I'd like you to hold the following idea for a minute or two, and we'll come back to it: I need a secure bed for myself and my garden.
We Are Here
There is a lot of "we" here on this island, and that's not just a notion. We claim a place. We share proximity. But, I think that word "proximity" is too vague, so is "place." Not enough "people" in those words. "People" is even a little too general. Maybe it's "interactions" or "relationships." But, the annual shark tournament is interactive — in a self-interested sort of way.
Publicity/sound bytes abound these days on: Green living, local food, concerns over climate, water and soil, using more local/renewable resources, alternate transportation, and Green/natural building. Designing/remodeling homes, landscapes and whole communities for lower resource use, more recycling and reuse, less oil-based transportation, and more local businesses, employment, products, and food production are becoming more important to the economy, the environment, and human welfare. Sustainable Strategy efforts are springing up for cities/towns, schools, colleges, open spaces, farms, and neighborhoods.
So...to lay down a starting point. What would an "Affordable" price be for a 3 bedroom home on the Vineyard? Let's try to get away from formulas, percentages, and calculations. How much money down?
David Vigneault, executive director at the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, speaks about how the VHO works with area banks to pre-qualify owner applicants for affordable housing.
Title: David Vigneault: Lottery and Pre-Qualified Applicants
This edition of The Vineyard Voice podcast is an interview with Mitzi Pratt and Derrill Bazzy. They are both Aquinnah residents, and Housing Committee members.
Title: Voice Podcast: Aquinnah — History, Land & Housing
This edition of The Vineyard Voice Podcast is a conversation with John Abrams, president of South Mountain Company and former chair of the Island Affordable Housing Fund.