NHA
Keeping Community Intact: An educator from the Nantucket Historical Association with Nantucket seniors — beyond the clinical care, the Our Island Home allows local nonprofits, family members, and volunteers to maintain the social fabric and shared history that would be lost if these residents were forced to relocate to the mainland.
The Real Cost of Our Island Home
Beyond the Town Budget and the ‘Family Tax’
Dominick Costanzo • March 24, 2026
As the debate over the $119 million override for the new Our Island Home (OIH) facility at Sherburne Commons intensifies, the conversation has centered almost exclusively on the Town’s deficit. But a deficit is only half the story.
To understand the real cost of not building this facility, we look at the Private Family Tax, the financial and emotional burden that will be shifted directly onto Nantucket residents the moment care moves off-island.
The Hidden Tax
When "experts" talk about saving the Town money, they are really talking about privatizing the cost of aging. If a loved one is moved to a mainland facility, the expense doesn't disappear, it just moves from the Town’s ledger to the family’s checkbook.
The Logistics of a Single Visit
For a spouse or child to visit a loved one off-island, they face a grueling and expensive Travel Tax.
Using current 2026 rates, a single visit breaks down as follows:
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Option A (Fast Ferry + Rental + Lodging)
$90 Ferry + $60 Rental + $40 Meals + $250 Lodging (1 night)
= $440 per trip.
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Option B (Flight + Ground)
$250 Flight + $60 Uber/Car
= $310 per trip.
The Annual Family Burden
For a family maintaining a modest schedule of just two visits per month, the math is sobering:
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Direct Travel Costs: $7,440 – $10,560 per year.
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Lost Productivity: 16–20 hours of travel time per month (equivalent to $4,000 – $10,000 in lost wages/work).
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Total Annual Burden: $11,440 – $20,560 per family.
The Macro Impact: If 40 residents are forced off-island, Nantucket families will collectively absorb between $450,000 and $820,000 annually in hidden travel and lodging costs. This is capital stripped directly from the year-round community.
The Emotional Deficit: The Toll of Separation
Beyond the dollars, there is a human cost that no spreadsheet can capture.
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The Spontaneous Visit vs. The Planned Trip: On-island, a grandchild can drop by after school or a spouse can visit for an hour every evening. Off-island, every interaction must be budgeted, scheduled, and weather-dependent.
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The Relocation Crisis: When a senior moves off-island, families face an impossible choice: stay on Nantucket and endure the separation, or move off-island themselves to be near their loved one. This accelerates the "brain drain" of our year-round workforce.
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Health Outcomes: Medical data proves that seniors with consistent, local family support have significantly better cognitive and physical outcomes. Distance doesn't just isolate; it degrades health.
Challenging the "Expert" Numbers
The Finance Committee points to a $122,000-per-bed subsidy. Here is what that number misses:
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The Medicaid Trap: Most private mainland facilities require private pay (up to $180,000/year) for up to two years before they accept Medicaid. OIH is the island's only safety net. Without it, a middle-class family can be wiped out financially in 24 months just trying to stay in a facility.
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The Staffing Fallacy: The current deficit is driven by a lack of staff housing. By building at Sherburne Commons with dedicated housing, we stop paying "traveling nurse" premiums (often 3x the standard rate).
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The Cost of Nothing: Closure is not free. The Town would still face legacy costs at the East Creek Road site and the high-risk logistical nightmare of relocating 45 frail residents during a healthcare crisis.
The plan to co-locate OIH at Sherburne Commons (on Town-owned land) creates a vital Continuum of Care. It ensures that as residents age, moving from independent living to assisted living to skilled nursing. They never have to leave their neighborhood, their friends, or their island.
While the $134 million figure is often used as a scare tactic, the actual cost to the average year-round homeowner is approximately $165–$207 per year. When compared to the $11,000+ annual burden a family faces if forced off-island, the municipal override isn't just a moral choice, it’s a massive cost-saving measure for the community. As one resident put it: "I'm willing to pay $165 a year to know that if I ever need rehab or long-term care, I won't be exiled from my own home."
Value vs. Price
The "experts" are looking at the price of a building. Voters must look at the value of a community.
If we reject the new Our Island Home, the money isn't saved, it’s simply redistributed. It will be paid in ferry tickets, rental cars, hotel stays, and in the heartbreak of families who can no longer afford to see their parents.
Nantucket can afford to house its elders. What we cannot afford is the cost of forced exile.