About Us

HomesNOW! is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in June 2017 with the goal of Ending Homelessness, one person at a time. HomesNOW! has no paid staff and is made up entirely of volunteers. We are funded through private donations from people like you. We support the Housing First model.

In the summer of 2017, HomesNOW! worked with Lummi Stepping Stones on Lummi Nation to build three tiny homes. From January to April 2019, HomesNOW! managed Winter Haven, Bellingham’s first temporary tent community located behind Bellingham City Hall.
 
During that time, we provided 35 formerly homeless people with a safe place to live. From April to August 2019, HomesNOW! managed Safe Haven, our second temporary tent community located in the What-Comm 911 Call Center parking lot in the Sunnyland neighborhood.
 
During that time, HomesNOW provided 32 homeless people with a safe place to live. Nine people found permanent housing. In September 2019, HomesNOW! opened Unity Village, Bellingham’s first tiny home village for homeless individuals. Unity Village has 20 tiny homes and has provided transitional housing for 20 to 24 people at a time. 40% of the residents who have come through Unity Village have found permanent housing.
 
Winter Haven, Safe Haven and Unity Village have been successful at helping people find stability and connecting them to needed services. In February 2019, during extreme winter weather conditions, HomesNOW! coordinated with a local church and volunteers from the community to manage an emergency shelter providing for up to 40 people.

What We Do

How We Are Different

Why It’s Important

  • HomesNOW! helps people transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
  • Using only private donations and volunteers, with no taxpayer dollars.
  • We develop extremely low-cost, low impact places to live and stabilize.
  • We create fully-managed solutions that provide secure housing, sanitation, and personal development.
  • HomesNOW! focuses on housing for homeless individuals who are willing to work hard to get off the streets and become self-sufficient.
  • Only qualified applicants are accepted. Applicants are screened and must agree to a set of common rules – including no drugs or alcohol.
  • We are not funded by government agencies. All of our funding and support services come from private donors and volunteers like you.
  • Once a person is homeless, whatever the cause, it is very difficult to find a path back into normal life.
  • A home is extremely important. Without a safe place to stay and the ability to have a decent standard of living, it is extremely difficult to stabilize
  • A place to sleep is not enough. A homeless person has often lost confidence and needs help to re-establish their self-esteem and contribute to the community.

Advantages of the HomesNOW approach:

  • Reduces the problems traditionally associated with homeless encampments such as drug/alcohol use, garbage and crime.
  • It saves tax dollars by reducing the load on police, fire departments, medical, and social services.
  • It helps people who want to get back to a normal and stable life.

We have multiple ways to donate. To donate to our campaign, please visit our Donation Page. Your donations are tax deductible.