NIMBYism on Bainbridge "A community that wants affordable housing... just not here" - Article regarding LIHI's proposed development on Bainbridge

Link to full article: A housing project that's showing the island's true colors, one way or the other | Opinion piece in Kitsap Sun

Caitlin Lombardi

Fri, August 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM PDT

As it becomes increasingly difficult for our country to agree on what is right, who belongs, and what values we truly share, it feels increasingly necessary for communities to define these things for ourselves. What do we stand for? Who belongs? What shared values make us “us?” While the national conversation asks, “what are they trying to take from me?” a community can ask instead, “how can we take care of each other?”

We have an affordability crisis on Bainbridge Island. We are many years past the point of debate on that, and many years past being able to solve it one ADU at a time, or through one nonprofit alone. According to the National Community Survey, Bainbridge Island scored in the bottom 3% for availability of affordable housing. Not only do we have a state mandate to increase affordable housing (HB 1220) far beyond previous plans, we have a moral mandate. And for those short on morals, we have an economic mandate, as our local workforce is pushed further and further off the island. The City found that 79% of surveyed workers on Bainbridge do not live here, but would if they could afford it. At some point, the return trip won’t be worth it, and then what will there be of our “charming downtown?” Read full article