When people think about what they have to be grateful for in their lives here on Martha’s Vineyard, few would argue that a good home is near the top of the list.
When people think about what they have to be grateful for in their lives here on Martha’s Vineyard, few would argue that a good home is near the top of the list. David Vigneault, the relentless, tireless and dedicated executive director of the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, is someone who impacts many people, families, individuals and towns in pursuit of affordable housing. Yet there is rarely a word of appreciation toward him. For that reason I believe he is the unsung hero of housing and deserving of an award as the most underappreciated man on the Vineyard. What David does with help from his tiny office is staggering and so much needed by our community.
In my 13 years on Chilmark’s housing committee, David has helped us create policies, done the income certifications on all applicants we have for lotteries, and finally manage all of our rentals. As a real estate broker, I know firsthand that managing rentals is not always a walk in the park and when confronted with situations of complexity and conflict, David is a patient champion in administering understanding and empathy in an effort to provide the best resolution for all the individuals at hand.
I have oversimplified what David and his staff do because it is really quite complicated. Many apartments that the regional housing authority manages are in fact subsidized but the authority has no money of its own. This means that monies have to be located from various sources like the town’s CPA funds. They have to make sure the rents are in line with the tenants’ needs and that landlord subsidies are fair market and so forth. There are many moving parts and the staff at the housing authority pushes those parts around like an 11-year-old Lego pro.
Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, things can get tough for the tenants of these properties just like everyone else, and when they do David and his team aggressively seek ways to help people get over these “patches” of difficult times, keep their homes and the stability that comes with them. Then there is the waiting list of hopeful families and individuals looking for stability, and that list frequently exceeds 250 names.
David has amazed me with his knowledge, touched me with his compassion and proven that the community and the more than 75 families that he currently supports and whom benefit from his efforts should do more to let him know we are grateful for his long hours and unbelievable level of commitment. I, for one, want to say thank you and show my appreciation to David and his staff. I know I represent my housing committee when I say we are grateful for your help, guidance, tenacity and leadership. Keep up the good work!
Jim Feiner
Chilmark
The writer is chairman of the Chilmark housing committee.
Comments
As a member of the board of
Richard C. Skidmore AquinnahAs a member of the board of Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, of which David Vigneault is the Executive Director, I heartily endorse Mr. Feiner's praise of David and his valiant staff. "Housing"--- for all of us--- means having a home. This is--- for all of us--- the least trivial fact of our lives. Without "housing", we are homeless. David, and staff, and the 6 Towns that fund their heroic work, are the reason that folks here living on the edge can have hope for a stable future, and a home while they work toward it.
"Housing", is a clinical term for home, and that word masks the emotional, human side of David, and the DCRHA's necessary work. There was a time in recent years, when due to lack of funds, 90 of the Housing Authorities families and individual tenants were threatened with homelessness. Yes, they were faced with the fact their "housing" might disappear in a week or so.
No one can face the potential loss of their home without the entire structure of their, and their family's emotional underpinnings being torn by anxiety. The phones at DCRHA were suddenly ringing with the deep fear of those 90 "clients" who needed help from David, Terri Keech, and Barbara Hoffman. This tsunami of emotion was met with compassion, and a plan was cobbled together that, with help from the 6 Towns and their CPA monies, prevented "the street" from being anyone's next home.
It's not just properties, regulations and money that makes our Island's Housing Authority tick, it's the willingness of David and his staff (of 2) to bear the emotional burdens of insuring that our working neighbors, in need of "housing", have a home.
This is something we should all be thankful for... and thank you, Mr. Feiner, for reminding us.
Richard C. Skidmore, Aquinnah
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