Block Island Times: Certificate of Occupancy issued for apartments

For the past 17 months, members of the Harbor Church and many, many members of the Block Island community have worked very hard to convert the third floor of the Harbor Church into four year-round, affordable apartments. And on Friday, Feb. 8 at about 11 a.m., the Town of New Shoreham Building Official signed the Certificate of Occupancy, bringing these great efforts to a successful and exciting culmination. The four units are ready for occupancy and the tenants have already started the process of moving in.

A major goal of the project was to help stabilize and make more viable our year-round community. Through an open application process, four tenants who met town and state qualifications were selected in November. One woman has lived and served on Block Island for over 20 years (yes, years) and this is her first year-round housing. Another couple have moved seven times in less than two years and were about to give up on their dream of living on Block Island when they were notified that they were “in.” Another person is an important town employee and the last is a local businessman, working hard to make a permanent go of it. The Harbor Church and all our community supporters are thrilled to be able to extend to such persons safe and stable housing. The units, though basically the same size, each have some particulars. And miraculously, each prospective tenant was matched to an apartment that met their preferences.

The apartments, though not overly spacious, are one-bedroom units with brand new and efficient kitchens and baths. Stunning views are to be seen out of each hurricane-rated window. Scores of islanders have toured the apartments over the last few months as they received their finishing touches; the universal reaction was, “Wow! These are beautiful!”

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Courtesy of The Block Island Times