Social workers will soon staff the Bellingham downtown library by Jan. 1 as homelessness in Whatcom County hits an all-time high. At the last count, more than 1,000 people were unsheltered in the county. Social workers will assist patrons with resource connections and problem de-escalation. This is a move to meet people in a space they already consider safe will help move more people out of crisis and into stability. "Our goal is to meet people where they're at," said Whatcom County Health and Community Services Response Systems Manager Malora Christensen, "[social workers will] also be there just to say, 'Hey it looks like you're having a struggle, right now. What is it that could help? Do you need transportation? Do you need to go to a stabilization center?" Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/homeless/social-workers-coming-bellingham-library-whatcom-county-homelessness/281-4f445274-e47c-4345-8419-b6132d78e450