I especially love the confluence of place-, environment- and people- sustainability focus. And the idea of owner’s manual to the house…posits the structure as a living creature, like a pet (since we all know human babies really don’t have manuals no matter the books) in a tender, loving caring relationship.

Thank you for the story and the collective actions that make our world a better place.

Can you build in Rhode Island yet??
Yours,
Michelle

Glad to hear you’re having a good planting season.

Housing lotteries on the Vineyard are usually conducted by the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority (DCRHA). When new subsidized housing becomes available, each house has the price set so that it is targeted to a particular income level – 60-80% of area median income, 80-100%, 100-120%, and sometimes 120-140%.

The houses have a permanent limited equity re-sale restriction to maintain affordability, which mean the owner can realize 3-4% annual appreciation and must sell – which rarely happens – to a qualified buyer through the DCRHA process. In the case of the houses we just completed, the land is owned by the Island Housing Trust, a community land trust, so the buyers are buying the house but they have a permanent ground leas on the land and the trust maintains ownership.

Applicants must go through a rigorous screening process and be approved for a mortgage by a local bank. Usually there are preferences for residents of the town that the project is in, at least for some of the houses. Qualified buyers are put into the pool and have chances at those houses designated for their income level.

Does that answer your question? Let me know if you wish to know more, or go to http://www.ihtmv.org.

John, can you explain the nature of the lottery? I don’t understand it from this story.

Good stretch of planting weather here, – Rob