Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket residents rally for affordable year-round housing
A housing crisis on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket is now affecting the middle class, according to advocates who rallied Thursday at the State House in Boston.
“I moved 15 times in six years, yeah 15 times, with a young child,” Martha’s Vineyard resident Sharon Brown said.
Brown was doing what residents of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket call the Island Shuffle with her son — moving every winter and summer because on her salary running a food pantry, a permanent, year-round home was unaffordable.
“When you have to pay $600 a week in the summer, it’s hard to maintain,” Brown said.
More than 300 islanders were at the State House to push lawmakers to allow a one-time, 2 percent transfer fee on real estate sales over $1 million.
“This fee would go into a pooled fund that would be able to create rent subsidies, down payment assistance, purchase deed restrictions on year-round homes to ensure they are not sold into the seasonal market,” said Martha’s Vineyard resident Laura Silber.
Advocates call it a housing crisis that is now affecting the middle class.
“Today, the least expensive free-standing, single-family house is $1.695 million,” Nantucket realtor Brian Sullivan said.
“The last dry cleaner on Martha’s Vineyard just closed,” Silber said. “They’re talking about shortening last call because we don't have enough police officers to handle last call. That's our tourism industry.”
Brown recently found a new home, but for so many islanders, it’s out of reach.
“Taking care of other people and when you don't know where you are going to sleep, it’s hard to do your job,” Brown said.