Making the Case for the Housing Bank

Most everyone understands that we need more attainable year-round housing on the Island if we’re going to preserve our community. But there’s been lots of debate about the best way to create the housing we need for the people who live here. John Abrams wrote a compelling piece for the Vineyard Gazette explaining how voting YES for the Housing Bank could help us “change peoples’ lives without changing the character of our towns or overdeveloping”. To read John’s full commentary on this topic please click on this link.

photo of IHT Perlman House apartments in Tisbury by Randi Baird Photography

Hospitals Make the Housing Connection

In a press release, Mass General Brigham, the parent company of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital announced their endorsement of two proposed transfer fee bills, S.868 and H.1377, in the state Senate and House.

“Massachusetts will not be able to maintain its status as a leader in healthcare if people cannot afford decent, quality housing. In remote locations like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, affordable, year-round housing is essential to recruitment and retention of qualified staff to support and sustain the health of our communities,” Denise Schepici, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital president and CEO and Gary Shaw, FACHE, president and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital, both stated in the release. Click here to read the whole article in the MV Times.

Rendering of proposed Meshacket neighborhood in Edgartown

We Have Much to be Thankful For

As Thanksgiving approached we received the news that IHT has been chosen to build two of the most significant neighborhoods of housing within reach of year-round wage earners on Martha’s Vineyard in over a decade.

IHT responded to two RFP’s in recent weeks from Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. This week we learned that we have been awarded both projects. “We are very honored that the towns have chosen to work with us and our partners at Affirmative Investments,Inc to build these beautiful new neighborhoods.” explained Philippe Jordi, IHT’s Founding Director, “We have been working towards this moment for 15 years,” he added.

Together, these two new communities will provide year-round, beautiful, stable rental and ownership homes for more than 200 Island residents and their families. To read more about the details please click on this link for the Southern Tier neighborhood in Oak Bluffs and this link to learn more about the plans for the Meshacket community in Edgartown.

As we pause this week to reflect on all that we’re thankful for we’d like to express our gratitude to the select boards of Oak Buffs and Edgartown for the faith they have placed in us. Together, we will create something of which we can all be proud.

Onward!

 

You Did It!

We launched our Summer Benefit Campaign in mid June and asked you to help support our mission to end housing insecurity here on the Island we all love. We set our goal at $1 million. You rose to the challenge and surpassed that bold goal by donating over $1.48 million, tripling the donations we received during last years campaign. We are overwhelmed by your support and our Executive Director, Philippe Jordi, spoke to the editor of the MV Times about our campaign in a recent interview. Click here to read the article.