<p>With year-round rentals on the Island sparse, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has begun exploring the possibility of purchasing staff housing.
With year-round rentals on the Island more sparse than at any time in recent memory, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has begun exploring the possibility of purchasing staff housing.
In an open letter to the commission this week, chairman Jim Vercruysse outlined an initial plan to acquire staff housing using commission funds.
“We feel that this proposal to acquire a property will have a tremendous positive impact on the organization,” he said in the letter, noting the commission’s own longstanding policy to promote affordable housing on Martha’s Vineyard when reviewing developments. “It is time we walk the walk and provide some stable employee housing,” Mr. Vercruysse wrote.
At its meeting Thursday, the commission voted unanimously to authorize Mr. Vercruysse to form a search committee that may independently offer up to $750,000 for a house on the Vineyard. Mr. Vercruysse said the committee would consist of himself, along with commissioners James Joyce, Leonard Jason Jr. and Joshua Goldstein.
“As we all know, affordable year-round housing rentals are pretty much nonexistent,” he said at the meeting. “And I think the longer we wait the more difficult it will be.”
Commission administrator Curtis Schroeder offered rough estimates of what a three-bedroom house would cost to insure and maintain, ranging from $7,650 for a $600,000 home to $18,440 for a $750,000 home.
Demand for homes in that price range — considered the lower end for the Vineyard — is currently strong.
“We have professional staff that go through the same thing that everybody else goes through on the Island,” said commission executive director Adam Turner, who arrived on the job in 2015 and has not yet found year-round housing. “This is an investment so that we can have the capacity we need to hire the people that we need to do the job.”
Mr. Vercruysse said the housing could serve either the executive director or other commission staff, but he said the new committee would need to come up with guidelines to make that decision. According to the estimates, monthly rent would be equivalent to a third of the executive director’s salary, which started at $107,454. But rents would likely depend on the salary of each tenant.
Mr. Schroeder said the commission’s Olde Stone Building in Oak Bluffs now has a lien of $450,000 and a total valuation of $1.2 million, giving the commission borrowing power of up to $1 million.
Commissioners generally welcomed Mr. Vercruysse’s proposal, although some urged caution in light of the strong seller’s market and the commission’s own financial limitations.
Clarence A. (Trip) Barnes 3rd suggested that housing should not simply be offered to every new employee, but said he supported the idea of providing housing for the executive director. He stressed the importance of actively watching the market and not being afraid to spend the money. “When you see a bargain — if it’s acceptable — you can’t just keep dogging it,” he said.
Ben Robinson said if the commission buys a house it should also be on the hook for maintenance. Mr. Schroeder said the goal is to buy a house that doesn’t need any maintenance up front, but he said the commission would need to increase its annual deferred maintenance budget to cover any capital costs related to either the Old Stone Building or staff housing.
Josh Goldstein suggested that the cost of housing could be worked into staff salaries so that no money formally exchanges hands. “There are plenty of ways to do it,” he said of the initiative. But Linda Sibley favored the indirect subsidy approach, arguing that doubling Mr. Turner’s salary, as it were, would not be feasible.
“We are getting a dual investment,” she said. “We are going to get the ownership of a valuable piece of real estate, and we’re going to have an offer which isn’t a salary boost, but an offer that makes this a more desirable job.”
Comments
The commission needs to be
BRG VH, MaThe commission needs to be very careful to follow all of the IRS rules if they decide to provide housing as part of a benefits package. Provision of housing is considered part of salary and the recipient will be taxed on the value of the housing (rental and maintenance that is paid for them). Auditors usually require a professional appraisal on a yearly basis. It really changes the gross compensation picture for someone coming to work and has both down and up sides for employer and employee.
I support this move by the
Dean Rosenthal Assoc. Commissioner for the Homeless, Dukes CountyI support this move by the MVC, as startling as it is to read about when you really stop to think about what this kind of news speaks to in terms of housing in our community and the values those of us who live here year-round need to continue to espouse. It makes me feel as if one day no one will be living here anymore, an Island full of empty vacation homes with no services, no government, no infrastructure. Where will the Island be 50 years from now? 100 years from now? It is essential to work with the community and the local organizations and towns to help out and continue to staunch the bleeding, even though it is clear that the wound inflicted by high prices and overdevelopment will, at this point, never be healed completely.
Maybe the commissioners could
Bob EdgartownMaybe the commissioners could look into supporting housing development that helps all businesses and professionals and laborers alike. Maybe a townhouse development or prefab home park? My spouse and I would downscale from our large family home if we had any options on the island. Other than building ourselves an accessory dwelling and renting out the big house, which we can't afford to do and don't want to do- having no landlord or handyman experience or skills- we are stuck with the choice of leaving the island or having more home than we need. This is a champagne problem that we are privileged to be faced with, but still a problem. I suggest the commission look at this issue.
Here is an idea that would
Tom West TisburyHere is an idea that would free up some housing and save some money. How about doing away with the commission?
Has anyone done an analysis recently about the usefulness of the commission?
True. One thing this island
Mike TisburyTrue. One thing this island has is way to many dam commissions... way to much government in out day to day running
The unfortunate irony here is
William ExPBA NY, FLA & HKThe unfortunate irony here is the MVC is afflicted by the problem they helped create.
91% of the housing stock on MVY in single family, MA as a whole is only 52%. We lack cost effective multi family rentals and hence a major part of the problem. Not all development is evil!
Too bad we no longer have any
deshandra brown EdgToo bad we no longer have any campgrounds. Many islanders go south in the winter and take advantage of RV Parks and communities with trailers (trailer park sounds negative but many are nicer than some of the places here). Everyone here seems to think they 'deserve' a 3 bedroom cape cod on a 1/2 acre of land. Its time to be logical about this. If downtown store owners were encouraged to have year round rentals above their stores (or be required to pay for their own winter sidewalk snow removal) that's an incentive. Or create an RV park on some of the closed landfill properties, which would provide the towns with extra revenue to keep taxes low for the property owners in town.
Many? Or a handful?
JMT MVYMany? Or a handful?
I commend the Commission for
Laura ArlingtonI commend the Commission for thinking creatively about a serious problem. That being said, it doesn't make sense to me to buy one house to help only the Director. Is there no way to build multi-family housing and help the lesser paid employees as well?
Dean and I ar both correct.
Abraham Seiman Oak Bluffs, MADean and I ar both correct. If Martha's Vineyard continues on it's current trend of avoiding the construction of affordable housing, all of it's current year-round inhabitants will ultimately have to move off-Island whether or not they currently own a home or rent. As each neighborhood
continues to increase its number of $1,000,000 to $10,000,000 homes, real estate taxes will rise dramatically which, along with cost of all items requiring shipping and healthcare and pharmaceutical costs, will place cost of living on the Island out of the reach of anyone earning less than
$750,000 her year.
I support this and in fact it
Sue ChilmarkI support this and in fact it is long overdue. This island owes and incredible amount of gratitude to that Commission. I adore Jim Joyce and everyone who works so hard to provide this island with guidance! Let's get this done so they can concentrate on what really needs to be done.
The Commission should partner
[email protected] MvThe Commission should partner with the Island Housing Trust to develop systemic solutions that help many in need not just it's few employees.
We are at a critical junction
Jess EdgartownWe are at a critical junction. We can begin to offer housing to the upper stratum of our small community and designate some levels of employment more worthy of housing than others or we can offer housing to all who contribute to our community. When my house is on fire I will value the firefighter above all others. When I am in need of childcare I value the childcare worker above all others. When the supermarket shelves are empty I will value the grocery stocker. There needs to be a place for everyone or our whole society will suffer greatly.
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