Like many young people born and raised on Nantucket, Josh returned to the island after college, drawn home by family ties and a love of the community. Josh is part of the third generation to run his family’s business, Holdgate’s Well Drilling, which provides domesticated water services for thousands of local residents and commercial customers.

At first, doing the Nantucket Shuffle was an acceptable housing option. But couch-surfing, paying astronomical rent in the summer, and relying on the generosity of others soon became tiresome. When he was offered one of Housing Nantucket’s affordable rental cottages, he snatched it.

Josh’s experience illustrates a story told by statistics. Nantucket rents are notoriously high, sometimes higher than market rents in Greater Boston. Census data indicates 40% of all Nantucket renters are housing cost burdened, which means they pay more then 30% of their monthly gross income for rent and basic utilities. Most of these cost burdened renters are working-age people under age 34. As a result, many housing units are over-occupied by unrelated, low-income wage earners who pool their resources in order to afford any housing they can find.

“Housing Nantucket helped me get out of a nightmare,” said Josh. “I feel very fortunate to have one of Housing Nantucket’s rentals. Lots of people are stuck living with their parents or paying astronomical rent for a dump. Worst of all are those who are forced to leave.”

Josh gives back to the community whenever he can: as a volunteer football coach at the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club; wrapping gifts for the Inky Santa Christmas drive; and setting up for the Boston Pops concert in the summer. He appreciates the opportunity offered to him by Housing Nantucket.

“Housing Nantucket creates affordable housing options for working local people, like me. When something breaks in my rental, they provide kind, timely service. Housing Nantucket genuinely cares about helping Nantucket people stay here.”

Housing Nantucket’s programs exist through generous community support. Tackling Nantucket’s complicated housing issues isn’t easy, but we are inspired by those we serve. Together, we can sustain the island’s greatest resource- its people.