Rental Program
Until 2009, CIRT has exclusively provided rental housing on the Cranberry Isles. Rents have consistently been set at well below market rates in order to provide workforce housing that is affordable year-round. Rentals are fairly easy to come by September through May, but summer weekly rental rates are often two to four times the monthly rates paid during the rest of the year. This forces some residents and workers to leave their rental units and either move into very cramped quarters, "hop" from one temporarily unoccupied home to the next, or move off-island for the summer months. None of these options promote the quality of life we associate with the islands and certainly do not promote a sustainable year-round community. CIRT provides stable, affordable, long and short term housing for renters. Our rentals act not only as a means of introducing prospective residents to the islands, but also as a means to stabilize the year-round population.
Home Ownership Program
Rentals can effectively act as a "wick" enabling new residents to become established on the islands, but in order for this to work, tenants must eventually move on and hopefully move into the community on a permanent basis. Providing home ownership opportunities is one of the best ways to provide long-term housing (and long-term residents) for the island community and facilitate this necessary movement of people. This does not mean that CIRT should provide every home ownership opportunity, or that every CIRT tenant is entitled to such an opportunity. What it does means is that CIRT is willing to work with interested community members to make an investment in the community, both in the form of long-term affordable housing and the human capital they bring.
We believe that our first home ownership project is a successful example of this. The sale has closed, but CIRT is still fundraising to cover its share of the project costs and build toward future purchases. To learn more about this project and the program CIRT is developing, CLICK HERE!
Five-Year Plan
CIRT has been working on developing a plan to direct the organization in the near to mid-term. This work has taken the form of a five-year plan, currently in draft form, that will outline current conditions, goals, objectives, programs, and other important organizational elements. The draft plan outline is presented below. Please feel free to contact us with any thoughts or comments you may have!
CIRT FIVE-YEAR PLAN
OUTLINE
I. INTRODUCTION
A. History and Accomplishments
B. Purpose
C. Mission Statement
II. HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
A. Introduction
B. Population Trends
C. Housing Stock
D. Housing Costs
III. GOALS
A. General Goals
B. Program Goals
C. Organizational Goals
IV. FIVE-YEAR OBJECTIVES
A. Rental Program Objectives
B. Accessory Apartment Program Objectives
C. Intermediary / Home Ownership Program Objectives
D. Land Bank Program Objectives
E. Community Participation and Advocacy Objectives
F. Organizational Objectives
V. FINANCIAL PLAN
A. Five-year Fund Raising Objectives
B. Current Year Operating Budget
C. Five-year Projected Operating Budget