Nantucket, known as a sleepy summer destination for East Coasters and the vacation spot for celebrities like the Kardashians, has four full-time firefighters who can’t afford to live on the island and must commute an hour each way by ferry for their shifts. The island has a median house price of $3M and limited housing options for its critical service workers and public servants, like first responders, teachers, restaurant workers and hospital staff. “The housing problem is universal,” said Bruce Percelay, a top Boston developer who owns three hotels on the island and is chairman of Nantucket Magazine. “Everyone goes through this annual problem when the summer starts about how they’re going to house their workers, and it ranges from the landscapers to restaurants to the museum and beyond.” 
But the tide appears to be turning. Nantucket residents this week voted to put $6.5M in taxpayer funding toward affordable housing, and last year they passed a $40M plan that represented the largest housing initiative in the island’s history.And it isn’t alone, with at least two other popular East Coast beach…  Read the full story here. | 
