Vinalhaven Housing Committee History

 

The Vinalhaven Housing Committee was originally formed in December of 2018 by the Town of Vinalhaven Select Board, to address the critical need for affordable year round housing  on Vinalhaven.  Unfortunately that committee did not reach any conclusions or recommendations for the Vinalhaven Planning Commission.

 

The Vinalhaven Planning Commission attempted to address the housing shortage through consideration of ordinance revisions but quickly realized the task required extensive research and expert assistance.  Toward that end the Select Board was asked to reappoint a Housing Committee which they did late in 2020. The Select Board appointed a seven-member committee whose members were Elin Elisofon, Kathi Young, Ethan Warren, Darline Beckman and Hooper Brooks, Barbara Philbrook, and Marjorie Stratton.

 

The Committee was authorized  to: Review the Land Use Ordinance for zoning revisions that would promote year-round housing; research energy audit and other home improvement options and grants; review town owned parcels and private land for possible building sites for year-round housing.  

 

The Committee realized a study of the housing needs was essential. The Select Board authorized funds to hire consultant Merry Terry, a respected housing expert familiar with island housing challenges, to create an anonymous Housing Assessment for our community. The Needs Assessment final report in November of 2021  indicated out of the 104 respondents, 51 reported experiencing challenges in finding housing, with almost 70% indicating affordability being the greatest barrier. 

 

•  Zoning Revisions: The Planning Commission, with the assistance of professional Land Use Planner, Mat  Eddy, and input from the Housing Committee, proposed revisions to the zoning ordinance  to promote and expand housing options, especially where Town water and septic is available. Those revisions were approved at a Special Town Meeting in November of 2023, and are now part of the current Ordinance.

 

• Finding Help for People to Stay in Their Homes: Committee work included: Researching programs to assist with energy efficiency improvements, home repairs and identifying funding and grants that would finance the work. A grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation helped pay for energy audits and air sealing in 16 year round residents homes.

 

•  Expanding Year-Round Housing: The Committee researched State and Federal funding sources  to create affordable year round housing, and spoke with other island housing organizations.

 

• Land Options: The Committee looked at Town owned land that might be appropriate for building year-round housing. We reviewed the cost of land purchases, building and/or moving modular units to the island and found that it is enormously expensive. In an effort to find an affordable solution, the committee reached out to several potential developers to learn if they had an interest in building on Vinalhaven to help solve our critical housing shortage.

 

​

The Vinalhaven Housing Committee fulfilled its obligation and became the Vinalhaven Housing Initiative (VHI), a state and federally recognized nonprofit organization.