Courtesy of Runberg Architecture Group
Affordable housing in my hometown of Bainbridge Island, Washington, has been hotly debated, especially with the recent plans of developing the city-owned property and former police station at 625 Winslow Way. Bainbridge Island is overwhelmingly left-leaning, only rivaled by downtown Seattle and its southern neighbor Vashon Island. This poses the question, then, of why this affordable housing project, like similar projects in the past, has been shot down by residents.
In this case, it seems that my neighbours’ actions do not line up with their words. Regardless of their hypocrisy, I believe that the most important thing is taking action to improve the well-being of all people. This can most effectively be done by removing barriers to construction of any form of housing, affordable or not, which would increase the supply, thus lowering prices.
The affordable housing project, proposed in 2022, selected the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) in 2024 to begin the drafting process, making a development agreement in May. The building would contain 70 to 90 units of workforce affordable housing and three or four stories, with the ground floor harboring commercial or community space and the remainder of the property containing green areas, a playground and below-ground parking.
In the Sept. 11 Planning Commission Regular Meeting, which adjourned in the early hours of the next morning, Bainbridge Island residents expressed their opposition or support for the project.
Priscilla Zimmerman posited that the gridlock on the nearby main street and near the ferry terminal as well as parking shortages would be exacerbated by the dense housing development, calling the pushing of the project on the community “political gamesmanship.” Mary Rain mentioned similar issues, as well as the ensuing water crisis and the impact of construction. Mike Nelson brought up concerns about LIHI, believing that they are not financially fit to develop this project.
However, among opposition, many constituents supported the project. Former Planning Commissioner and Mayor Ashley Mathews sympathized with lower income residents as someone who grew up in poverty and has visited LIHI’s buildings and puts trust in their work. Resident of Winslow Way Olivia Hall provided a personal anecdote of her childhood, showing the benefits of apartment living and collective care and urged the planning committee to move forward with the project as soon as possible.
Many speakers at this meeting who opposed the project claimed to support affordable housing in general. However, previous plans have also been met with opposition. In 2019, a plan for the Suzuki Property, located near schools and retail areas that had been in public hands since 2000, was approved after years of debate. It would entail the construction of 100 single family units, but was abandoned in 2020, in part due to criticism of cutting down old growth forests.
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