Fresh off their successful partnership to bring housing to hospital workers at the Hanover House in Tisbury, an inn owner and Island Housing Trust (IHT) have made a new deal.
On Friday morning, just hours after watching the ribbon cut on the Hanover House, Steve and Judy Perlman officially sold the Clark House — the smaller inn next to Hanover House — to IHT. The sale was for $950,000, with the difference between the appraised value of $1.2 million considered a donation from the Perlmans.
As part of the deal, the Perlmans will continue to operate the inn throughout the summer, accommodating guests. Steve Perlman told The Times guests will be welcomed through mid-September, and the property turned over to IHT for construction on Sept. 23.
“It was a nice way to meet public need for housing,” Perlman said. “It was a good cooperative venture between us and IHT.”
The Perlmans looked to sell the properties to IHT knowing the need on the Island — not just for affordable housing, but workforce housing. “This also serves an important niche,” Perlman said. “It fills the gap for people who are young professionals.”
Philippe Jordi, executive director of IHT, said the nonprofit builder has requested that four housing trusts contribute to the purchase to make the seven planned efficiency apartments available to people at 80 to 100 percent of the median income for Dukes County, which is $92,700 for a family of four. A new funding source through MassHousing is also possible, Jordi said.
IHT has been going before town boards for approvals on renovations to the Clark House, and will now issue a request for proposal to hire a contractor for the project this summer, for work to begin this fall, he said.
Meanwhile, the Perlmans aren’t completely leaving the bed and breakfast business. The couple has purchased a West Tisbury home with three rooms for rent, called Hideaway, Perlman said.
“We’re going from 23 to three,” he said.
