New Martha's Vineyard Development Hopes To Ease Housing Stress For Workforce

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA — Ground was broken recently on a new housing plan that hopes to bolster affordable, workforce-focused rentals on Martha's Vineyard.

Tackenash Knoll in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard will eventually deliver 60 new affordable and workforce rental homes through a partnership between Island Housing Trust (IHT) and Affirmative Investments, Inc, officials said.

The development is especially timely, as those who work on the island are struggling to find housing.

"Tackenash Knoll represents the largest neighborhood of year-round affordable and workforce housing on Martha’s Vineyard and comes at a time when over 1,000 working island residents and their families face housing insecurity," said Island Housing Trust CEO Philippe Jordi.

Committed funding for the new housing community includes approximately $11 million in permanent and workforce housing financing from MassHousing, $27.3 million from the allocation of federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), $6 million in direct support from EOHLC, $3.6 million through IHT, and $750,000 through the town of Oak Bluffs, officials said.

Officials said the development team was selected through a competitive request for proposal process by the Town of Oak Bluffs to create new housing on a vacant, undeveloped 7.8-acre parcel of land owned by the town.

The site is approximately 3.5 miles from the centers of Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, and 4.5 miles from Edgartown, and is serviced by a nearby bus stop providing access to all main points on the island.

There is a YMCA facility, a skate park and an ice arena located adjacent to the site, and Martha's Vineyard Regional High School is a quarter mile away.

The development includes the new construction of 12 residential buildings. Six buildings will contain three rental units each, five will contain six units each, and one will contain 12 units.

The walk-up buildings will be constructed in a manner representative of the existing housing stock in the neighboring area, officials said.

Also included is a community building with a property management office, maintenance area, large community room with Wi-Fi, covered bicycle storage to the rear of the building and resident mailboxes.

The plan also provides walking path connections to the Tackenash Knoll open space to the north, the adjacent YMCA building and skating arena to the west and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School to the south.

Of the 60 new apartments, eight will be restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and supported by federal Section 8 housing subsidy, eight units will be restricted to households earning up to 50 percent of AMI and supported by the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, 27 units will be restricted to households earning up to 60 percent of AMI, nine units will be restricted to households earning up to 80 percent of AMI and eight units will be workforce housing units for households earning up to 120 percent of AMI, officials said.

There will be 12 one-bedroom apartments, 42 two-bedroom apartments, and six three-bedroom apartments.