The city of Bainbridge Island has plans to develop affordable housing on the site of the former police station, at the corner of Winslow Way and 305, for all to see. That’s right. It will be one of the first things people see as they emerge from the ferry terminal and ascend Olympic Drive, the tourists in search of food and fun along Winslow Way and the locals eager to get home to dinner, family, or a good game on TV.
But what will they think when they pass 625 Winslow Way, as the city has dubbed its affordable housing development? What does the presence of affordable housing say about a community, and what does it mean when a city places it so prominently? Affordable housing at the island’s so-called gateway is the ultimate welcome. It testifies to an ethic of inclusion, one that defies the market forces that risk making Bainbridge an enclave for only the wealthy. And it announces a commitment to invest in the kind of essential infrastructure that will make it possible for people across the income spectrum to live here.
Some fear such a development violates our small-town character or think the site should feature a grander civic structure. But for those who understand the depth of our housing crisis and its impacts on our community, there could be no better reflection of this island’s character or civic priorities. Housing Resources Bainbridge (HRB), where I am executive director, and our fellow affordable housing advocates understand that the character of our community is not defined solely by its physical attributes, like lot size, building height, or mountain views, but by its people and values…