The ritzy US island beloved by A-listers including Spike Lee, Michael J Fox and the Obamas is facing a quiet crisis.
Rent prices on Martha’s Vineyard have reached such staggering levels that doctors and nurses are leaving in droves because they simply can’t afford to live on the luxury Massachusetts enclave.
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital President Denise Schepici said that one of their ‘greatest challenges’ is simply ‘keeping people housed’.
‘Every time a house goes up for sale on the Vineyard, one of our employees becomes housing insecure,’ she told the Boston Globe.
The nonprofit hospital, which is part of Mass General Brigham, has resorted to drastic measures to combat the personnel problem – by constructing a $38 million housing unit for their EMTs who have been priced out of the island.
Hospital executives struck a deal with the wealthy Norton family who have owned estates on the island for decades to secure 26 acres of land in 2019.
Since then, planning and construction has been underway for a 48-unit apartment building made with materials shipped by barge to the Atlantic enclave.
Each unit was constructed in a Pittsburgh factory complete with appliances, countertops, and finishes, and they each made the 600-mile journey to the island, before being carefully placed into foundations by crane at the site.
The chief operating officer of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Denise Schepici, said that one of their ‘greatest challenges’ is simply ‘keeping people housed’. The hospital has turned to a drastic measure – building affordable units for their doctors and nurses
The nonprofit hospital, which is part of Mass General Brigham, has been forced to turn to extreme measures to combat the personnel problem – by constructing a $38 million housing unit for their EMTs who have been priced out of the island
The ritzy US island beloved by A-listers including Spike Lee, Michael J Fox and the Obamas is facing a quiet crisis. Rent prices on Martha’s Vineyard have reached such staggering levels that doctors and nurses are leaving in droves because they simply can’t afford to live there
‘It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle,’ Neil Lemieux, the director of preconstruction at Columbia Construction, the project’s general contractor told the Globe.
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital President Denise Schepici said that one of their ‘greatest challenges’ is ‘keeping people housed’
‘There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into building a project like this on the Vineyard,’ he added.
‘Where are you getting your materials and your workers from? Believe it or not, it’s easier to build these units off-site and ship them here.’
The first residents, chosen through a housing lottery, are set to move in June. Lucky winners will have their rent subsidized, and no-one will pay more than 30 percent of their wage in rent.
Schepici said the project is necessary for the hospital’s continued survival, due to the dire state of the housing market on Martha’s Vineyard.
‘Of course we’re extremely proud of this project, and feel like we’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do for our employees,’ she told the Globe.
‘But it’s also true that, as a hospital, we have to do this for our operations. Our doctors and nurses need homes.’
It’s near-impossible to find a home on Martha’s Vineyard for less than $1 million, and only one in four properties on the island is a rental. Average rent for a one-bed is $3,000 a month
Pictured: Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, where executives are struggling to retain staff
Each unit was constructed in a Pittsburgh factory complete with appliances, countertops, and finishes, and they each made the 600-mile journey to the island, before being carefully placed into foundations by crane at the site.
It’s near-impossible to find a home on Martha’s Vineyard for less than $1 million, and only one in four properties on the island is a rental.
Many of the family homes are also bought up as second houses or vacation properties, so buying is out of the question.
Meanwhile, a one-bedroom costs $3,000 per month to rent on average, according to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
This means that hospital staff largely live off the island on Cape Cod, where housing prices aren’t much better, and they face a lengthy commute by ferry to work.
While the new construction set to open in June won’t provide accommodation for everyone, executives hope it will free up more affordable rentals for those who don’t secure a unit too.
