Island Housing Trust uses green building practices and provides affordable housing options for local residents.
To: Bluedot Living
From: Island Housing Trust
Subject: Green Housing, Affordable Housing
The Island Housing Trust consistently uses green building practices and has received the highest green building certifications in the country. With the help of knowledgeable designers and builders, IHT has built neighborhoods of zero net energy. These homes have the potential to produce as much energy as residents need. They achieve this by building all-electric homes that are solar ready, airtight, and super insulated. The designs include appropriately sized solar-ready HVAC systems.
This past summer, we broke ground on four permanently affordable year-round rental apartments in Aquinnah. Built in partnership with the Town of Aquinnah on town-owned land, the homes will be located behind town hall on Carl Widdiss Way. The town is finishing a new playground at this site and will then plant a community food forest and build a gazebo. Each of the two buildings we’re constructing will contain two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments with direct access via a walking path to the town center including the playground, gazebo, and food forest.
In Oak Bluffs we’re working on 60 rental apartments and a community center next to the YMCA. We’ll be breaking ground for Meshacket Commons in 2024. Both of these neighborhoods are being built on town-owned land in partnership with the towns and a co-developer, Affirmative Investments. The Meshacket Commons neighborhood will have thirty-six rental and four ownership homes, all of which will be affordable for year-round working Island residents. The site design proposes a pedestrian and bike-friendly neighborhood with a community building and a property management office, as well as outdoor play areas, passive recreational spaces, and paths that connect to the Old Meshacket Road ancient way. The site plan protects open spaces and maintains as much of the existing vegetation as possible.
Our Vision 2025 Goal is to build 150 permanently affordable homes for year-round Island residents. Scaling up production this ambitiously has meant scaling up staffing, so operational support is at the top of our wish list! Please contact Joanna McCarthy at jm*******@ih***.org or visit ihtmv.org/donate to donate.
