Island Workforce Housing Acquires Land In Stonington

Island Workforce Housing (IWH) announced the purchase of land for its next construction project, a second phase of rental apartments for island workers.  A wooded lot on the south side of Cemetery Road in Stonington will become the location of 12 one- and two-bedroom apartments available to the island’s workforce when complete. The property was purchased from the heirs of the Thurlow and Sawyer families whose ownership dates back to the early 1800’s.

The purchase of the property was made possible by Island Workforce Housing's new Acquisition Fund, initiated by a generous gift from Michele Janin and Tom Linebarger.

IWH Board Chair Sue Buxton said, “IWH is very pleased to announce the acquisition of this property on Cemetery Road, a designated growth area in Stonington’s Comprehensive Plan. The location is ideal, with its proximity to Main Street, the Island Community Center and the businesses in the old school building.  Housing is sorely needed for our middle-income earners, and we look forward to offering new options for the island’s local employees.” 

IWH’s first development, Oliver’s Ridge, celebrated its one-year anniversary of operations in 2024 and provides 10 rental apartments to island workers on Sunset Crossroad in Deer Isle. Apartments at Oliver’s Ridge are available to households with someone who works on the island and have proven popular with new teachers moving to the island and younger adults putting down their own family roots. Since its completion, Oliver’s Ridge has housed the families of seven DIS school employees, three island restaurant staff, a sternman, a seafood worker, a theater technician, and a carpenter.

Housing on the island has become increasingly unaffordable over the last 5 years. In 2019, the median price of a home in Stonington was $375,000 and the annual income needed to purchase a home at that price was $108,074. In 2023, the median home price in Stonington hit $625,000, and 100% of the 16 homes sold were unaffordable to those with a median income.

A Housing Needs Assessment was completed for Island Workforce Housing in 2019 and it determined an immediate need for 30-85 year-round rentals. In 2016, only 15% of housing units on the island were year-round rentals. Since then, that number has dropped to 10%. IWH’s resulting Strategic Plan called for building 30 units of year-round rental housing in three phases in order to meet this need. Addressing the shortage of rental housing is necessary to ensure that commuters can afford to live where they work, and businesses can attract and retain workers. 

Oliver’s Ridge is targeted to “moderate income” households earning between 70% and 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). In 2025, this translates to about $43,000 - $74,000 for a one-person household, $49,000 - $84,000 for a two-person household, and $55,000 - $95,000 for a three-person household. 

“We need all types of housing on the island,” said Stonington Town Manager Kathleen Billings, “I worry about the missing middle and look forward to addressing ways we can help young families work toward owning their own places. Workforce housing is one piece of a complicated puzzle that the future of our island is dependent on. Island employers need to be able to keep the help they need and the island needs to rebuild our year-round community.”

“We all know people who juggle winter rentals who would love a more permanent housing situation,” said IWH Executive Director Pam Dewell. “During our last leasing period, we spoke with teachers, sternmen, and a nurse who had been offered positions but could not commit without a place to live. And fishermen and bank and grocery store employees who work on the island, some with children, who continue to live with their parents or in inadequate accommodations and would very much like a place of their own. Unfortunately, we did not have enough capacity to accommodate everyone.”

For more information, Dewell encouraged visiting the organization’s website at: www.islandworkforcehousing.org