Joan first arrived on Nantucket in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2006 that she truly committed to making the island her home. Those early years weren’t easy. As a single mother raising two young boys, Joan found herself in a constant cycle of instability – moving from place to place, trying to find something secure.

“I had to move four different times – four! – before finally securing housing through Housing Nantucket,” she shared. “It was a journey – moving from place to place with two young boys. It wasn’t easy.”

Everything changed when Joan’s application was selected for Housing Nantucket’s workforce rental program. She moved into a home on Norquarta Drive, and for the first time in years, she felt settled.

“Once we got in, that was it,” Joan said. “That cottage became our home.”

The stability allowed her to focus on her family and her future. After she settled in, she enrolled in Housing Nantucket’s First-Time Homebuyer Education Program. She started saving with a new goal in mind – ownership. Over the years, her children thrived. One son completed high school, graduated from college and currently works for an island business. Her younger son is now a high school senior, excited to start the next chapter of his life.

“Living in that cottage gave us the foundation we needed. Housing Nantucket truly changed our lives.”

Last month, Joan closed on her very own home in the Sandpiper development—a dream more than a decade in the making.

“Being a homeowner is an incredible feeling,” said Joan. “Even though I was comfortable renting from Housing Nantucket, there’s nothing like knowing you own your home. I don’t have to think about a landlord anymore. Now I pay my own mortgage each month—my responsibilities, my space, my everything. It’s a completely different feeling, and it’s absolutely wonderful.”

And with that milestone came a full-circle moment: the apartment she once called home is now being prepared for another Nantucket family in need of stable housing.

“I’m so happy about that,” Joan said. “I felt incredibly blessed to live there – it was such a comfortable and stable place. But I didn’t want to get too comfortable knowing someone else could benefit like I did. So I kept going, kept looking, until I found a place of my own.”

Joan’s story is a powerful example of how access to workforce housing can transform lives—creating space for families to grow, dream, and thrive. Her journey reminds us why this work matters, and we are honored to have been part of it.

Your support makes our work possible – thank you!