A bill to establish a housing bank to fund affordable housing on the Island has cleared the Massachusetts House and is before the state Senate for consideration after failing in the House two years ago.
Rep. Eric Turkington, who represents the Vineyard, said this week he is heartened by the favorable vote by the House finance committee to create the fund, now before the Senate, that could create $2 million a year in affordable housing funds for the Island.
The Massachusetts house of representatives dealt a crippling blow to Vineyard affordable housing advocates last week, voting 91-64 on Thursday to defeat legislation that proposed creating a public housing bank on the Island.
The vote was especially stinging because the proposal - which would have taxed real estate transactions to fund affordable housing initiatives - was already effectively dead for the year. Even if the house had approved the bill last week, it would have been subject to a gubernatorial pocket veto with no chance for an override.
Housing Bank Legislation Languishes as Lawmakers Ready to Recess
Session
By IAN FEIN
With the state legislative session set to expire in 10 days, a
proposal to create public housing banks on Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket appears to be effectively dead for the year.
After a lengthy partisan debate, the Massachusetts state senate yesterday afternoon approved special legislation to create public housing banks on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
But with a only a month left in the legislative term and a gubernatorial veto expected, the controversial bill - which would tax some real estate transactions to fund affordable housing initiatives - still faces on uphill battle on Beacon Hill.
Draft legislation for the proposed Martha's Vineyard Housing Bank will circulate around the Island this month as organizers seek public comment before the bill is filed in the state legislature some time in early September.
If approved at the state level - a prospect that many are calling difficult - the legislation would still need to come back to the Vineyard for another round of binding votes.
Martha's Vineyard may have an affordable housing crisis on its hands, but it also has the community support and political will to address the issue.
And if the Island's many grassroots housing organizations cooperate in their present efforts and continue to experiment with new ones, the crisis in the long run could change the Vineyard for the better.
