HOUSING COMMITTEE

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Over the last year the Affordable Housing Committee moved forward on a series of initiatives to substantially expand our inventory of affordable houses in the town. Below is a summary of the committee’s work to date as well as an outline of some new initiatives that we are considering for the upcoming year. The committee also supports initiatives by not-for-profit organizations on the Island that are involved in providing affordable housing and we have included some of their work in the notes below.



Lambert’s Cove

Lambert’s Cove development consists of four units - three 3-bedroom units and one 2-bedroom unit on 2.5 acres of Town-owned land across from the Wakeman Center. Houses will be individually owned while the title to the land will be held by the Island Housing Trust. A 40B application has been filed, and it is hoped that construction will start in 2007.



Lake Street

The Lake Street houses are located on approximately 1.5 acres of Town land about midway between Pine Street and the power lines. The program calls for the construction of three dwelling structures, each containing two 2-bedroom units – a total of six units overall. Individual house designs have been developed, a 40B application is being filed and we hope to have the project approved and construction started by this fall.



150 State Road

This project consists of four units within two structures located on one acre of land on State Road. It is sponsored by the Island Housing Trust. Construction is almost completed and new owners are expected to move in by this summer



Takemmey Path

This project consists of three units of housing on Takemmy Path off Stony Hill Road. Working with the Land Bank, the Island Housing Trust has constructed the units on a small portion of the property while preserving the remaining nine acres as open land. A lottery was held for qualified buyers and the units are now occupied.



Affordable Housing Fund

We are investigating the establishment of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund under Town auspices and control, into which town CPA funds and other funds can be placed for affordable housing construction.



Rent Subsidies

We are looking into programs that subsidize property owners for rent affordability and/or subsidize loans to create an apartment or guest house allowing the owner to stay and also to create an affordable apartment.



Development of Substandard lots

There are a number of small (less than 10,000 sq ft.) or unusually shaped lots that may be appropriate for the development of small-scale affordable housing. The Planning Board is doing a study to identify and inventory these lots and that work should be completed this spring. The Housing Committee and the Planning Board will work together to see how many of these lots may be appropriate for the development of small infill housing units.



In the meantime, Habitat for Humanity, using the 40-B program, is moving forward to develop one such lot; a single-family unit on a 6,500 sq ft lot located on Andrews Road.



40-R Zoning District

The State 40-R program (not 40-B) is a program that can provide subsidies to the Town if an affordable housing proposal within the district meets certain criteria, e.g., proximity to transportation, shopping, schools and services. The Town, not the developer, designates the district.



The Upper State Road area, particularly the land between Evelyn Way and Holmes Hole Road on the south side of State Road is an area that might qualify for this designation. The committee is working with the Planning Board and the Martha's Vineyard Commission to see what the housing development potential for this area would be and how we might proceed with the program.



In conclusion, we wish to thank our secretary Marni Lipke for diligent record-keeping and assistance throughout the year.



Respectfully submitted,



LAURA L. BARBERA

NAT BENJAMIN

JOHN R. BUGBEE

ABBE BURT

ROBERT M. DOYLE

DANIEL JAY SEIDMAN

HENRY STEPHENSON

ROBERT N. WHEELER, Chairman
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