The West Tisbury selectmen unanimously voted on July 21 to award three lots in Bailey Park to Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard to create three new units of affordable housing. Bailey Park Road Community Housing (Bailey Park) is the result of several years of thoughtful effort by the West Tisbury affordable housing committee, along with the commitment of West Tisbury Community Preservation Act funds.

Habitat plans to build the houses sequentially. The first unit will be a recycled house donated by Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank from its property in West Tisbury. The bank also will donate funds to cover the cost of the house move and a new foundation.

As with all Habitat homes, each will be built with volunteer labor, donated materials and materials purchased with donated funds. Habitat plans to sell each house to a family with income of 80 per cent or less of the Dukes County area median income, which is currently $65,900 for a family of four as provided by the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority. Each partner family will be involved in building their home, contributing 350 to 500 hours of sweat equity. The homes will be financed with Habitat, which will provide a zero per cent mortgage to the home buyers. In each case, Habitat will convey the land to the Island Housing Trust, which will lease the land to the homeowner to guarantee perpetual affordability.

“We are launching the Build a Wonderful Life in Bailey Park campaign to raise $250,000 to support this project,” said Ron DiOrio, Habitat board chair, “as in the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, where George Bailey gets a second chance. We believe affordable housing gives working Island families a new chance to live a wonderful life on Martha’s Vineyard. We are grateful to the town of West Tisbury for giving us this opportunity. Now we need donor support to build.”