Housing Assistance, in collaboration with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, will convene meetings of 30 business and nonprofit leaders to discuss ways to approach Cape Cod’s housing crisis on a regional and statewide level. The sessions, to be held Jan. 24 and 26 at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, will be jointly facilitated by Housing Assistance, the chamber and the Consensus Building Institute.
The sessions are the next step for the Housing to Protect Cape Cod (HPCC) initiative, which was launched by Housing Assistance in partnership with the Cape Cod and Islands Association of REALTORS®, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, CapeBuilt Companies, the Homebuilders and Remodelers of Cape Cod, and 19 other local non-profits across Cape Cod & the Islands in November 2022. These strategy sessions will include a presentation by the Cape Cod Commission on the Regional Policy Plan.
State Sen. Julian Cyr, who spoke at the HPCC summit in November, got an earmark to help cover the costs of the sessions.
“Solving the dire housing crisis on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket requires a collaborative and sustained approach across our communities,” said Cyr. “I am thrilled to have secured funds to convene key leaders and facilitate discussions on how we can work together to promote housing. I’m grateful to Housing Assistance Corporation for their leadership in executing this collaborative approach. As more and more young and working people are forced to leave this special place due to a shrinking rental market and astronomically high property values, we have no time to waste in stemming our housing emergency.”
“We are grateful to Senator Cyr’s office for seeing the critical need for regional stakeholders to come together around housing issues,” said Alisa Magnotta, CEO of Housing Assistance. “The housing crisis has become a threat to our economy and our year-round community. Regional collaboration is a powerful tool for helping us find, and advocate for, common solutions that can create lasting change across the Cape and Islands.”
The HPCC initiative is now implementing a two-pronged effort to push for legislative changes on the state and local levels. In addition to the regional meetings, the initiative is helping Cape residents interested in becoming housing advocates understand the scope of the housing crisis and how to advocate for a thriving year-round community. This localized effort includes community education, coordinated regional collaboration, and town-based working groups called huddles that are working to identify issues and solutions unique to each Cape town.
