Nantucket Needs An Affordable Community Lodge And Real Community Center Before We Lose Even More

To the editor: For all our conversations about zoning and affordability, there’s another part of Nantucket’s story that quietly disappeared: the island no longer has a truly affordable, community-oriented place for ordinary people to stay, even briefly. And beyond that, Nantucket also lacks something equally important — a modest, accessible community center where islanders and visitors can gather, host events, learn, create, and connect.

For decades, the Star of the Sea Hostel provided at least part of that role. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t meant to be. It offered simple, low-cost lodging to travelers, students, researchers, volunteers, and young people. With its two-week maximum stay, it was never meant for long-term workers — but it served as a point of access, a doorway into Nantucket for people who couldn’t afford anything else.

When the hostel took on a new purpose, that chapter ended. What the island lost was not simply rooms — it was a public space rooted in openness, affordability, and community belonging.

Today, the need is greater than ever. Nantucket has reached a point where even short, simple stays are out of reach for most people. A week on-island now costs more than a high-end hotel in major cities. Students and young travelers who once biked to the hostel now can’t come at all. Families visiting for graduations or funerals struggle to find anything under $600 a night. Nonprofits and schools turn away opportunities because they have no place to house guests or run programs.

At the same time, the island has very few public indoor spaces where small events, workshops, community meetings, lectures, cultural gatherings, or youth programs can take place affordably.

A community loses something vital when it has no place to welcome people and no place to gather.

A combined solution could be a community lodge and a community center. The island would benefit enormously from a dual-purpose facility — a modest, well-managed, affordable lodge paired with flexible community space. This combined approach would:

• Provide short-term, reasonably priced lodging
• Offer meeting rooms, workshop space, and program areas for nonprofits and local groups
• Support schools, arts organizations, environmental programs, and visiting educators
• Give families a more affordable option when visiting students or relatives
• Create a hub for learning, creativity, and civic life

And because Nantucket’s needs change with the seasons, such a facility could serve an even broader purpose. When the lodge closes to the public in late fall, it could operate as a temporary shelter or transitional space for island residents with limited resources — including individuals or families experiencing homelessness or crisis. This dual use would allow the facility to serve the community year-round, addressing needs that currently go unmet once the summer crowds depart.

This isn’t about recreating the old hostel exactly. It’s about reviving the spirit of accessibility and connection that the Star of the Sea represented and expanding it with a multipurpose space the entire island could benefit from.

This will not solve every housing problem, but it solves a real one. Long-term housing challenges are separate and extensive, but this effort addresses a different gap:

• The lack of short-term, dignified lodging for people of ordinary means
• The lack of affordable community space for gatherings, workshops, and events
• The lack of seasonal emergency shelter options for vulnerable residents

A combined lodge/community center would:

• Strengthen nonprofits and educational programs
• Support local artists, speakers, and youth initiatives
• Provide dignity and safety for residents needing short-term shelter
• Reduce reliance on informal or unsafe rooming
• Keep Nantucket accessible to people who bring energy, ideas, and diversity of experience
• Reinforce that this island is still a real community, not just a destination
  

This is an invitation to collaborate. This is something Nantucket can build together. I have begun quietly looking for a suitable piece of land or an existing structure that could be adapted for a community lodge and community center, and I welcome anyone with ideas, leads, or interest to reach out. I’m not looking to build or own this facility myself. My hope is simply to act as a catalyst and organizer for a community-driven project. I’m encouraging conversations, gathering ideas, and helping move the concept forward so the island can reclaim a resource it once had and still needs.

Any group, nonprofit, or individual who helps make this a reality would be contributing something genuinely meaningful to Nantucket — a visible, lasting public benefit that strengthens the entire island community.

If we want community, we must build for community. The Star of the Sea Hostel played its role with humility and heart. Its sale was appropriate, but its absence left a void that has only grown with the island’s changing economics.

If Nantucket wants to preserve not just its buildings but its soul, it must create spaces that support connection, access, dignity, and belonging. A combined affordable lodge and community center won’t fix every challenge the island faces. But it would restore something deeply needed: a place where people from all walks of life can gather, learn, rest, and feel welcome — and where vulnerable residents have somewhere safe during the quiet months.

And that’s worth building.

Charles Dundee