A few months ago, Martina and Sean couldn’t see homeownership on the horizon. They were ready to put down roots, but things weren’t working out in the open market. And as self-employed individuals earning good salaries, they never thought they could qualify for affordable housing. But today, these first-time homebuyers feel overwhelming gratitude for an opportunity provided through Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program.

Martina came to Nantucket as an international student, working summers while attending college in Boston. After she graduated from Curry College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Martina moved to the island year-round, intending to work as a substance abuse counselor. Instead, she felt called to work with animals and began working at Geronimo’s Pet Store. Eventually, Martina bought into the business and became a part owner.

“I have been here since 2004,” said Martina. “In 15 years, I’ve had 6 homes. I’ve moved a lot, but I know I’ve been lucky. My cat has been with me the whole time, and now I have two dogs. For many years, finding a place that allowed pets dictated where I could live. Leaving the island wasn’t an option, but neither was giving up my pets. It worked out for me, but for those of us whose animals are like our children, it’s a real struggle.”

In 2011, Sean was lured to the island by a popular restaurant with a job as a sushi chef. His employment package included housing.

“I bought a one way ticket to Nantucket and arrived with a suitcase, an expired license, and a $10 bill,” said Sean. “In the five summers I worked at the restaurant, I lived in 6 different houses. My employer had three big houses on the island where servers, dishwashers, and managers all lived together. We lived like vermin. My first year, I just had a bed with no bedding in the corner of a room. There were a lot of people living together with no rules or structure; it was even worse than a frat house. The washers and dryers were broken, and there were bed bugs. We were working 14-hour days and making a lot of money, so we just put up with it because the rent was free. And that’s not unusual in the restaurant business. Our employer didn’t want to be our landlord.”

One night as Sean rolled sushi at the restaurant, he met Martina, who was a customer. The couple began dating shortly thereafter. Martina had no interest in going to Sean’s place to hang out, so they spent most of their time at Martina’s apartment. About a half a year later, Sean moved in with Martina and her roommates. Soon after, they were married.

“My parents were surprised that we had to live with roommates even into our 30s and 40s,” said Sean. “It’s almost like the housing crisis stunted our growth. We couldn’t start our own family until we had housing stability.”

“People sacrifice so much to be here,” said Martina. “Even if you work 80 hours a week, how can someone earning $20-an-hour pay $2700-per-month rent? And on top of that, how do you save $100,000 for a downpayment? It’s nearly impossible.”

Martina’s friend had told her about a cute little house for sale in Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program, but Martina questioned whether they were eligible for income-qualified housing. Geronimo’s was doing well, and Sean had started his own catering business, Sushi Sean. But Martina’s friend encouraged her to dig deeper.

“When I looked at Housing Nantucket’s website,” said Martina, “I didn’t think I understood correctly. I heard ‘affordable housing’ and thought it was for poor people. But the more I read, the more it made sense.”

The Covenant Program offers home ownership opportunities to moderate income year-round islanders (those earning below $172,350/year in 2019). Sellers are able to subdivide their property when otherwise they couldn’t under normal zoning means. One of the dwellings on the property is permanently restricted and sold at an affordable price (in 2019 the cap is $775, 973). The other dwelling is unrestricted.

“I’ve always wanted a small house with a big yard,” said Martina. “When Sean saw it, he knew this was the one right away. We looked at a few more places, and nothing could compare. Once I emailed Housing Nantucket to get qualified, Andrew was right on it. We were prepared for a lengthy process, but it was efficient, fast and streamlined. We had already been to the bank, so everything was organized.”

“We felt so supported by the community,” said Martina, “and receiving that kind of love was so gratifying. We took the online version of First Time Homebuyer Ed, which was easy and very straightforward. We were pleasantly surprised by the Closing Cost Assistance Program. Town staff was really excited and happy for us. That’s not part of the job description, but people understand how difficult it is to purchase a house on Nantucket.”

“We are thrilled to have Sean and Martina as our new neighbors,” said Rick Donnellan, seller of Martina and Sean’s Covenant home. “During the purchase process, we got to know them pretty well and soon realized they are a very hard working, ambitious couple. When we decided to market the cottage in the Nantucket Housing Covenant Program, Sean and Martina represented the ‘ideal couple’ we had in mind to purchase the property. My wife, Rona, and I could not have ‘hand picked’ better buyers for our cottage.”

“This opportunity means the world to us,” said Sean. “We feel so fortunate, and we’re excited to give back. Now, when we have a friend or employee who needs housing, we can help them by letting them stay in our extra space. And when we sell, the price cap ensures it’s affordable for the next owner. That’s one of our goals – to make another couple’s dream happen.”

“Nantucket is our home,” said Sean. “I can not imagine having to pack up and leave, to turn our backs on the businesses we have started. Now we can evolve in our personal lives. The Covenant Program helps bridge the gap to becoming a homeowner. It’s an amazing community accomplishment.”

“It still hasn’t set in,” said Martina, “We’re looking forward to Christmas, when my parents come and we will have a nice meal together. Maybe then it will feel real. Things were hard for us at one time, but there are Nantucket kids, born and raised here, who are couch surfing right now. The whole community suffers from a lack of decent housing. Housing Nantucket’s programs make it easier for people to stay.”