Island Housing Trust

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Island Housing Trust

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Island Housing Trust (IHT) promotes viable, year-round island communities by advancing permanent workforce housing on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

IHT envisions a future where MDI has a significant percentage of affordable year-round housing available to the workforce. History
Island Housing Trust, formerly known as the Mount Desert Community Trust, was founded in 1989 as the Mount Desert Development Trust, based in the Town of Mount Desert. As the Mount Desert Community Trust, the organization completed one workforce housing project through a 99-year lease on a town-owned piece of land off Route 198 in Mount Desert in 1994 and then was inactive for a number of years. In 2003, following the second MDI Tomorrow initiative, the Mount Desert Community Trust’s Board of Directors was reconstituted and the organization’s mission expanded to include all four towns on MDI. In 2005, the organization’s name was changed to Island Housing Trust to reflect that expanded mission. Through January 2021, Island Housing Trust had completed 46homeownership projects for 137 adults and children on Mount Desert Island since 2008. Among these are nine new, energy-efficient houses at IHT's Ripples Hill workforce housing development in Somesville, 15 Homeownership Assistance Program (HOAP) projects in which IHT provided bridge grants to enable qualified applicants to purchase year-round houses on MDI, four houses in the Sabah Woods workforce housing development in the Thomas Bay area of Bar Harbor, a donated 2.4 parcel of land in Somesville that became the site of a single-family residence, and a partnership project with Maine Coast Heritage Trust that enabled a couple qualified by IHT to purchase a three-bedroom home on Route 3 in Bar Harbor as their year-round home. Including among the 46 homeownership projects completed by IHT over the past eight-plus years are ten successful re-sales of residential properties that carried IHT’s affordability covenants and thus were resold at below market-rate to qualified working families and individuals. In October 2018, Island Housing Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust partnered to purchase a 60-acre parcel of land in Bar Harbor, on Route 3, at the head of Mount Desert Island. MCHT protected 30 acres of wetlands, and IHT purchased the 30 acres of uplands for year-round housing, permanently affordable to people earning a median income on Mount Desert Island. IHT plans to have 10 energy-efficient homes, including a duplex, on the site by 2022.

10/20/2026

Congratulations to all the runners who took on the Desert Island Marathon course on Sunday, especially our incredible IHT HOME Team!

Huge thanks to our awesome volunteers who kept the water (and cheers!) flowing at Hydration Station #24.

We might be biased, but we think Mile 24 is the best spot on the course. Nothing beats seeing the determination and smiles on runners' faces when they realize the finish line is almost in sight. Being there to give them that last boost of energy and encouragement is what makes the day so special!

Want to join the fun next year? We'd love to have you. Bring your friends, family, or coworkers and experience the excitement of Mile 24 for yourself.

Here's to showing up for each other and celebrating the community that makes MDI so special!

10/18/2026

Good luck to all the runners today!

IHT will cheer you on and keep you hydrated at Mile 24.

Special shout-out to our IHT relay HOME Team: Arie, Susanne, and Melissa.

See you at Hydration Station 24!

10/15/2026

Meet IHT’s HOME Team: Melissa

For Melissa, MDI is more than a beautiful place to live. It's where she and her husband fell in love while attending College of the Atlantic nearly 30 years ago.

Twelve years ago, they returned to MDI with their boys to put down roots for good. But finding an affordable home was far from easy.

“We still remark on how close we came to not being able to move here,” Melissa shares.

Today, Melissa and her family are grateful to call MDI home and enjoy everything from hiking and biking to skiing and boating in Acadia National Park.

“I love being part of the HOME Team to help support other families who want to become a lasting part of our community.”

This Sunday, October 18, Melissa will run the MDI Marathon as part of Island Housing Trust's HOME Team, helping raise awareness of the need for year-round workforce housing on MDI.

Join us in cheering on Melissa and the entire HOME Team! We'll be at Mile 24!

10/13/2026

Meet the IHT HOME Team: Susanne

On October 18, Susanne will join her friends on the IHT HOME Team for the MDI Marathon Relay.

“My husband and I feel so lucky to raise our kids in this close-knit, year-round community. We love being able to run, hike, bike, and ski the trails and live so close to the ocean and mountains. It’s also meaningful that our work helps MDI and other Maine communities remain strong and sustainable for the future.”

While our HOME Team is running, IHT volunteers will be at Hydration Station #24, handing out water and cheering runners on as they head toward the finish line.

Go Susanne and the HOME Team!

10/08/2026

Meet the IHT HOME Team: Arie

On October 18, the IHT HOME Team will take on the MDI Marathon Relay!

“I feel incredibly lucky to live in Bar Harbor year-round and enjoy Acadia and the coastline in every season. I’m excited to run my first relay with my friends Melissa and Susanne and proud to represent IHT and its work to help more people call MDI home year-round.” - Arie

And while our HOME Team is running, IHT volunteers will be at Hydration Station #24, handing out water and cheering runners on as they head toward the finish line.

Go HOME Team!

10/07/2026

We’re hiring! We are seeking a Part-Time Office Manager & Bookkeeper to join our team located in Town Hill, MDI.

24 hours/week | $28/hour
Hours are flexible and can be arranged to fit your schedule.

The position includes bookkeeping, payroll, financial reporting, office operations, and Board support. QuickBooks Online and Excel experience required. Nonprofit experience preferred.

Benefits include health insurance, retirement contribution, and paid leave.

Apply by October 31 by sending a resume and cover letter to Sherry Billings at [email protected].

10/02/2026

Volunteer with us!

The IHT HOME Team is back for the MDI Marathon on October 18! While our runners take on the course, the rest of us will be at Mile 24, handing out water and cheering on runners as they head into the final stretch.

We’re looking for volunteers to join us at hydration station #24.

Interested in volunteering? Contact Jennifer at [email protected].

09/17/2026

Island Housing Trust is seeking a Part-Time Office Manager & Bookkeeper to join our small, collaborative team working to strengthen year-round communities on Mount Desert Island.

We’re looking for someone who is organized, detail-oriented, and ready to put their skills to work for a mission that makes a difference. Responsibilities include bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll, office operations, and Board support.

Position highlights:
• $28/hour
• Health insurance
• Retirement contribution
• Paid leave
• Supportive, collaborative work environment

Experience with QuickBooks Online and Excel is required, and nonprofit experience is preferred.

If you’re looking for meaningful work that helps support year-round housing opportunities on MDI, we’d love to hear from you!

To apply: Send your resume and cover letter to Sherry Billings at [email protected].

Please share and help us spread the word!

08/25/2026

We are grateful to partner once again with Artemis Gallery, whose upcoming group exhibition will benefit Island Housing Trust.

From August 27–September 8, a portion of proceeds from the show will support IHT’s mission of creating and preserving year-round workforce housing on Mount Desert Island.

Join us for the opening reception on August 27 from 5–7 p.m. and enjoy an evening of art, community, and connection while supporting an important cause.

Thank you, Artemis Gallery, for your continued generosity and commitment to our island community!

08/22/2026

What do we mean by “workforce housing”?

We use the term often, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story.

For IHT, workforce housing means sustaining MDI’s year-round communities and creating opportunities for people already part of, or wanting to be part of, this island's fabric to keep building their lives here.

They are our teachers, nurses, carpenters, childcare providers, small business owners, municipal employees, restaurant workers, families, and neighbors. They live here, work here, raise families here, volunteer here, and contribute to our communities every day.

As IHT Executive Director Sherry Billings explains, many are middle-income residents who could afford a home in another market, but on MDI, home prices have put homeownership increasingly out of reach.

Workforce housing is about creating opportunities for people to live, work, and build their lives on MDI, and helping ensure our island communities remain vibrant, year-round.

Read Sherry’s full article: https://tinyurl.com/MDIWorkforceHousing

Address

1366 Maine 102
Bar Harbor, ME
04609

Telephone

+12072448011

Website

http://www.islandhousingtrust.org/

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