An Island housing advisory group is watching the clock as they attempt to lease a five-bedroom home for Island residents who are unsheltered or at risk of losing their housing.
The grant, the first of its kind dedicated to Island housing needs, will expire on Dec. 31 if the Housing Assistance Corp. (HAC) advisory group is unable to find a residence to lease for one year, Karen Tewhey, facilitator of the HAC group, said last week.
In January, the HAC advisory committee received an $81,658 grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the auspices of the Hyannis-based Housing Assistance Corp. to underwrite a sheltering program on Island and to hire a part-time staffer to monitor the program and to help residents link to physical and mental health resources and employment possibilities. The grant specifies that $43,0140, roughly half the grant money, be used to lease housing for the unsheltered on the Island.
Ms. Tewhey said most all identified housing candidates are Island residents or have family or work relationships on the Island, and that all of the 12 candidates who have qualified for housing under the HUD grant are Island-connected.
She said the issue of homelessness here is similar to the general Island housing crunch, and is counter to popular myths about homelessness.
“Our candidates are people who cannot find housing or are at risk of losing their housing because of home sales or other situations beyond their control. Most of them are employed, some work despite disabilities. They include men, women and families,” she said.
She said significant benefits accrue to lessors beyond the opportunity to “protect and transform the lives of five people.
“Many of our clients bring maintenance skills, and we will take excellent care of your property. Rent payment is guaranteed, and a staff person will be supervising your property weekly. No more than the five residents are allowed, and your home will be drug- and party-free,” she said.
Ms. Tewhey and her colleagues have been scouring the Island for the past six months for a suitable home. Ms. Tewhey said the home-lease plan is the first step in a long-term plan to buy an Island property to provide shelter.
HAC is a 40-year-old nonprofit that expanded its efforts to the Island last year. Ms. Tewhey, a longtime HAC staffer, relocated here to coordinate HAC’s efforts. She can be contacted at the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority offices at 346 State Road in Vineyard Haven.
The nine-month-old Island HAC advisory group facilitated by Ms. Tewhey includes individuals and businessmen, and representatives from organizations with long experience in housing issues. The members are the All-Island Clergy Association, a group which has opened two churches to the homeless in winter; the Island Housing Trust; the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority; Dukes County manager Martina Thornton; Dukes County associate commissioner on the homeless Dean Rosenthal; caseworker Esther Laiacona; businessmen Les Holcomb and Peter Vincent; Christine Flynn of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission; and the United Way of the Cape and Islands in Hyannis.
Since its formation last fall, the advisory group has identified more than 120 Island residents who need shelter or are at risk of losing their homes, Ms. Tewhey said this week.
