Leah’s love affair with Nantucket’s waters began at an early age. She grew up spending summers on Smith’s Point at the home of her grandparents, who had owned The Pines (now Fairgrounds restaurant). In college, Leah worked as a lifeguard for the Town of Nantucket, and spent her free time surfing. One day out on the water, she met Matt, a Nantucket native.

Matt’s parents had moved to Nantucket in the mid ’70s. Even back then, Matt’s family needed to use creative ways to secure housing– Matt’s grandfather successfully petitioned the town to allow Matt’s parents to live in a teepee while they constructed a house in the Hummock Pond area. Matt’s parents went on to raise five children on island.

After Leah finished college, earning her Marine Biology degree, she decided to move to Nantucket full-time to be with Matt. From the beginning, affordable housing was a determining factor in how they lived their lives.

“We spent a total of six days together the winter before we moved in with each other,” said Matt. “But we figured we could save money by sharing a room. We found all our living situations through word of mouth. We’d get a year lease, but after six months, we’d have to start looking again for the next place. We never felt settled.”

After several years of frequent moving, they considered home ownership at the new affordable housing development, Sachem’s Path.

“Because of our income and household size, we could only qualify for a one-bedroom house, and we’d have to pay top dollar,” said Leah. “We planned to start a family some day, and even with that affordable opportunity, half the monthly paycheck would go to paying the mortgage. We needed other options.”

“So we started looking at Housing Nantucket’s Covenant program,” said Matt. “Everything else in our price range needed so much work. We didn’t have the money to do the necessary improvements.”

Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program offers home ownership opportunities to moderate income year-round islanders. The sale and resale of the Covenant home is subject to a price cap. This price cap is based on median income (as determined by HUD) and current interest rates.

“Some people criticize the Covenant program because the sale price is capped,” continued Matt. “But we’re not looking to turn a big profit. It’s a place to call home. Our money is going to pay down our mortgage. It’s a much better situation than renting– there’s no shuffle. Rents are expensive. We’re in a great area, with a lot of awesome year-round neighbors. We can have a pet. We have our own yard and vegetable garden.”

“I never thought we’d be able to own a home on Nantucket,” said Leah. “In this real estate market, everyone’s looking at Nantucket as a capital investment. It’s tough to have our hands tied a little, but you’ve got to give and take. This is a stable housing cost that will be here for a long, long time.”

Today, Leah is the Assistant Marine Biologist for the Town of Nantucket. Her main focus is growing scallops for stock enhancement, and she played an integral role in establishing the Shell Recycling Program. Together with the Town’s Shellfish Biologist, Leah also spawns and grows oysters at the Brant Point Hatchery. These specialized efforts are high priorities in shellfish management, because they encourage self-sustaining shellfish populations and restore native species.

“We had a lot of trouble hiring students this summer at the Town’s Natural Resources Department,” said Leah. “It is hard to find qualified science interns when we cannot provide affordable housing. Their entire salary goes to paying the rent– they have nothing to save for the school year.”

Matt currently works as a project manager for Shelter 7, a residential design and build firm with a focus on improving the contemporary building environment.

“Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program literally opened the door to our moving forward with our lives,” said Matt. “We have our dream jobs, and we can keep them. We’re talking about having kids. None of this would be possible without the Covenant Program.”