Marwan Cameron’s 10 Priorities for Bremerton

1. Decrease Homelessness with Action, Not Excuses

Bremerton has nearly 300 unsheltered residents, many are employed, many suffering from addiction, trauma, or mental illness. As mayor, I will declare a homelessness emergency and explore use of city-owned land to build low-barrier permanent shelters with wraparound services.
Solutions:

• Emergency declaration to fast-track action

• City-contracted nonprofit service provider

• Engage fully with other boots on the ground organizations that have relationships with residents

• Use surplus land for shelter/micro-villages

• Onsite mental health, addiction, and case management
   

Out-of-the-Box Solution: Convert underused public buildings (vacant schools, city warehouses) into temporary 24/7 community safe zones and sleeping pods. Partner with retired tradespeople and job training programs to retrofit spaces. Use mobile modular shelter units (like Pallet Shelters) that cost as little as $6,500 each and can be city-owned.
City doesn’t need to build new — we need to repurpose smart.

 

Source: Kitsap County 2025 PIT Count

 

Estimated Cost: $500K/year | % of General Fund: ~1.2%

 

 

2. Housing for Bremertonians, Not Out-of-Town Investors

The average rent in Bremerton is over $1,400/month. Families are being pushed out while developers build luxury units with tax breaks.
Solutions:

• Suspend MFTEs for unaffordable developments

• Flip percentage of affordable units from 10 - 20% to 80 - 90%

• Redefine “affordable” for Bremerton residents

• Explore launching Bremerton Housing Trust Fund

• Explore Community land bank to preserve affordability

• Grants for homeowners to build ADUs
   

Solution: Explore Launching a rent-to-own housing co-op pilot using vacant land the city already owns. Residents build equity as they pay. Use “sweat equity” models like Habitat for Humanity but scaled up to include colleges, businesses, organizations, and subject matter experts. Incentivize conversions of big homes into duplexes by waiving fees and offering design templates. Support “housing-on-wheels” villages for working poor with RVs. Identify and stimulate business opportunities such as mechanics to service and maintain RVs.

 

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents – Kitsap County

 

Estimated Cost: $250K–$500K/year (initial programs)
May leverage state/federal housing funds

 

 

3. Safe Streets for Our Kids and Families

Speeding, poor lighting, and broken sidewalks threaten safety across the city.
Solutions:

• Traffic calming: speed humps, signs, lighting

• Safer school zones and crosswalks

• Rebuild sidewalks in neglected neighborhoods

• Expand Safe Routes to School program
   

Solution: Start a Citizen Street Force—a volunteer program that logs, maps, and reports hazards, speeding, and outages via an app. Use that real-time data to redirect public works staff strategically. Explore launching a “Fix It Fridays” team that hits danger zones fast with paint, signs, and solar lights. Engage schools in designing art-based crosswalks and calm zones.

 

Source: Neighborhood complaints & Bremerton CIP

 

Estimated Cost: $300K/year | % of GF: ~0.7%

 

 

4. Fight Addiction with Recovery, Not Punishment

Fentanyl and meth are devastating our community. Jail is not treatment.
Solutions:

• Mobile crisis response teams (mental health + EMTs)

• Support detox and long-term recovery beds

• Harm reduction services + treatment referrals

• Fund peer-led outreach in high-need areas

• Empower law enforcement to aggressively identify dealers and drug houses that in particular prey on unhoused individuals.

Solution: Explore establishing “Recovery Anchor Pods”—peer-led mini-centers located inside churches, nonprofits, or existing rec centers. These hubs offer counseling, peer mentorship, Narcan, resource access, and recovery pathways—all without needing expensive buildings. Use recovery alumni, Rock the Block and others as paid mentors. Build trust from the inside out.

 

Estimated Cost: $400K/year | % of GF: ~1.0%

 

Source: WA DOH – Overdose Dashboard

 

5. Transit Equity for All

20% of Bremerton households don’t own a vehicle. Public transportation is underfunded and unreliable.
 

 Solutions:

• Subsidize transit passes for low-income riders

• Launch a city microtransit pilot for underserved zones

• Improve bus stop lighting and seating

• Advocate for expanded Kitsap Transit frequency

• Partner and Synchronize employers and offices on mapping peak travel usage times and find synergies to increase ridership. e.g.  shift times, appointment times.

Solution: Launch a Bremerton Community Shuttle Loop, operated by trained volunteers or nonprofits using retired city vans or donated vehicles. Partner with faith-based  or other organizations like G2.. Add bike lockers and community e-scooters at transit stops. Map high-need "last-mile" gaps and fill them without new city spending.

 

Source: U.S. Census ACS + Kitsap Transit dataEstimated Cost: $200K/year | % of GF: ~0.5%

 

 

6. Fix What’s Broken—In Every Neighborhood

Too many areas—East Bremerton, West Bremerton, Sheridan Park, Chico, Manette—are falling apart.
 

Solutions:

• Sidewalk and streetlight repairs in underfunded zones

• Quarterly neighborhood maintenance drives

• ADA ramp installations and safer intersections

• Grant-backed improvements on Kitsap Way, Naval Ave, Sylvan, etc.
   

Solution: Explore establishing “Neighborhood Maintenance Days” where the city provides dumpsters, materials, and permits—but residents show up and pitch in. Use timebanking or “Bremerton Bucks” (local credits) for volunteers who help seniors or disabled neighbors. Create a city tool co-op so residents can borrow gear to fix their homes and blocks.

 

Estimated Cost: $300K/year | % of GF: ~0.7%

 

Source: Bremerton CIP

 

7. Empower Youth Through Jobs, Leadership & Mentorship

Our youth deserve more than punishment and underfunded schools—they need purpose and opportunity.
 

Solutions:

• Mayor’s Youth Council for civic leadership

• Paid internships and job training for teens

• Create community tech and creative learning hubs

• Partner with Olympic College, BHA, and small businesses
   

Solution: Repurpose one unused building into a Youth Innovation Hub where teens can learn podcasting, video, social media, coding, and entrepreneurship. Partner with the Kitsap Regional Library and other organizations. Staff it with local creatives. Partner with BKAT, The Conduit, Olympic College, and the library. Use contests and youth-led projects to solve real city problems while paying stipends from grants.

 

Estimated Cost: $250K/year | % of GF: ~0.6%

 

Source: Kitsap Strong Youth Needs Report

 

8. Healthcare Access for All, Especially the Uninsured

No one should skip medical care because they’re broke or uninsured.
Solutions:

• Fund Healthcare Navigators to connect residents to Apple Health

• Partner with mobile health & dental clinics

• Use libraries and community centers for outreach

• Microgrants to mental health nonprofits and free clinics
   

Solution: Train and deploy Community Health Navigators in barbershops, laundromats, grocery stores, and churches to connect people to Apple Health, dental, and mental health services. Bring in monthly mobile clinics run by Peninsula Health or student nurses. Use SMS texting alerts for appointment and insurance reminders.

 

Estimated Cost: $150K–$200K/year | % of GF: ~0.4–0.5%

 

Source: Peninsula Community Health Needs Assessment

 

9. Transparent Government, Accountable Leadership

The Problem: Residents don’t trust or understand city decisions. Bremertonians deserve to know how their money is spent—and how well it's working.
 

Solutions:

• Real-time city dashboard on budgets & projects

• Audit and increase outreach efficacy

• Monthly town halls with the mayor

• Launch Participatory Budgeting pilot so residents decide spending priorities
   

Solution: Launch a Civic Coders Fellowship with OC and local high school students to build and maintain a public dashboard for budgets, safety, and housing progress. Host monthly Civic Hack Nights where residents propose solutions to local issues, vote, and track what happens next. Invite the public into governance—not just after decisions are made.

 

Estimated Cost: $100K setup + $25K/year maintenance | % of GF: ~0.25%

 

Source: Participatory Budgeting Project, Code for America

 

10. Support Public Safety That Builds Trust

We can strengthen the police force and improve community safety without overpolicing.
Solutions:

• Recruit officers from diverse local backgrounds

• Fund community policing and de-escalation training

• Leverage outreach efforts like PACT - Police and Community Together

• Create space for our law enforcement to engage with community e.g. sports, events, etc

• Enhance interactions with our most vulnerable in ways that both emphasis the dignity of the person and the safety of our officers

• Create neighborhood watch collaboration hubs
   

Solution: Build Neighborhood Safety Councils tied to the mayor’s office, where residents set local safety goals and deploy solutions (lights, cameras, youth engagement, peer responders). Redeploy officers into consistent neighborhood assignments so they build relationships. Create an Unarmed Responder Corps—retired social workers, veterans, faith leaders—who assist with nonviolent calls.

 

Estimated Cost: $750K/year | % of GF: ~1.8%

 

Source: City of Bremerton Police Stats & best practices from CAHOOTS (Eugene, OR)