Sen. Julian Cyr briefs Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust on Affordable Homes Act, seasonal-community tools

State Sen. Julian Cyr told the Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust on Jan. 7 that the Affordable Homes Act, signed last August, gives seasonal communities such as Nantucket a package of new authorities to preserve year‑round housing but does not by itself provide all the revenue local officials say they will need.

Cyr, a member of the state Senate, said the law “is a historic authorization of $5,160,000,000 to spend on housing over the next five years,” and that one of its 49 provisions creates a seasonal‑community designation and an accompanying policy toolkit that applies automatically to Nantucket and Dukes County. The designation, he said, unlocks tools including a year‑round housing trust, year‑round deed restrictions and expanded municipal authority to provide housing for public employees and artists.

The new authorities are intended to help communities whose housing markets see large seasonal swings in occupancy and price. Cyr said the designation will let towns establish a year‑round housing trust without a separate Home‑Rule petition and allow local governments to acquire or require…