Adrienne and Cody were both born on Nantucket. They attended Nantucket public schools, although they didn’t date back then. Cody lived in a Housing Nantucket rental unit with his mother; Adrienne grew up in her family’s home. After high school, they each left the island to pursue higher education. Adrienne got a degree in early childhood education. Cody went to school for mechanics.

After graduating, Adrienne was offered a job as a teacher at Small Friends. Cody got a job in the trades. Like many of Nantucket’s young people returning home after time off-island, they had difficulty finding stable housing on their own. They relied on their respective families: Cody returned to his mother’s Housing Nantucket rental, and Adrienne’s first apartment was below her aunt’s salon.

“Back in high school, I thought I’d never come back home,” recalled Adrienne. “After I left, I realized what a unique and magical place this really is. I didn’t want to live anywhere else, but I almost had to leave. We wouldn’t be here without the help of our families.”

Adrienne moved into a studio apartment in her father’s basement. The studio was in a portion of the basement; the remaining portion was shared with the rest of the house. The couple started dating and at first, Adrienne lived in the apartment alone. Later, Cody moved in with her.

Even though the situation was less than ideal, Adrienne and Cody were grateful to have had a place of their own.

“It was definitely challenging at times, but it was better than having to move off island,” said Adrienne. “We stayed because of the community, our jobs, and our family… and of course the beaches.”

Eventually, Adrienne and Cody had a daughter. And while they could tolerate their living situation before, it quickly became unbearable.

Adrienne and Cody were desperate. They looked for other options, but there were very few homes for rent and anything that was available was too expensive. After they were married, they decided to apply at Housing Nantucket for a rental of their own. They checked regularly with staff to see if there were any vacancies.

“I remember the day (Program Administrator) Andrew called me to say we were being considered for a place with Housing Nantucket,” said Adrienne. “I was working at school, but I thought I was dreaming! I still say to Cody, ‘We have a kitchen! And not one but two bathrooms!’ Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself.”

Today, Adrienne is a teacher at the Nantucket Lighthouse School. Cody works as a carpenter.

“We feel so lucky we are able to stay,” said Adrienne. “A lot of our friends aren’t so lucky. We’re so thankful that Housing Nantucket is an option. One day, we hope to buy a home of our own. And because we have affordable rent, we put away money when we can to save towards a down payment. We are just so thankful.”

Housing Nantucket’s programs help Nantucket natives like Adrienne and Cody continue to live here year-round. Your donations enable us to expand our reach.