OUR HOMES & PROJECTS

Island Housing Trust Properties on Martha’s Vineyard
By the end of 2015 the Trust hopes to have built, moved, and/ or renovated over 80 homes on ground leased land, in the six towns across the Island of Martha’s Vineyard (see Island Housing Trust Homeowner Profile ).

LAKE STREET (Vineyard Haven)

A public/ private partnership involving the Island Housing Trust who purchased a 1.38-acre parcel of land on Lake Street from the Town of Tisbury at cost, after the Tisbury Affordable Housing Committee secured a comprehensive permit to build a cluster of 6 townhouses within 3 duplexes on a property that's walking distance from downtown Vineyard Haven. Each of the duplexes have been designed to the Trust's high performance building standards (Energy Star Plus) to ensure energy efficiency and long term affordability. The duplexes were designed by Cohen Architects of West Tisbury and LDa Architecture and Interiors of Cambridge. Grants have been secured from the Tisbury Community Preservation Act (CPA) to help pay for certain development costs. The first phase of construction is scheduled to start during the fall of 2011. Four of the townhouses are anticipated to be completed and sold by the spring of 2012 to income-qualified homebuyers earning 80% and 100% or less of the median income. The Trust will work with the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority and the Tisbury Affordable Housing Committee to conduct the homebuyer selection and lottery process in the fall of 2011. Photographs can be view at Lake Street Project photographs

ELIAKIM'S WAY AT 250 STATE ROAD (West Tisbury)

In a joint purchase with the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank, the Island Housing Trust purchased an 8-acre parcel that was part of a larger 26.5-acre parcel in 2004.  The Land Bank purchased 15.5-acres for conservation and passive recreation use, along with 4-acres of conservation restrictions from the Trust.  The Trust hired South Mountain Company of West Tisbury to design and build a pocket neighborhood of 8 single-family houses within a 3.5-acre building envelope on 8-acres. These eco-friendly houses were designed with high performance building standards, and Cape Light Compact funded solar electric systems enabled these LEED platinum certified houses to approach net-zero energy (using as much energy as they produce). One of houses was built by Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard with a Habitat family and volunteers. The Trust worked with the Town of West Tisbury and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority to select income-qualify households through a lottery. The eight houses were sold and the land ground leased with resale restrictions to income-qualified households earning 80%, 100%, and 120% or less of the median income in the spring of 2010.  Grants were secured from the Island Affordable Housing Fund and the Town of West Tisbury Community Preservation Act (CPA) to help fund construction costs, and Cape Light Compact for high performance construction and solar electric PV panels. Construction financing was secured from the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank. Photographs taken of the construction process can be view at Eliakims Way photographs. An article entitled Partnering Houses & Open Space on Eliakims Way was recently published by the Martha's Vineyard Magazine, and an energy performance report entitled Zero-net Possible? Yes! has been published by South Mountain Company after a year of occupancy.

LAMBERTS COVE (Tisbury)

A public/ private partnership involving the Island Housing Trust who purchased a 3-acre parcel of land from the Town of Tisbury at cost, after the Tisbury Affordable Housing Committee secured a comprehensive permit to build a cluster of 4 single-family houses within a building envelope that will preserve half of the property's natural wooded surroundings. The houses were designed by Sullivan O'Connor Architects of Oak Bluffs and built by Gino Mazzaferro, ICMC of Vineyard Haven to the Trust's high performance building standards (Energy Star Plus) to ensure energy efficiency and long term affordability. Grants were secured from the Tisbury Community Preservation Act (CPA) and the Tisbury Affordable Housing Fund to help fund construction costs. Construction financing was secured from the Edgartown National Bank. The houses were completed and sold in September 2010 to income-qualified homebuyers earning 80%, 100%, and 120% or less of the median income. The Trust worked with the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority and the Tisbury Affordable Housing Committee to conduct the homebuyer selection and lottery process. Photographs taken of the construction process can be view at Lamberts Cove project photographs

ANDREWS ROAD (Tisbury) & 11th STREET (Edgartown)

In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard, the Island Housing Trust purchased a property at 60 Andrews Road in Tisbury and 11th Street in Edgartown and sold two single family homes build by Habitat and ground leased the land with resale restrictions to a Habitat family earning 80% or less of the median income in in 2008 and 2009. Grants from the Town of Tisbury Community Preservation Act (CPA) for the Andrews Road house helped fund the construction costs and a Cape Light Compact grant funded energy upgrades and solar PV panels for the 11th Street house.

JENNEY WAY (Edgartown)

The Island Housing Trust purchased an in-town 2.53-acre property in Edgartown and 9 affordable single family houses from the Island Affordable Housing Fund, the developer, in the summer of 2008. This pocket neighborhood was built to high performance building standards by South Mountain Company of West Tisbury and 4 of the houses with solar electric systems were certified and awarded the highest green building standards (LEED Platinum) in the country. The Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank provided construction financing. In collaboration with the Town of Edgartown and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, income-qualified households were selected through a lottery.  The 9 single family houses were sold and the land ground leased with resale restrictions to income qualified households earning 80%, 100%, 120% and 140% or less of the area median income. Grants from the Island Affordable Housing Fund, the Town of Edgartown Community Preservation Act (CPA), and Cape Light Compact helped fund the land purchase and construction costs. Photographs taken of the construction process can be view at: Jenney Way Project photographs

150 STATE ROAD (Tisbury)

The Island Housing Trust purchased a 1-acre property at 150 State Road in Vineyard Haven at a discounted price from the estate of George Schiffer in July of 2005. The Trust secured a special permit from the Town of Tisbury to build 2 duplexes on the property.  The second floor of a historic Greek revival house was donated to the Trust and moved to the property from downtown Vineyard Haven and has been incorporated into one of the 2 duplexes. Crawford Design Associates of Vineyard Haven was hired as the designer, ICMC of Vineyard Haven was hired as the builder, the acquisition loan was secured from the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, and construction financing was secured from The Life Initiative. The two duplexes were completed and sold in the summer of 2007.   The Trust sold the 4 condos and ground lease the land with resale restrictions to households earning 80%, 100% 120% and 140% or less of the median income.  Grants from the Island Affordable Housing Fund and the Town of Tisbury Community Preservation Act (CPA) helped fund the land purchase and construction costs.

TWIN OAKS (Oak Bluffs)

The Island Housing Trust purchased a 1.7-acre property including an existing house in Oak Bluffs at a discounted price from the Island Affordable Housing Fund in July of 2005. The Trust also sold a half-acre conservation restriction to the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank.  In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard the existing house was extensively renovated.  The house was sold and the land ground leased in 2006 to a household earning 60% or less of the area median income.  The Trust moved and renovated two existing houses slated for demolition within the 1-acre building envelope through a 40B comprehensive permit.  South Mountain Company of West Tisbury was hired as the designer and builder and the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank provided construction financing. With the Town of Oak Bluffs and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, income-qualified households were selected through a lottery.  The 2 single family houses were sold and the land ground leased with resale restrictions to income qualified households earning 110% and 140% or less of the area median income. Grants from the Island Affordable Housing Fund, and Habitat for Humanity helped fund the land purchase, the house moves, and house renovations.

BEACH ROSE WAY (Aquinnah)

The Island Housing Trust purchased a 1-acre property in Aquinnah in January 2003 and sold a half-acre conservation easement to the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank.  In collaboration with the Town of Aquinnah an income-qualified household was selected through a lottery.  The property has been ground leased with resale restrictions to a household earning 120% or less of the median income who constructed their own house. A grant from the Island Affordable Housing Fund funded the entire land purchase.

TAKEMMY PATH (Tisbury)

In a joint purchase with the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank, the Island Housing Trust purchased a 3-acre parcel including an existing house and detached garage that was part of a larger 15-acre parcel in 2004.  The Land Bank purchased 12-acres for conservation and passive recreation use, along with 2-acres of conservation restrictions from the Trust.  The Trust renovated the existing house and built 2 more single family houses clustered within the one-acre building envelope using a 40B comprehensive permit. Good House Associates was hired as the non-profit builder and the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank provided the construction financing.  In collaboration with the Town of Tisbury and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, income-qualified households were selected through a lottery. The 3 houses were sold and the land ground leased with resale restrictions in 2006 to income-qualified households earning 80%, 110% and 140% or less of the median income.  A grant from the Island Affordable Housing Fund helped fund the land purchase.

HALCYON WAY (West Tisbury)