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V O L . X X I N O. X V I J U LY 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 22 R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / D E S I G N F O C U S "It was in the middle of winter. It was a horrible day," Walls says. ree-bedroom rentals were too expensive or not big enough or wouldn't allow a dog. Typical rents were $1,000 or more. When the Walls family found the CIRT option on Craigslist, they trav- eled to Great Cranberry to look at the house and meet with CIRT's board of directors. Despite the logistics of moving to and living on an island, they decided it was worth a try. For the Gaither family, the new unit was actually the third aff ord- able home they've lived in on Great Cranberry. Ingrid and Ric Gaither fi rst visited in 2004. Back then, the North Carolina couple knew they were attracted to coastal Maine, tried out Lewiston/Auburn, then spotted a CIRT ad for an aff ordable home. "We immediately knew we were going to live on Cranberry," Ingrid Gaither says. Still, work at the time wasn't plentiful, so after a couple of years, they went back to North Carolina. " e whole time, we were think- ing about Cranberry," she says. With Whitney's help, and with a small child by then, they were able to move back about fi ve years ago. "We're big fans and supporters of CIRT," Gaither says. "It's allowed us to live here two times, in three houses, and now we're raising our son here." Life in a shbowl In its initial years, CIRT leaders had the challenge of learning the best way to screen applicants. ere were tenants who didn't pay their bills, had no job prospects or damaged the units. High turnover in the rental units was a problem. "Getting the houses established is just one piece of the pie," says Whitney. "It's not like the mainland, where you advertise and people apply. Out here, we have to be able to show there's work, or applicants have to be able to show us they have certain skills that can be used on the island, because the last thing we want is to bring a family out here and have them take jobs away from people who are already here." Another consideration is insularity. "Not everybody is suited to living on an island," says Whitney. "It's quite a diff erent lifestyle. Essentially, you're in a fi shbowl: Everybody knows your business and you know theirs. Some people can't handle that. e winter can be tough, the economy can be thin. You might not be able to get to the mainland at 2 a.m. if you have a medical emergency. We have to be candid." On Great Cranberry, as on other islands, aff ordable housing works in conjunction with other initiatives. A Monday-through-Friday commuter ferry — funded by taxpayers, ticket fees and a state subsidy — was imple- mented several years ago to make it easier for people to travel to the main- land for work. Expanded broadband access allows residents to telecom- mute. Although Great Cranberry's elementary school hasn't operated for 15 years— students are sent to neigh- boring Islesford —continued invest- ment ensures that the building will be ready for school use when needed. Schools are critical for sustaining and growing year-round populations, says Fleming-Ives. "If schools close, the islands can't attract young families," she says. For all of the current residents, the combined initiatives, the close-knit community, and their own fl exibility with regard to earning a living, made for a perfect match. Two husbands found work with a local contractor. Ric Gaither works as a sternman, has a job at the Islesford fi shermen's co-op, and shares caretaking jobs with his wife. Jennifer Walls is a certifi ed nursing assistant and cares for ailing seniors. Two days a week she's in Bar Harbor to work back-to-back shifts at a senior care cen- ter. She supplements her income with cleaning jobs, bookkeeping for boatyards and writing a monthly column for the local newspaper. Darlene Sumner, who has 17 years' experience in the children's mental health fi eld, cares for a new baby and three other kids, does small cleaning jobs and works part time at a café. Ingrid Gaither juggles part-time work at the library and general store, while also caretaking and house cleaning. " e key, we're fi nding, is having year-round jobs, even if they don't pay a high hourly rate," says Ingrid. "It's more important to me to have a year-round income that I can count on, rather than have a windfall in the summer and trying to make it last." For Rosalie Kell, after various migrations for her career and fam- ily, and with her son now in college, Great Cranberry Island is home. "My son says, 'Is this where I'm going to bring my children to see their grandmother?'" she recalled. "I says, 'Yes, this is it.' I'm driving my taproot into this granite." L S , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n B a s s H a r b o r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R Jennifer Walls came to Great Cranberry Island with her husband and their three children to take advantage of its affordable housing. Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to Not everyone is suited to living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's living on an island. It's quite a different lifestyle. Essentially, you're in a fishbowl: Everyone knows your business and you know theirs. Some people can't handle that. — Phil Whitney, CIRT

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