The Cranberry Island Realty Trust is building two new houses on Great Cranberry Island with the intent of luring new families to the declining island.

The new, affordable three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom units continue Cranberry Island Realty Trust’s (CIRT) mission to increase the number of working, year-round families on Great Cranberry and Islesford, the other year-round island in the town of Cranberry Isles. Funding is coming from MaineHousing, which set aside $2 million in 2010 to support affordable housing projects on islands. Other islands benefiting from the funds include Isle au Haut, North Haven, Islesboro and Chebeague.

Although CIRT’s efforts span both islands, Great Cranberry, which has a year-round population of around 45, was chosen for the new housing due to both circumstance and opportunity. “The Great Cranberry population is declining to what might be the point of no return,” says CIRT acting president Phil Whitney. “Most year-rounders are in their 50s or older and there is no significant number of new families moving on the island. Islesford has double that population.” Beyond being the more critical case, Great Cranberry also benefited from generosity when island resident and CIRT board member Bruce Komusin donated 1.2 acres of land outright for housing. “Both Bruce and I recognized that if we didn’t try to do something when we had free land and government money, we wouldn’t see many more opportunities to do this,” says Whitney.

To qualify for the Maine Housing funds, CIRT must raise a match of $70,000, a goal they are still working towards, as well as meet certain energy-efficiency and building standards. To simplify the building process, the group has chosen to use custom-designed modular houses that can be easily assembled on-island in a few days. Coastal Builders of Ellsworth is handling the project. Whitney hopes that fundraising will be complete by the end of May, which will allow the buildings to be ordered and then installed by the fall. CIRT did not request any funding from the town for the project. The building must remain as affordable rentals for at least 15 years.

CIRT currently has three rental houses, two on Great Cranberry and one on Islesford. One of the houses on Cranberry is currently vacant and awaiting renovations. While Whitney previously had possible tenants in the pipeline, at the moment they have “dropped off the radar as they moved or situations changed.” As part of the effort to cultivate more interest, CIRT is working with the Great Cranberry Futures Group on a brochure to encourage people to come to the island. Additionally, they will hold open houses in July and August, hoping to interest the summer community in their work. “It is important for the summer folks to understand that if we don’t have a viable year-round population, it makes it more difficult for them,” says Whitney.

Although the new housing is a major effort for the group, Whitney believes they are ready for the challenge. “We’ve put together a strong team on the CIRT board, with members who have construction skills, fundraising skills, technical skills and managerial skills. We are really beginning to be a professionally run organization, and not just for this current project. We’d like to keep moving forward and keep building houses.

Cherie Galyean is a freelance writer living in Bar Harbor.