonprofit rather than government agency.
Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI): Seattle-based nonprofit operating affordable housing, shelter programs, and supportive housing in Washington State. Comparable to BHA in serving low-income populations with federally-supported housing programs in the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham

What does Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham do?

Is Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham a public or private company?

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham founded?

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham was founded in 1945. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham based?

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham is headquartered in Bellingham, United States, in the North America region.

How does Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Federal Housing Subsidies are the primary driver. The others are rental Income and CDBG-DR Funding.

Who are Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Seattle Housing Authority and King County Housing Authority. Direct peers are Housing Authority of Snohomish County, Everett Housing Authority, Yakima Housing Authority, Tacoma Housing Authority and Spokane Housing Authority. WinnCompanies is listed as an others. Emerging players are BRIDGE Housing Corporation and Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI).

Does Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham have an API?

No public API is recorded for Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham.

What industry is Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham in?

Housing Authority of the City of Bellingham's product category is Public Housing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIANAA, Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing), with a secondary code of BPAJAFAD, Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8). Its NAICS code is 53111 and its SIC code is 6513.