HACbeat, August 2023

Gov. Healey Announces ‘Historic’ Housing Plan During Housing Assistance Visit

Gov. Maura Healey had the perfect backdrop when she visited Housing Assistance on June 22 to announce her administration’s five-year capital investment plan, which includes $1.5 billion for housing.

Standing before the “Home Is Where the Heart Is” children’s art exhibit (see page 6), she shared details of a $14 billion capital investment plan for fiscal years 2024-2028 with state and local officials and Housing Assistance staff and supporters The plan includes a commitment of $1 5 billion to help finance the construction of hundreds of new, affordable housing opportunities each year across the state – including on the Cape and Islands.

“Every one of these investments is focused on strengthening opportunity, quality of life and equity in our state,” Gov. Healey said. “When it comes to housing, we’re taking things to a new level, which is only right, because our needs have never been greater This represents historic levels of funding ”

Gov. Healey acknowledged Housing Assistance Alisa Magnotta's efforts as co-chair of the Affordable Abundant Housing Committee, one of her administration’s six transition committees. Thanking Housing Assistance for hosting the event, she added, “You do such incredibly critical work in supporting individuals and families on the Cape, and we’re grateful for that.”

In this issue

Donor Spotlight: Bourne United Methodist Church

PAGE 2

Standing Together to Protect Families

Editorial by Alisa Magnotta

PAGE 3

Children’s Art Exhibit Carries a Powerful Message

PAGE 6

Housing Assistance Awarded $288,000 in ARPA Funding

PAGE 8

Groundbreaking Ceremony Honors Longtime Housing Advocate Mary LeClair

PAGE 10

Housing Assistance Shares Duffy Award

PAGE 11

Searching for Solutions at Falmouth Town Huddle

PAGE 12

Sharing the Gift of Dignity at Oysters and Champagne

PAGE 14

Donor Spotlight: Bourne United Methodist Church

Bourne Church’s Donation Gives Young Adult Program a Boost

When members of the Bourne United Methodist Church planned a fundraising campaign for renovations in 2019, they came up with estimates for repairs to the building’s electrical service, floor and air conditioning. Then they had an a-ha moment.

“We were working on our case statement, and we said, wait a minute, this isn't all about us We are also part of the community,” said Susan Goux, chair of the capital campaign group and the church council chair. “We’re taking care of God's house through everything that we are doing, but how are we taking care of the rest of the people around us?”

With estimated renovation costs for the 1831 building totaling just under $100,000, church members decided to tithe to another charity, rounding up for a total gift of $10,000 After discussing a number of options and researching local organizations, they realized there was a way to support two of their priority causes: foster children and housing.

“We became aware of Housing Assistance’s Youth and Young Adults program, which helps foster children who are aging out of the system,” she said “This felt like a project that would engage the congregation and be important to the Cape ”

In April, church members presented Anne B. Van Vleck, Housing Assistance’s chief development officer, with a check for $10,000.

“We are very grateful for this gift, which will make a big difference in our ability to help some young people who are among the most vulnerable people in our community,” said Van Vleck.

For Goux, the church’s four-year fundraising campaign was a chance to see how a community can come together to improve the church for future generations and support a non-profit that she says is doing critical work.

“We are not a huge church and we’re not a wealthy church,” Goux said. “To raise the money to do not only the work in the church, but to make sure we had the $10,000 [for Housing Assistance] was really very heartwarming ”

Anne B Van Vleck accepts a donation from the Bourne United Methodist Church

This felt like a project that would engage the congregation and be important to the Cape.

– SUSAN GOUX BOURNE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH COUNCIL CHAIR

Standing Together to Protect Families

EDITORIAL BY ALISA MAGNOTTA

While most families are enjoying summer break – a time we often think of freedom and fun for children –summer is no vacation for those experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness.

Each spring, dozens (if not hundreds) of families and individuals across Cape Cod do the summer shuffle They lose their winter rentals and are forced to look for housing in a market that has a 1% vacancy rate. Many families are faced with desperate decisions. Some share cramped spaces with relatives or friends, others live in their cars. Some set up tents in the woods. Still others leave, giving up their lives here on Cape Cod in the hope of finding an affordable place to live.

Children bear the brunt of homelessness and housing insecurity. The children in these families not only face the uncertainty of lacking a place to call home, they also are at risk for a lifetime of health issues.

According to the often-cited report, Facts on Homelessness and Children (2005), the negative impacts start early:

More than one-fifth of homeless preschoolers have emotional problems serious enough to require professional care, but less than one-third receive any treatment.

Homeless children are twice as likely to repeat a grade compared to non-homeless children.

Homeless children are sick at twice the rate of other children (ear infections, asthma, stomach problems)

The list goes on and on The housing crisis is getting worse, but it doesn’t have to. We can SOLVE this problem; we have the tools and the knowledge. It takes concerned residents who care about their community to stand up and demand action.

If we don't, we risk a generation of children who will grow up not knowing what it means to be part of something bigger than them, something that includes diverse people and experiences – a community – because they will not have had the chance to truly know what it means to be home

That’s why it was such a huge honor for us to host Gov. Maura Healey and Ed Augustus, Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, when they announced her administration’s five-year capital investment plan (see cover story).

It’s clear to me that Gov Healey gets it She knows that affordable housing projects are not possible without financial support from our towns and government partners. She knows that we have to do the hard work to change zoning and other policies to clear the path for housing, and she supports these efforts.

With a display of drawings by 100 Cape Cod children illustrating what home means to them as our backdrop, we were reminded of our common goal – the reason we advocate for housing –which is to ensure children have homes to grow from, parents have stable housing to go to work from and grandparents can age in place. I stood with the Governor that day as she made a historic investment in addressing the housing crisis; I hope you will stand with us to help leverage that investment as we work to keep Cape Cod a thriving year-round community

Alisa Magnotta, CEO

Donation Drive fo in Transitio

wishlis

Sets of dishes – place se Bath towels

Sheets- full si

All-season blankets or Pots & pans

Toaster oven

Shower curtain liners and Body wash

Shampoo & condi

Disposable raz

ALL ITEMS MUST BE N CANNOT ACCEPT US

We also have a f shelf in our foyer children’s books fine)

Please call 508-771-5

more information on h

Magnotta said that there are three building blocks to get housing across the finish line: “courage, cash and community. The funding announced by our governor today allows for bold, courageous action throughout our state, so together we can build more housing for the children and our communities.”

The governor’s plan includes the creation of a new $97 million HousingWorks program, which she said will “leverage existing programs and an infusion of new funding to create new flexible tools for developing affordable housing and preserving and rehabilitating existing stock.”

Magnotta said that this level of housing funding is urgently needed “I say to anyone who will listen that the Cape and Islands are the canary in the coal mine,” she said. “The rest of the state should take notice of what’s happening here because it can happen anywhere. We need more housing inventory, and we need to diversify our housing stock. I know we can do better.”

Ed Augustus, Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, said the capital investment plan is “an opportunity to match our words with action. As the governor highlighted, housing is at the top of the list. It’s clear we need more tools in our toolbox to spur housing development, and I'm thrilled that within the new Housing Works program, we include $25 million in new funding to support housing infrastructure.”

Others who attended the event at Housing Assistance included: Secretary for Administration and Finance

Matthew J. Gorzkowicz; State Sen. Julian Cyr; State Rep. Kip Diggs; State Rep. Chris Flanagan; State Rep. Sarah Peake; State Rep. Steven Xiarhos; and county and town officials.

Gov. Healey described her investment plan while Ed Augustus and Alisa Magnotta looked on (photos by Dee Sullivan)

Children’s Art Exhibit Carries a Powerful Message

“Family and friends.” “Joy and happiness.” “My home is the best to me because I feel safe.”

Those were some of the responses when we asked second-graders to write and illustrate “what home means to me.” A temporary exhibit of 100 drawings titled “Home Is Where the Heart Is” was unveiled in front of Housing Assistance’s Hyannis offices on June 8.

“This exhibit serves as an urgent reminder that while the school year is drawing to a close, summer break is no vacation for children who are housing insecure,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta “The housing crisis impacts children, families and teachers across Cape Cod. For children, the impact can be traumatic, affecting their ability to learn and thrive.”

More than 22,000 children enrolled in Massachusetts schools in the last school year were homeless. On Cape Cod, between 100 and 200 children every year live in one of Housing Assistance’s family shelters

An untold number of families across Cape Cod are forced to move out of their winter rentals each spring and look for housing in a market with a 1% vacancy rate, Magnotta said. "They do the summer shuffle, and with few available rentals, many families are faced with desperate decisions," she said. Those decisions include couch surfing, bouncing from place to place, or becoming homeless Others are forced to leave the Cape in search of housing they can afford, which in turn hurts the local economy, she added.

Dr. Scott Carpenter, Superintendent of Monomoy Regional School District, spoke about how the housing crisis is affecting his district – from the teachers who turn down jobs because they can’t find housing to the children struggling to do their academic best because they are living in the shadow of housing insecurity

“I worry more and more that the American dream is becoming increasingly further and further out of reach for the young families I serve and for the young teachers I try to hire,” he said “The drawings behind me talk about home being safe and a source of happiness and joy These factors are tremendously important for children as they are growing. Children can’t learn if they’re not joyful, if they’re not feeling safe.”

Cheri Armstrong, Career Education Counselor at Monomoy Regional High School and Chairperson of the Greater Cape and Islands Educator Action Network, said she sees the impacts of the housing crisis in the lives of her students every day.

Armstrong shared the story of a student whose family had been couch surfing for the entire school year “As these pictures illustrate, even the very youngest among us can understand that everyone deserves a home,” she said.

Gemma Rehm is Director of Housing Assistance’s Carriage House Shelter in Falmouth, where up to 10 families live in transitional housing. One boy who came with his mother from off-Cape to stay at Carriage House told Rehm, “I miss my friends at school. I miss my teachers. I miss my grandmother.” She added, “We hear a lot of things about the explosion of homelessness, and you can see from the artwork how much home means to children ”

Magnotta said that everyone has a role to play in helping to keep Cape Cod a thriving, year-round community where families and people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds can access stable and safe housing that fits their budgets. “I urge you to join Housing to Protect Cape Cod, where you can be part of a coalition of nearly 1,000 people who are Speaking Up for Housing in towns across the region,” she said.

Visit housingtoprotectcapecod.org

Housing Assistance Awarded $288,000 in ARPA Funding for Two Innovative Programs

Housing Assistance has been awarded $288,000 for two innovative housing programs that will assist the elderly, disabled people and workers in essential industries. The Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners announced the award as part of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for 20 housing projects around the region at a ceremony in June.

“We are grateful to receive this support from Barnstable County’s ARPA funds,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta “This award is a sign of the county’s belief that housing is a critical issue in our region, and this funding will help Cape residents who are most in need of help to stabilize their housing.”

Housing Assistance’s grant will help support THRIVE (Tools to Help Residents in a Vulnerable Economy), a program that assists Cape Cod residents who are struggling to pay for housing and other bills and are employed in essential industries, including childcare, education, law enforcement, emergency response and others.

The program’s clients each get a monthly stipend of $450 toward their rent for up to 24 months and work with a HUD-certified counselor on financial plans with long-term goals in mind

The program is aimed at workers who typically earn low pay, despite being an essential part of the Cape workforce.

The 19 households currently enrolled in THRIVE include 21 adults and 12 children and the program has the capacity for up to 40 households.

Housing Assistance’s ARPA grant will also be used to help elderly and disabled people who’ve been displaced from long-term rentals.

“These two groups have great difficulty finding new rentals because of a perfect storm of issues,” said Magnotta. “They're on a fixed income, there is a severe lack of units, and units that do become available are expensive. This ARPA funding will help provide transitional housing to some of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Grants were awarded via a competitive process to local governments, nonprofits, and private/forprofit organizations to support the region’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

“The $5 million in [total] funding will go toward implementing projects that will have a lasting and positive impact all across Cape Cod,” said Barnstable County Commissioners Chairperson Mark Forest.

This award is a sign of the county’s belief that housing is a critical issue in our region.

– ALISA MAGNOTTA HOUSING ASSISTANCE CEO

The 7th annual Charter Cup Fishing Tournament, organized by Cape builder E J Jaxtimer, raised $500,000 for local charities in July Housing Assistance is the grateful recipient of nearly $8,000 from this year's event, sponsored by Coastal Medical Transportation Services and the Maffei Companies. At right: Ron Winner, our volunteer coordinator for this event Below: Bob Maffei and his son, Bobby Jr

haconcapecod.org/roughsleepers

The book will be available to purchase at the event and have signed by the author.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Honors Longtime Housing

Advocate Mary LeClair

Mary LeClair makes a habit of carrying a few small pieces of rose quartz wherever she goes. The stone is considered a sign of universal love, and LeClair gives stones to people she encounters.

A long-time champion of housing issues on Cape Cod and a former board member at Housing Assistance, LeClair was honored on May 31 at the groundbreaking ceremony for LeClair Village Apartments, a new threebuilding complex in Mashpee featuring 39 affordable rental units. At the ceremony, Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta presented LeClair with a small sculpture of a tree with rose quartz leaves.

and help them find their way again I have personally seen Mary do that many times.”

LeClair said that she believes that with every honor, there's a responsibility. “We’re required to participate, to volunteer, and to be actively involved in our communities,” she said. “We are required to show leadership by example. We’re required to be accurate and fair to advocate and educate with knowledge and truth, through collaboration and compromise Simply put, we are required to care for and help one another in our community.”

Michael Jackman, district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, presented LeClair with a certificate of special congressional recognition during the ceremony. Rep. Keating’s duties in Washington, D.C., kept him from attending the ceremony, but he expressed his admiration for LeClair in a statement

“It seemed very fitting to me to have a project of this magnitude represent Mary and all that she has done for our community and our region,” said Magnotta “The thing about Mary is it’s not just about making systemic change. With her, it’s about helping individuals, the people who are lost in the cracks or who have lost their way. They need someone to reach out and give them a helping hand

“By naming this new development in honor of Mary LeClair, we are recognizing the many contributions she has made to the Cape Cod community,” he said. “Her work as an elected official and a volunteer has made a difference, just as LeClair Village Apartments will make a difference in the lives of the dozens of families who will live there ”

Also speaking at the event were State Rep. Kip Diggs; State Rep. Steven Xiarhos; Thomas O’Hara, Mashpee Select Board Vice Chairman and member of the

Mary LeClair with a rose quartz tree, recognizing her years of service to Cape Codders

Local officials and housing supporters joined Mary LeClair for the groundbreaking.

Housing Assistance Shares Duffy Award

A Housing Assistance partnership to assist homeless people recently won recognition from Duffy Health Center. Falmouth In From the Streets Partners – a joint effort by Housing Assistance, Belonging to Each Other and Falmouth Human Services – received Duffy’s Community Partner Award. The award was presented at the annual Duffy Health Center Community Breakfast, which honors those who support Duffy’s mission to provide equitable, quality health care and support services to Cape Codders experiencing homelessness.

The Falmouth In From the Streets Partners identify people who need shelter, especially during the winter, and find temporary shelter for them. The partnership has helped several hundred individuals and families in and around the Falmouth area

“Our role is to refer the individuals we identify who are camping or sleeping in a car and to organize their transfer to hotels,” said Stéphane Ruault, outreach specialist and community liaison for Housing Assistance. “We are the boots on the ground in the Falmouth area to help people on the coldest nights of the year ”

To learn more about efforts to help Falmouth’s homeless, watch this special presentation by Falmouth Community TV: youtu.be/5F7xB1klPsv.

LECLAIR VILLAGE – continued from previous page Affordable Housing Trust; Yongmei Chen, Senior Vice President, Eastern Bank; and Rev. Thomas Wyndham, a longtime friend of Mary LeClair.

LeClair Village Apartments is under development through a partnership between Housing Assistance Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc (POAH) When completed by the summer of 2024, LeClair Village will feature 14 one-bedroom apartments, 21 two-bedroom units, and 4 three-bedroom apartments The apartments, which are on town-owned land, will serve low- and moderate-income households.

“Today represents a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of risk, a lot of people, a lot of expertise,” said Magnotta. “LeClair Village will change the lives and futures of the families lucky enough to live there. Today is cause for celebration, as we recognize the decades of service Mary LeClair has done on behalf of the people of Cape Cod, but it is also a reminder that much work remains to be done to achieve her goal and ours of every family and individual on Cape Cod having a safe and stable place to live.”

Stéphane Ruault (top center) accepted the award on Housing Assistance’s behalf

Leaders and Residents Search for Solutions at Falmouth Town Huddle

A housing crisis equals a labor crisis. That was the theme of the day at the recent Falmouth town huddle of about two dozen residents, community leaders and business owners

“What we hear at the Chamber constantly from our members is they can’t hire enough people in order to meet their maximum revenue, and that's because people can't afford to live here,” said Michael Kasparian, CEO/president of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce. “Everybody who works in town should have the opportunity to live in town ”

The town huddles, which have been held in three Cape towns so far, are a strategic meeting of residents who are interested in changing their town’s housing policies. The huddles are part of the Housing to Protect Cape Cod initiative – a grass roots initiative to protect and preserve the people of Cape Cod

“Huddles are all about building awareness and education around what's happening in a town from a housing perspective,” said the meeting’s moderator, Ann Schiffenhaus, Housing Assistance’s director of community relations and advocacy. “It’s a way to build a grassroots effort around a pro-housing advocacy group.”

Falmouth fire chef Tim Smith told huddle attendees that due to a lack of affordable and available housing, the state has had to change civil service guidelines twice in the past 10 years to allow a fire fighter to live as far as 30 miles away from their station. “This changes how we recruit and retain, as we are competing with fire stations closer to the bridge, as many firemen live off-Cape,” he said. The department has 18 open positions, and overtime pay is increasing every year, he said

The housing shortage is also affecting the scientific community. The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole has 270 year-round employees, along with 500 scientists, research associates and other summer staff Although MBL owns dorms, homes, apartments and cottages, and arranges with private homeowners to rent rooms for the additional seasonal staff, 10-15% of positions aren’t filled due to lack of housing. “In a recent survey, 40-45% of post doc students, many with families, feel stressed about housing insecurity,” said Paul Speer, MBL’s chief operating officer.

Representatives from other industries shared similar stories. Carter Hunt, CEO of Falmouth Hospital, said that many of the hospital’s 800 employees live offCape and 70% of their traveling nurses need housing.

Peter McConarty, director of the Falmouth Department of Public Works, said that he struggles to recruit and retain employees due to a lack of housing, even though the town increased the pay scale for park staff and seasonal workers. “We have posted three times for a wastewater supervisor, and no one can find housing,” he said. “Many DPW jobs require the ability to get to work quickly in case of an emergency.”

continued on next page

More than 25 people attended the Falmouth Town Huddle

FALMOUTH HUDDLE – continued from previous page

During a public comment period, audience members floated some ideas to ease the housing crisis, including building prefab modular homes, renovating abandoned properties, rezoning summer cottages for year-round use and restricting the number of short-term rental properties.

“People need to know that their voice counts,” said Schiffenhaus. “Being part of the solution versus watching it happen is the biggest thing we're trying to accomplish with the huddles ”

SAVE THE DATE

2nd Annual Housing to Protect

Cape Cod Summit

Thursday, October 26

Cape Codder Resort, Hyannis

A full recording of the Falmouth Town Huddle is available at youtu.be/BW2ZyY6rj1w.

Upcoming Virtual Classes & Workshops

Learn more and register at haconcapecod.org.

MONEY MATTERS

Free two-night workshop that will help you set financial goals, make a spending plan and identify ways to create an emergency fund.

September 6 & 13

October 10 & 12

FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER

Overview of the homebuying process. Topics include money management, mortgage loan programs, insurance and more.

September 19 & 23

October 17, 19 & 24

HOMESAFE

Fulfills the post-purchase education requirements and provides a forum to share experiences with other homeowners

September 26 & 28

Watch the huddle

Sharing the Gift of Dignity Oysters

and Champagne

Some 200 guests gave generously again this ye the 6th annual Oysters and Champagne fundra benefit Housing Assistance. The theme of the n was how the housing crisis is impacting children essential workers, and included a special exhibi children’s art illustrating the theme, “what hom means to me.”

“People want to be here on Cape Cod for the n beauty, for family, friends and community,” Dor Savarese, executive chair of Cape Cod 5, told th crowd assembled at the Wequassett Resort in Harwich “But when your children are impacted housing insecurity, it starts to fray those bonds

Dan Wolf, founder & CEO of Cape Air, asked the crowd to remember what it was like when they bought their first homes on Cape Cod and compare that experience to the struggle many moderateincome people face today. “What you enjoyed here 40 years ago in terms of building a life here doesn’t exist today,” he said “Think back to the you of 40 years ago and give people that opportunity to build now what you were able to build when you were starting out.”

Tony Shepley, founder of Shepley Wood Products, said that solving the housing crisis “isn’t rocket science. We need to wake up our towns and say, ‘You need to find a balance in your zoning ’ We need to do this so our police officers and fire fighters can respond to emergencies, so doctors and nurses can live in the communities they serve.”

Bill Bogdanovich, chair of the Housing Assistance board told the crowd that they could be part of the solution. “Housing Assistance is a solid investment. The agency leverages donations to bring in state and federal money so it can say ‘yes’ to more people,” he said “You have the capacity to make transformative change to the region’s housing crisis.”

continued on next page

Thank

Ashley Baker & Dave Miller

Suzanne & Andrew Baker

Sherry & Bill Bogdanovich

Kristen & Chris Boyd

Lindsay Cole & Christopher Ward

Elizabeth & Mike Fish

Alison Grove & Eric Weinberg

Alex Rodolakis

Housing Assistance

Pictured from left: Tony Shepley, founder of Shepley Wood Products, Dorothy Savarese, executive chair of Cape Cod 5, Alisa Magnotta, CEO, of Housing Assistance, Katie Clancy, president of The Cape House Properties, and Dan Wolf, founder & CEO of Cape Air Shepley, Savarese and Wolf were the Fundraising Ambassador team for the event

you to our host committee for going above and beyond.

OYSTERS & CHAMPAGNE – continued from previous page

Keynote speaker Katie Clancy shared with guests how Housing Assistance helped her when she and her husband were in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. “Housing Assistance gave me the gift of dignity,” she said. “Dignity is the soil where the seeds of self-reliance are sown. That was the gift I received and it’s the gift you can give as well.”

The event raised $450,000 to benefit Housing Assistance programs and services.

HousingAssistance

SIGNATURE SPONSOR

PREMIER SPONSOR

VISIONARY SPONSORS

CHAMPAGNE SPONSOR

OYSTER SPONSORS

PEARL SPONSOR

IN-KIND SPONSORS

460 W. Main Street

Hyannis, MA 02601

508-771-5400

haconcapecod.org

@HACONCAPECOD

All signature events are sponsored by our 2023 Annual Corporate Sponsors.

FOUNDATION SPONSORS

VISIONARY SPONSORS