It seems there are some people trolling this page who are not in need of housing, or trying to help solve the problem. Instead, theyre leaving comments (live on a boat, leave the island, must be jobless, etc) about the level of responsibility of those seeking housing, or calling the legitimacy of being on island into question. So this is my story, to confront those who sit in a warm house judging others in need. I moved from Portland Oregon to this island in October of 2012 to be near my kids (9 yr old boy, 4 yr old girl) whose mother (my ex wife) had moved here to help her elderly mother with medical issues who lives in Oak Bluffs. When I arrived, I heard of a lack of qualified IT professionals and decided that instead of working for an island business and struggling to survive, I started my own company, Techlink LLC. techlinkmv My first client was the Winnetu, and I have since gone on to secure many clients, some VERY high profile, and have managed to build a solid clientele from literally nothing, knowing very few on the island. When I secured housing in January of 2013, I was promised the ability to rent for multiple years. Unfortunately, my landlords mother died, and his elderly sister who took care of their mom needed a place to move in to, so he did not renew my lease. I was out by January 31st of this year. I scoured for housing (finding nothing) from the time he told me (a week before Christmas) until 2 days before I was set to be vacated, and found a temporary living situation in a 1 bedroom basement for 3 months. Ive spent the last 3 months diligently scouring all online opportunities from craigslist to mv times and everywhere in between, filling out paperwork with the DCRHA, and talking to every client I have (some of which are island realtors), to no avail. Housing has simply NOT BEEN AVAILABLE. If there were awards given for tenacity in housing searches, Id have the Gold medal right now. As the move out date of my temporary housing grew near, some housing had become available, but at a cost so absurdly high that even a busy small business owner like myself couldnt justify or survive, let alone that 99% of them are for summer only. I moved out of my temporary housing last Friday, and through the grace and generosity of some compassionate islanders, Ive only had to sleep in my vehicle one night. That will surely change as the week progresses, because I cant simply rely on the generosity of others to survive. All the while, Im still working for my clients, showering wherever I can, and keeping up appearances. The reason I cant simply leave the island is because I have contractual obligations with clients running all the way through July. Im in the middle of rewiring the entire Edgartown Town Hall with Ethernet (88 outlets), among other projects that simply cant be walked away from. Ive spent a year and a half on this island providing a very necessary service to business owners and residential clients, and not only would it be a shame to yank this service out from under those who rely on my expertise, but it would bury the thousands of hours of hard work Ive put in to building my business and forming relationships with islanders, from ones who couldnt afford to pay me (so I fixed their issues pro bono), to the fantastically wealthy/famous that Ive been fortunate enough to do work for, and still do to this day. All that being said, my point is that just because someone (myself specifically) is homeless is NOT AT ALL due to a lack of effort in securing housing, or due to a stubborn unwillingness to leave the island. Im homeless because, most likely, greed is what drives the housing on this island, making it incredibly difficult for responsible, hard working people who actively support the community here year round to find equitable, affordable housing. For those who judge us that dont own a home on the Vineyard, and cant simply walk away from the island, not even your worst criticisms or nasty comments will abate my search for housing here. Im not a vacationer, and I dont live here just for bragging rights. Im a business owner who traveled almost 3000 miles so I could simply be near my children, and my tenacity as a business owner on the Vineyard will keep me here, homeless or not. **EDIT** I have edited this post from its original, removing the word snarky in reference to comments Ive been reading here. I was just upset and stressed out from the gravity of my situation and the enduring responsibilities that need to be maintained while living out of my vehicle. It was unfair and I sincerely apologize if I offended anyone.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 11:20:39 +0000
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