Latest News
Proposed shelter to heal residents through indigenous traditions
Aquinnah, the ancestral home of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, may become the host of the first native-run shelter in the state for indigenous women who are victims of…
Progress made on affordable duplexes in West Tisbury
At a construction site in West Tisbury, a cluster of duplexes is almost completed in a project by the nonprofit Island Housing Trust (IHT). Shared front porches are still empty, the grass has yet to be planted, construction dust still hangs in the air, and the four buildings still await finished house siding. But for…
More Island towns back MVC’s Chapter 40B fight
As the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) continues litigation to retain its ability to review Chapter 40B projects, several Island towns have decided to back the planning authority. Starting with the Chilmark Select Board on June 17, a total of four Vineyard town select boards decided to send letters to state legislators who represent the Island,…
Housing Developments
Hospital solar array to help cut Islanders’ energy bills
A solar project on the roofs of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s (MVH) workforce housing project promises to deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars in electricity bill assistance for low-income Islanders over the next few decades. The 138-kilowatt rooftop solar array, installed by West Tisbury-based South Mountain Company, is the first in…
MVC fights to keep power over Chapter 40B reviews
With its authority to review housing developments in flux, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) is attempting to reverse the ruling that reduced its power in court. In Dukes County Superior Court, the MVC and the Edgartown zoning board of appeals jointly filed a challenge against the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee…
Founding executive of Island Housing Trust to retire
The founding executive of the largest affordable housing developer on the Vineyard announced his retirement this weekend after two decades of leadership. In a press release, the nonprofit Island Housing Trust (IHT) announced that Philippe Jordi, the chief executive officer (CEO) who founded the company, will be stepping down by…
Editor’s pick: Housing coverage
Once-elegant hotel now symbol of struggle
Housing threatens vital summer economy
Accessory dwelling units: An intergenerational tool for housing challenges
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Series: Summer economy
Once-elegant hotel now symbol of struggle
In the 1860s, ornate resort hotels were constructed in downtown Oak Bluffs to accommodate an influx of summer visitors. The Vineyard was a budding attraction: Early sightseers promenaded in billowing gowns and sharp suits while attending religious camp meetings, and took in the beauty of the Island as a potential vacation hot spot. One of…
Housing threatens vital summer economy
The seasonal ebb and flow of Island life moves like the tides, a motion that is necessary to keep the local community afloat. But these days, the summer economy and the need for affordable housing feel more like an unpredictable crosscurrent that threatens the sustainability of the Island. Twenty thousand year-round Islanders live and work…
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