Live like a local; #walkamileinmyshoes

So part of the travelling Fellowship involves “down-time”. Time to reflect, take on board the views (scenery), adjust to time zones…

I’m not very good at “down-time”, there’s always something new on the horizon. A glance at the balance of my time-sheet showed a need for more serious editing and down-time (note no punctuation now).

So I traveled the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on the buses to see what the horizon would bring me. At this point imagine someone just hopping off and on buses flagged down in random places and you will not be far wrong from the reality.

Mention housing and community to any local you meet. I dare you to discover what their opinion or reality is.

What do Fishermen and Farmers have in common?

They never retire. I met a semi-retired Menemsha Fisherman at his shack; he can trace 11 generations back on the Island (no names to preserve privacy), has raised 4 children who have all left for their own lives. Housing and Community is a big concern for resident islanders; he shakes his head.

We chat as visitors and cars stream around us; the cafe will close at 3pm when the visitors leave, the restaurant, (too pricey for locals to eat at, however offering good wages to work for), lies empty as the high season has finished. He freely shares that when he was involved in local politics he would have liked to see a two tier attitude towards housing, with year round residents favoured . The summer residents were fiercely opposed and remain so today.

I met a seasonal driver who owns a gingerbread house (more on these later), and lives here for the summer. One of these tiny but unique 19th century homes typically starts at $500,000.

Hotels have seasonal staff and provide accommodation; cost of living here is a hot topic (even island gas tops $3.70/gallon, a full dollar more than I’ve seen anywhere else in the US).

A driver who confirmed homelessness was an issue; families lived in the woods, the church does what they can.

Celebrity status has an impact. Houses in Edgartown, prime locations, go for $15 million plus. The Obama’s have just bought an Island House; everyone’s real estate is set to rise. Much as it did in Ketchum (Idaho) when Tom Hanks moved in, or Snake River (Wyoming) with Harrison Ford. For the record, I’m not a celebrity stalker…though I did drive past Tom Hank’s driveway 4 times…

A native worker struggling to get work that will pay the bills this winter; out of season there are not many jobs to go round.

An ex-local on holiday here who had to move away because they could not afford to live here even seasonally. They had tried for 8 years.

A full time resident writer who “hops” from rental to rental; housing is a constant worry, but he is pragmatic about it. Air BnB has a lot to answer for internationally as the reason why the rental market has shrunk hugely. Housing is a conundrum, he states. Too right. He’s currently writing about the hidden homelessness, people living in chicken shacks. I give him my card so I can follow the story.

I was told it’s not a “depressed or deprived” island, if you want to work there are plenty of jobs. I’m not sure everyone I met in my downtime would agree. But that’s what opinions are, specific perspectives.

The picture at Martha’s Vineyard is not as rosy under the surface. For most life is hard. Resident rural communities are struggling against a tide of inequity and affluence they cannot rise with; like boats anchored to the seafloor in a rising tide.

Well they did say take in the views in down-time.

By twilight, I felt like I’d lived a Ground Hog day without actually seeing one.

Every politician and public/voluntary sector worker involved in providing housing for the community, should try it out for themselves first before feeling self-satisfied and patting themselves publicly (and each other!) on the back for a job well done. Have you really done the best for your community or just papered over a leak in the hull?

My opinion? Ask, Listen. Take the bus . #walkamileinmyshoes