Three hundred people from Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket traveled to Beacon Hill yesterday with a mission: save island communities from what they say is a death spiral of rising home prices and short-term rentals gobbling up year-round housing.
They called on legislators to pass a local-option fee of 2% on transfers of high-value real estate. The first $1 million of value would be exempt, and the money would support affordable housing.
Traveling in five tour buses, they pulled up in front of the State House for a day of meetings with legislators and staff, followed by a rally on the capitol steps.
Arielle Faria, co-chair of the Coalition to Create the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank, led the rally.
“We have seen firsthand the devastating effects of unaffordable housing, with families being forced to leave their homes and communities due to skyrocketing rents and home prices,” she said. “But we did not let this challenge defeat us.”