HHHS fosters improvements in the range, delivery and quality of health, housing and human service programs in our community.

The Health, Housing and Human Services Council has the unique responsibility for implementing the City of Bainbridge Island’s Human Services Element (HSE) of the Comprehensive Plan. The HSE reminds us not to forget the very essence of our community – the people. HHHS’s role is to maintain the big picture, fostering improvements in the range, delivery and quality of health, housing and human service programs on the Island. Long-range planning and the development of holistic strategies are fundamental to maintaining a healthy diverse community.

Almost a decade ago, a group of visionary volunteers created the HHHS Council as a non-profit corporation to support and coordinate the human service nonprofit agencies on Bainbridge Island. Later, some of those same volunteers helped put a human face and heart on the normally technical City of Bainbridge Island’s Comprehensive Plan, creating the Human Services Element. This was an important step that says a great deal about the character of Bainbridge Island.

By officially adopting the Human Services Element, our community boldly says that the well-being, health and basic human dignity of all of our citizens is as equally important as land use planning, improving roads or providing public safety services.

Simply put, the element's goal is to ensure the availability and access of human services for all people-regardless of income, family structure, age or cultural background. Not a short order by any means, but through our continued coordination with the excellent independent human service agencies, organizations, congregations and schools-and all of us working together-this vision can become a reality.
Bainbridge Island has a long history of people taking care of each other, of providing for the human services needs within the community.

A majority of Bainbridge Islanders have affirmed the value of diversity—a range of age, occupation, ethnicity, and income—in our community. A strong human services delivery system helps maintain that diversity.

Although Bainbridge Island often is characterized as an affluent community, there is poverty here; there is homelessness; there are people who don’t always have enough to eat; and there are people who work hard yet have little money left after paying rent.

At the same time, it should be understood that many needs associated with human services are unrelated to income. The availability of, and access to, human services is important to all people, regardless of income, family structure, age or cultural background.