To the editor:

At the end of September, Housing Resources Bainbridge had more than 100 families on our wait list for affordable rentals on Bainbridge Island.

The vast majority of these households reside on Bainbridge Island or elsewhere in Kitsap County. They are seniors, individuals with disabilities, young families with one wage earner, or single parents looking to remain stably housed in their community. What ties each of them together is their connection to Bainbridge Island — whether through longstanding family ties, a job with an island employer, or a desire to return home.

We know that the Suzuki project is a difficult and complex undertaking. Affordable housing projects do not happen easily. Rather, they tend to move in fits and starts with funding sources, timelines, and even site plans shifting over time.

Yet, the need is real on Bainbridge Island. Our goal is to work with BRIDGE Housing as the master developer, to create a community of rental and ownership homes that serve our community. We want this project to be successful and will work with BRIDGE and other partners to try and make that happen. However, HRB has an existing portfolio of housing and serves more than 300 people each year. We would not and will never put our organization, current housing or programs at risk for any project.

If it becomes clear at any step along the way that this project cannot proceed, we will stop and work with the city to determine next steps. And while we cannot predict the future, we do know one thing for sure: If we do not try to make the Suzuki project a reality, it will not happen.

We have created a fact sheet and FAQ about Suzuki to address the common questions and concerns about the project. It is available now on our website and Facebook page. We encourage you to take a look (www.housingresourcesbi.org).

On Oct. 22, the council will discuss the HDDP ordinance. We encourage council (and hope you will too!) to extend the ordinance and to remove the requirement that HDDP projects are 100 percent affordable.

HDDP is needed for Suzuki to move ahead and is also important for other development projects HRB is considering. If you agree, we hope that you will let council members know that.

We appreciate this community’s support for housing that is affordable for all of our neighbors.

PHEDRA ELLIOTT, Executive Director

Housing Resources Bainbridge