Ruthie and Loubins came to Nantucket from Florida at the suggestion of Loubins’ mother, who worked in private health care here. Before arriving on the island, the couple found jobs at Nantucket Tents, an event services company. They could stay with Loubins’ mother in a room in her cottage. Once the season was over, Ruthie and Loubins looked for year-round employment and housing on their own.

“My husband and I liked the Island a lot, and the people we met encouraged us to stay,” said Ruthie. “Serving the community really appealed to me, so I applied for a job at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. I started out at reception in the emergency department. I was the first face anyone saw when they walked into the ER.”

Ruthie found her calling in health care, and soon started school to become a registered nurse. Loubins stocked the shelves at Bartlett’s Farm, and was a pump attendant at Island Gas.

Finding stable housing proved far more challenging than finding good work. Like many members of the island’s workforce, they were amazed to find themselves doing “the Nantucket shuffle”, moving frequently between rentals, and sometimes not even having a place to move into. The couple never knew such a nightmare existed, as it was way outside of their normal circumstances.

“We found a room in a shared house,” said Ruthie. “But when summer came, the owner needed the space for herself. Everything happened very quickly, and before we knew it we were living out of our suitcase. We’d pack, unpack, and pack up again, staying wherever we could. At one point, we lived out of our car! We had a kind friend who owned a hotel, and he would let us shower there before we went to work. We were homeless on Nantucket. That was hell…”

Ruthie and Loubins were finally able to sublet a room in a shared house, but it was expensive. Eventually, the landlord offered the couple a lease of their own. Ruthie and Loubins were grateful for the security, but they were tired of sharing living space with others.

Shortly thereafter, Ruthie learned about Housing Nantucket’s programs to provide stable housing for year-round residents. She eagerly submitted her rental application, took Housing Nantucket’s first-time homebuyer class, and qualified for Covenant homeownership. A few months later, Ruthie and Loubins were offered one of Housing Nantucket’s Affordable Rental Units. They could finally unpack their suitcases.

Such stable housing allows the young couple to pursue their dreams and give back to the community. Ruthie graduated from nursing school and will soon take the test to become a registered nurse. The couple are members of the Summer Street church, and Ruthie is on the search committee for a new pastor. They volunteer for local nonprofit organizations, and are available when their coworkers and employers need shift coverage, fully engaged in island life. Their sights are now set on homeownership.

“My family instilled in me the value of owning a home,” said Ruthie. “I have six brothers and sisters, and they all own their homes. My parents own their home, and their parents own their homes. They taught us it was ok to rent when we are starting off, but we shouldn’t get too comfortable in that rental. We love our rental and are very grateful for it, but our all-time goal is to become homeowners. We want children and a dog, but without the space to do that, we feel like our life is on hold.”

“On Nantucket, it’s important for front-line workers like us to have a decent place to live,” said Ruthie. “When essential workers have a housing crisis, it’s a crisis for everyone. I hope our story helps people to see that, and maybe it will inspire others to help.”

The Nantucket community relies on essential workers to keep us safe. Housing Nantucket’s programs allow workers to live on-island, in quality affordable housing that meets their needs. Thank you for supporting our work!