VHI WINTER UPDATE 2025

 

Many of you may have noticed that the former ferry crew quarters next to the terminal is gone. Indeed, once we received confirmation that our $840,000 Maine Housing grant had come through and that the required state paperwork was complete, the building was ready to be removed and repurposed. In December, Project Director Dylan Jackson and house mover Bob Stackpole worked from dawn to dusk for several days to dismantle and move the building to 16 East Boston Road. The next step is to pour a foundation and reconstruct the ferry crew quarters into a three-bedroom single family home. That stage of the project is dependent on the weather, but we hope to have construction under way in early spring. 

 

None of this work is possible without the Maine Housing grant, a $135,000 Genesis loan, and generous donors supporting VHI’s mission. Thank you! We are pleased – and so grateful – to report that in one year, from December 2023 to December 2024, VHI has raised $170,000.  This represents 85% of our goal to raise $200,000 by April 2025. These tax-deductible donations are crucial to support our operational and administrative costs, which are not covered by the grant or loan. 

 

As a new nonprofit tackling an urgent issue, we could not be more proud or more appreciative of the outpouring of support from thoughtful donors, neighbors and friends. Thanks to this momentum and energy, we are making an immediate impact. In September 2024, VHI took ownership of the existing property at 16 East Boston Road and is now renting the two apartments. 

 

We look forward to our progress this spring and summer at 16 East Boston Road. Until then, we are so grateful for your dedication, generosity and assistance in supporting VHI.  

 

 

 

Contact: Dylan Jackson, VHI project director:  (207) 542-1950   vinalhavenhousing@gmail.com                                

              Elin Elisofon, VHI president: (207) 450-1937 eelisofon@gmail.com