Status of BWCHA Programs During the Federal Government Shutdown

Beginning on October 1st, 2025, the federal government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations.  While Bellingham & Whatcom County Housing Authorities (BWCHA) receives federal funding, BWCHA is not a federal agency and continues to operate during this time.

BWCHA’s federally funded programs, including Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), will continue to operate as normal in November and December. The Department of Housing & Urban Development has stated that funds will be available for housing authorities to issue subsidies to landlords throughout October, November and December. As such, we do not anticipate any interruption in services for these programs at this time.

BWCHA continues to actively track developments at the federal level and remains committed to providing reliable services for both tenants and landlords.

Additional resources for tenants:

National Housing Law Project: HUD Tenants’ Rights During the Government Shutdown