Urgently needed affordable rental and home ownership opportunities for year-round residents of an affluent, popular tourist town.
Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts is among many popular tourist communities on the Cape and Islands that continue to experience an increasing dearth of affordable and attainable housing options for its year-round population. Where median home prices reach $1.45 million, Meshacket Commons transforms a 6.76-acre town parcel in Edgartown into 40 affordable homes—the Island’s largest year-round affordable housing development in 20 years.
Designed by Union, the neighborhood includes 36 rental units and four homeownership duplexes serving residents earning 30-120% of area median income. A central common green anchors the walkable community, with buildings that honor Martha’s Vineyard’s vernacular architecture through cedar shingles and traditional forms.
The development exceeds energy efficiency requirements with all-electric systems and solar panels that power heating, cooling, and hot water. Residents pay only for individual unit electricity, dramatically reducing housing costs. Construction began August 2024, with completion expected November 2025.
