The Block Island Times: Letters: Housing, yes, but at a reasonable cost

I'd like to weigh in on the housing issue for the town manager. We have to realize that a few key positions on the island in the 21st century need to be filled by persons with skills not commonly found on the island and some of these positions have a fairly high turnover rate. At present, there are two such positions on the island: The doctor and the town manager.

We all know that our housing stock is grossly overpriced due to pressure from people from “away” looking for the perfect summer house. Therefore, in order to attract applicants with the needed credentials, we need to either grossly overpay them so that they can compete in securing housing in the open market, or provide such housing as part of the employment package. Such housing, of course, is to be terminated when the party departs the island. We already supply a fine residence for the doctor.

So how do we accomplish this without breaking the bank? Our costs for building on the island are astronomical for two basic reasons: 1) The price of the building lot, and 2) the cost per square foot to construct a house, given The Block Island Factor.

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