Housing Newsletter June 2026

Another Busy Quarter for Housing on Nantucket

The past few months have been another active and productive stretch for the Town of Nantucket Housing Department and Affordable Housing Trust. From new homeownership opportunities and major construction milestones to advocacy efforts and innovative housing programs, the Town’s housing team continues advancing strategies to support year-round housing opportunities across the island.

Before diving in, a few important notes:

• Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) is accepting applications for a homeownership unit at 1 Cranberry Lane. The sale price is $373,000, and applicants must be at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) with assets of no more than $75,000. For more information and to apply, visit Beach Plum Village.

• The Housing Department and Barrett Planning Group hosted the second Housing Production Plan community workshop on June 1. Thank you to everyone who attended and shared valuable input and insights! Stay involved by responding to the HPP survey here.

Ticcoma Green Breaks Ground

On March 19, the Town joined HallKeen and Norton Point Development, along with other project partners, to celebrate the groundbreaking of Ticcoma Green at 6 Fairgrounds Road and 4 Waitt Drive.

The project will create sixty-four rental units, including nine market-rate units and fifty-five units restricted between 30% and 120% AMI. All sixty-four units have already been included on the SHI List. Ticcoma Green represents one of the largest affordable rental developments currently underway on Nantucket and is a major milestone toward expanding year-round housing options.  

Project partners at the Ticcoma Green Groundbreaking.

158 Madaket Road Partnership

The Affordable Housing Trust and Nantucket Land Bank are collaborating on a creative housing initiative at 158 Madaket Road. The project includes moving three existing homes from 41 Jefferson Avenue to create year-round housing opportunities. Two of the homes will be available to middle-income households, and one home will be available to households with higher income limits under the Town’s workforce housing program.

The Affordable Housing Trust’s units were successfully relocated to 158 Madaket Road on May 12. The project works within existing zoning, reuses existing housing stock, reduces material waste and construction costs, and serves as a model for future partnerships.

2026 Annual Town Election

At this year’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved several articles that will help improve the housing landscape on Nantucket, including:

• Article 13: $7 million toward the construction of employee housing for municipal employees on Town-owned parcels. Learn more: here. This project was also approved by voters at the May 20, 2026, Annual Town Election.  

• Article 65: Acceptance of MGL Chapter 59, Section 5O, allowing the Town to enter into the Affordable Housing Property Tax Exemption Program, which will provide tax relief for homeowners who rent at affordable rates to year-round residents.

• Article 66: The passage of this article empowers the Town to amend the Affordable Housing Trust to increase eligibility thresholds to 250% of AMI, bringing local definitions into alignment with the Seasonal Communities Designation.

• Other important successes at this year’s ATM include the adoption of a formal Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) definition consistent with the Affordable Homes Act, revising the definition of attainable housing to include households earning up to 250% AMI, adopting new zoning bylaws to support community land trust initiatives, approving zoning amendments allowing the Town to place year-round occupancy restrictions on lots created through rear lot subdivision special permits, and the adoption of a density bonus provision for apartment buildings when units are placed on the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) List, creating additional incentives for deed-restricted affordable housing development.

Dr. Howard Dickler Citizen Award

Congratulations to Gerry Keneally and Joe Grause on being named the 2026 Dr. Dickler Housing Advocates. They were selected for their years of service and commitment to Habitat for Humanity Nantucket.

Select Board Adopts Strategic Plan for Employee Housing

In April, the Select Board voted unanimously to adopt a strategic plan for municipal employee housing. The strategic plan’s goal is to create 25-50 municipally controlled town employee housing units over the next 10 years.

Rental Preservation Program Launching Soon

The Town is preparing to launch a new Rental Preservation Program designed to support property owners who already maintain year-round affordable leases.

The program will help preserve existing year-round rental inventory, complement existing housing tools and incentives, and provide financial support to qualifying property owners.

The procurement process for selecting a program administration is currently underway. The Housing Department hopes to begin accepting applications this summer.

Collaboration & Advocacy

Housing advocacy efforts also continued this quarter, including ongoing support for Seasonal Communities 2.0 legislation and planning for a Spring Advocacy Day with students from Nantucket Public Schools on June 17. If you are interested in attending Spring Advocacy Day at the State Capitol Building, please contact housing@nantucket-ma.gov.

These efforts continue to build partnerships and advance legislative tools to support year-round housing on Nantucket.  

Looking Ahead

The Housing Department’s priorities remain focused on expanding year-round housing opportunities, supporting workforce and attainable housing development, preserving existing rental inventory, advancing policy and advocacy initiatives, and completing the Housing Production Plan.

The Town remains committed to pursuing creative partnerships, strategic investments, and long-term planning solutions that help support Nantucket’s year-round community.

Housing Department Staff

We'd love to hear your feedback—please share your thoughts by emailing us at housing@nantucket-ma.gov.

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