What Number Are We Solving For?

(October 20, 2025) For the first time in a decade, Housing Nantucket has commissioned a comprehensive study of the island’s year-round housing needs—updating and expanding upon earlier assessments to reflect the community we live in today.

Funded by Remain, the 2025 Housing Needs Assessment introduces new layers of analysis that account for the island’s evolving economic, demographic, and environmental realities. This updated data provides an invaluable foundation for policymakers, nonprofits, and community partners as they work together to create a more stable, sustainable, and equitable housing landscape.

“This study gives us a clear-eyed view of where we stand and where we need to go,” said Anne Kuszpa, Executive Director of Housing Nantucket. “It’s not just about numbers, but about the people and families who keep this island running year-round. Having up-to-date data allows us to make smarter, more equitable decisions for Nantucket’s future.”

The findings were presented on Monday, October 20, at the Nantucket Atheneum, in a presentation delivered by Brett Piercy, an urban planning and economic development specialist. With deep expertise in identifying community strengths and fiscal challenges, Brett’s work highlights actionable strategies for sustainable growth and informed decision-making.

Watch & Explore the Findings

📊 View the slide deck

📊 Read the Full Report

🎥 Watch the Full Presentation

🗞️ Nantucket Current: First Housing Needs Assessment In 10 Years Shows Depths Of Island Housing Crisis

What We Learned & Where We’re Headed

The presentation of our Housing Needs Assessment was an exciting milestone for Housing Nantucket and our partners, and the discussion that followed reflected the shared commitment across this community to keep learning, refining, and taking action.

During the Q&A, participants explored what additional analysis could help us go even deeper and what new insights might guide our next steps as we continue to address Nantucket’s housing needs. Topics included the rising costs of construction, supporting low-income homeowners, and comparing Nantucket’s strategies to those of other resort communities facing similar pressures. The discussion also touched on connections to the Moonshot Report, which outlines long-term strategies for building sustainable and attainable housing across the island. Developed by Columbia University’s MOONSHOT team, the report includes a customized housing need model that estimates ten-year rental housing demand for households earning between 60 and 120 percent of area median income, offering valuable insight into the scale of workforce housing demand on Nantucket.

In this context, the term household follows the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition: all the people who occupy a single housing unit, whether related or not. This means each apartment, home, or unit on the island represents one household, regardless of family structure or size—an important distinction when interpreting the data behind Nantucket’s housing needs.

The next major step in this process will be updating the Town’s Housing Production Plan (HPP). HPPs are a key part of Massachusetts’ Chapter 40B framework, helping communities plan for affordable housing development while maintaining Safe Harbor status. In short, the HPP serves as both a roadmap and a compliance tool. It outlines how we’ll meet our affordable housing goals and ensures that Nantucket continues to have local control in the 40B process.

Our updated HPP will build on the findings of this new assessment and reflect what’s happened since the 2023 Community Survey, including new housing that’s been built, approved, or is now under construction. The Affordable Housing Trust is beginning that update process now, and this is an opportunity for all of us to stay engaged and bring data, local knowledge, and creativity to the table.

Together, we’re not just studying the problem—we’re shaping the path forward for a more attainable and sustainable Nantucket.