A veteran housing project planned for Bellevue avenue in Oak Bluffs could break ground by next May after getting approval from the town’s zoning board of appeals this week. 

A proposal to allow cities and towns across Massachusetts to assess a fee on high-end home sales has been left out of a revamped housing bill unveiled by state lawmakers last week. But housing advocates say the idea, which has long been a priority for the Vineyard, is far from dead. 

As of 2023, an affordable house for the average Island family — costing less than 30 per cent of annual income in mortgage, taxes, and insurance — should cost $400,000. But the median single-family home on the Vineyard, as of this year, costs just over $1.3 million.

For years, Islanders have prayed for more affordable housing. A new plan in Aquinnah turns to a house of worship for an answer.

Members of the community and participants in the project gathered Wednesday for a ribbon cutting at Carl Widdiss Way, with the incoming tenants set to move in Friday.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission this week declined to send a proposed Oak Bluffs veteran affordable housing complex to a full public hearing, helping fast track the project in its attempts to get funding. 

Aquinnah voters Tuesday also approved the town's $7.1 million budget and backed funding for town building repairs.