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A NEWSLETTER FROM HOUSING ASSISTANCE

Cape View Way Is a Lesson in Perseverance

At the Cape View Way ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 24, Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta provided an overview of the long road that culminated in that moment. The town of Bourne acquired the land in 2000 and issued an RFP for housing projects in 2018.

“It’s the little housing project that could,” she said of the 42-apartment complex that’s within sight of the Sagamore Bridge. “Despite the disruption of Covid, we prevailed. Despite the uncertainty of costs and funding, we prevailed. Despite the 13 ZBA hearings to reduce the size of this project, we prevailed. We are at this point because of the perseverance, the fortitude, the strength of so many people to get us to this moment.”

The three-story development is a partnership between Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Housing Assistance that offers housing to over 100 people.

“Housing isn’t just building the actual construction. It’s building a life for the people who live there,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “As not only the congressman from this area, but a resident of Bourne, I’m pleased to see officials joining together from the local level, the state level and the federal level to put this project together. Housing like this is not an expenditure, as much as it is an investment. Whether you live here or not, this is something that benefits us all.”

“One of the top concerns we’ve heard from everyone on the Cape is the need for more affordable homes for the local workforce to live in,” said Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “We need more homes for public

Cape View Way resident Shamim Morris cut the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating the opening of a new development in Bourne that will house over 100 people.

Copeland Subaru Hyannis Supports Housing Assistance

Through the annual Subaru Share the Love Event, Subaru retailers across the country partner with local nonprofits. At the end of last year, Copeland Subaru Hyannis selected Housing Assistance as their 2024 Share the Love Partner. From November 21, 2024, through January 2, 2025, Copeland Subaru of Hyannis and Subaru of America donated $300 for every vehicle sold. The campaign amounted to a generous donation to Housing Assistance, totaling $25,500.

“At Copeland Subaru Hyannis, we believe in supporting those in need of housing,” said managing partner Bryan J. Scarpellini. “The outpouring of love from our community during the Share the Love event allowed us to make a significant gift to Housing Assistance. We choose to be an active member of our local community and consider it an essential component for local business owners. We are proud to help whenever possible and foster a more robust and healthy Cape Cod.”

For three consecutive years, Copeland Subaru Hyannis has received the Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment Award, which recognizes Subaru retailers who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to supporting local causes and making a positive impact.

“We are grateful to Copeland Subaru Hyannis and Subaru of America for your incredible support of Housing Assistance, not just through the Share the Love event but also as loyal annual sponsors of our organization,” said Christa Danilowicz, Housing Assistance’s vice president of philanthropy. “Bryan and his entire team at Copeland lead by example, consistently showing up and demonstrating a genuine commitment to housing on Cape Cod.”

Upcoming Classes and Workshops

Money Matters

A multi-session course that provides an overview of the homebuying proces. Topics include money management, mortgage loan programs, insurance and more.

August 12, 14 and 19

September 17 and 20

October 14, 16 and 21

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

July 8 and 10

August 6 and 13

September 2 and 4

Learn more and register at bit.ly/3HyqCH0

Fulfills the post-purchase education requirements for the OneMortgage loan program and provides a forum to share experiences with other homeowners.

September 23 and 25

Copeland Subaru Hyannis presented Housing Assistance staff with proceeds from the Share the Love event.

Our Progress in the Region: Accepting and Acting on the Crisis

It is easy to focus on the ways in which the housing crisis is straining our region, especially as we enter the summer season. Look around and you will see essential workers who need to commute from off-Cape; longstanding residents who are forced to leave their homes; and young families squeezed out of rental markets.

These challenging times, however, are not without signs of real progress. The progress we see today is over 40 years in the making, and the momentum we’re experiencing today is due in large part to the movement started by our founder, Rick Presbrey, so many years ago. Rick’s recent passing serves as a reminder that we each have the power to make an impact in our community, and it’s up to us to rise to the occasion. Rick’s legacy lives on in our agency, in the many lives he touched, and in the housing policies we are seeing adopted locally.

Over the past few months we have made meaningful strides, as local leaders have come together to seek solutions and communities have embraced new tools to respond to the dire need for housing in practical and lasting ways.

Barnstable County’s recent declaration of a housing emergency marked a shift in the government’s approach. While individual towns have taken steps to address the crisis, the County’s designation signals a commitment to also tackling it at the regional level. A new working group of municipal, nonprofit, and regional stakeholders will shape coordinated housing policies and identify opportunities to strengthen initiatives like the Shared Regional Housing Services program so that we can plan smarter and develop stronger partnerships to support our communities.

We are also seeing more towns act on their own; hopefully others will follow suit. This spring, six Cape towns – Chatham, Eastham, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet – voted to adopt the state’s new Seasonal Communities designation, which recognizes the pressure that seasonal use patterns put

on our local infrastructure. By opting in, towns will have access to policy tools such as expanded incentives for yearround rentals, new options for accessory dwelling units, and increased tax relief through the property tax exemption.

While all of this is happening at the policy level, we are also continuing to create homes. After receiving more than 940 applications, we recently welcomed 42 families – 4 percent – into their new homes at Cape View Way in Bourne, which was developed in partnership with the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH). The project, built on land owned by the Bourne Housing Authority, includes a mix of nine one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, and five three-bedroom apartments. We are also expecting to complete 14 new affordable units at 107 Main Street in Orleans this summer. Further ahead and currently in permitting, we are developing a project with POAH and Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod at the former Gov. Prence property in Orleans that will add 78 income-restricted units for lease and sale, which will include 61 rental units, 10 townhouses for ownership and 7 homes built by Habitat for Humanity.

Private developers are also making a vital contribution. Hundreds of well-sited and well-designed affordable units are currently in the pipeline across the Cape. Nonprofit developers like POAH and Housing Assistance cannot fill in the gap alone. To support this broader effort, the Housing to Protect Cape Cod (HPCC) coalition is advocating for zoning changes that will make it easier to build the right kind of housing in the right places by streamlining permitting processes for new projects, encouraging the building of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and incorporating housing into existing commercial spaces.

We are making great headway as a region, which is only possible because of the persistent and resilient work of so many who preceded and have stood alongside us for decades, including Rick Presbrey. We are grateful and honored to carry the legacy of these efforts forward.

Alisa Magnotta, CEO

safety workers, teachers, and nurses. And we need more homes for those who work in our incredible tourism industry who deserve an affordable place to go home to at the end of the day. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is proud to partner with HAC and POAH to create these 42 new affordable homes at Cape View Way.”

“POAH appreciates our partners’ support for this critical affordable housing on Cape Cod,” said POAH President and CEO Aaron Gornstein. “Public/private partnerships such as this help us create more homes for many who could otherwise not afford to stay on the Cape – especially lowincome families and disabled individuals.”

Other speakers at the ceremony were State Representative Steven Xiarhos; Nancy McCafferty, Director of Business Development at Massachusetts Housing Partnership; Barry Johnson, Bourne Town Clerk; and Shamim Morris, a Cape View Way resident.

The project was funded through state-allocated federal sources including 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits

Youth & Young Adult Stabilization Program

The Youth & Young Adult (YYA) program supports unaccompanied youth between the ages 16 to 24 who need stable and secure housing accommodations or are assessed as being in “at-risk” housing situations.

Those eligible for YYA are:

• Unaccompanied youth ages 16 to 24.

• Youth who are homeless, couch-surfing, in a temporary living situation, or are in an adverse living situation may inquire about services.

• Youth who have been involved or are currently involved with DCF may also be eligible for housing case management.

We can help with:

• Personalized Case Management: One-on-one support, tailored to your situation.

• Responsive Intervention: Support if you are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

• Resource Navigation: Assistance accessing housing, employment, education, and health care services.

and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding plus MA Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities gap funding, including Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Housing Stabilization Fund, and Housing Innovation Fund. Local funding includes ARPA, Community Preservation Act, and HOME funding supported by the Town of Bourne and the Barnstable County HOME Consortium properties.

Magnotta said that the urgency of the region’s housing crisis was demonstrated by the fact that the lottery for renters at Cape View Way drew over 950 applicants. “While we’re celebrating the 42 families that get to move in here, let us not forget about the 900 who weren’t so lucky,” she said. “We have families who need us to keep fighting, keep building, keep persevering. In the end, we all want the same thing. We want a safe place to live, a place that we can afford, where we can raise our families, where we can come home after work, or where we can retire and rest.

“There’s still a lot of opposition to housing, despite the fact that we know the need and the demand is very real. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a turn of momentum so that we can get more of these projects in every town across Cape Cod.”

New Home Offers Hope for Cape View Way Resident

Shamim Morris had the honor of cutting the ribbon at her new home, Cape View Way, on April 24. During remarks at the event, she shared that her family had been searching for housing they could afford for four years. Their financial circumstances changed dramatically when her husband was in a work accident.

“When my family and I found out that we won this lottery, we felt hopeful again for our future,” she said. “This opportunity is a dream come true for us. We are excited to finally have a comfortable place to call home.”

Shamim’s husband, who worked as a landscaper, lost both hands in a work accident. “Like so many families, we have struggled incredibly to make ends meet after lifechanging circumstances beyond our control,” she said. “Our faith and our finances have been tested like never before. It’s difficult to sleep at night when you’re faced with financial insecurities and when your journey to find affordable housing seems out of reach.”

Morris works in the administration department of the Barnstable school system, and her daughter graduated this month from Barnstable High School.

“Some things that my family and I look forward to in our new home are the safety and security of this gorgeous new building, the beautiful appliances, the large windows that bring in amazing natural light and the breathtaking view of the Sagamore Bridge, which I truly adore,” she said. “My daughter says that living here feels like a fancy hotel except without the vending machines.

“This opportunity is a dream come true for us,” said Shamim Morris, who lives at Cape View Way with her husband and daughter.

“I want everyone to know that affordable housing is obtainable. My plea is that government officials and real estate developers will continue to join this fight. I will forever be grateful to POAH and HAC and the entire Cape View Way staff. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

Town Meeting Recap: Implementing the Affordable Homes Act

Seasonal Communities Designation

Accepted by Six Towns

For Cape Cod housing advocates, the Seasonal Communities Designation was a critical element of the Affordable Homes Act. Seasonal communities are towns that have a high proportion of seasonal housing units — at least 35 percent on the Cape. The nine towns that automatically receive the designation can now opt in to a new suite of tools that will allow them to create more year-round housing.

Seasonal communities will be empowered to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions; create a preference for municipal workers; establish a year-

round housing trust fund; create artists’ housing; assess housing needs; allow tiny homes to be built by right and used year-round; and increase the property tax exemption for homes that are owners’ primary residences.

Towns that accepted the designation through Town Meeting this spring included: Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, and Chatham. Brewster, Dennis, and Harwich will have the opportunity to accept the designation based on automatic eligibility at future Town Meetings. Other Cape towns may qualify based on future criteria.

Sandwich, Mashpee, and Dennis passed updated ADU by-laws to bring theirs into compliance with the Affordable Homes Act.

Community Shows Up for Walk for Hope

Housing Assistance’s seventh Annual Walk for Hope took place on June 1, with three-mile walks in Falmouth, Hyannis, and Orleans. At each location, we honored an organization for its commitment to the mission of Housing Assistance: Falmouth Human Services, Delphi Construction (Hyannis) and Cape Associates (Orleans).

The day was sunny, breezy, and full of hope for the future of housing on Cape Cod. Funds raised will support Housing Assistance’s mission to strengthen the Cape Cod and Islands region by empowering individuals and increasing affordable housing opportunities. This year 387 walkers, including 44 teams, raised $132,291.

“When we see our community show up to the Walk for Hope in support of housing, it provides a boost to our team and our mission,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta. “Our work is a long game and knowing that we have our community by our side means the world. The funds raised through this event provide so much support for our programs, but walking alongside our friends and neighbors is what truly provides us – and the families we serve – with hope.”

Here’s what some other participants had to say:

“Everyone deserves a place to call home, which is why Ira Toyota is happy to continue supporting The Housing Assistance Corporation and their goals to help put an end to the housing crisis happening right in our own backyards.”

– THE TEAM AT IRA TOYOTA OF HYANNIS

“As a local bank, supporting the community is part of our mission and we are proud to partner with Housing Assistance as we work to provide safe, accessible, and affordable housing to the people who make Cape Cod vibrant and thriving.”

– KATHARINE LINEHAN, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER, THE COOPERATIVE BANK OF CAPE COD

“Keeping people in their homes when times get tough and unexpected bills come in is essential. We need to prevent homelessness.”

– PAUL KARHU OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF SOUTH DENNIS STRIDERS TEAM

“We are walking today to help contribute to the community we work, play, and live in to have safe and affordable housing for all”

– JUDY JOHNSON-HUBACHECK OF THE COPELAND CARES TEAM FROM COPELAND CHEVROLET HYANNIS/SUBARU

Motivated by Hope

Walk for Hope Event Sponsors

Architect Sponsors Cornerstone Sponsors

Beam Sponsors

First Congregational Church of Falmouth

Law Office of Singer & Linger LLC

Wendy’s Fashion Food

Westchester Modular Homes, Inc.

Pillar Sponsors

Barrows Waste Systems

Bob’s Discount Furniture

Brewster Baptist Church

First Congregational Church of Falmouth

E.J. Jaxtimer Builder

Falmouth Jewish Congregation

Foley & Foley PC

Horsley Whitten Group

Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation

McPhee Associates of Cape Cod

Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation

Mullen Building and Remodeling

Robies Heating and Cooling

Thank you to ALL of our event sponsors, including Brick and Friend levels, and our in-kind donors!

Corey Heaslip, vice president of project development for Delphi Construction, an annual corporate sponsor, said his history with Housing Assistance goes back many years. His mother worked at Carriage House, and he and his wife attended a Housing Assistance home buyer education class, helping them buy a home after moving nine times in the first five years of being married.

“I love the word hope,” he said.” “It’s such a powerful word. We hope for the things we don’t have yet, or for the way that we know that things can be. When we look at the world, this is the most abundant time in the history of our planet, and we can see that abundance on the Cape and in the towns we live in. But not everyone has that lived experience. Not everyone is able to access that abundance. The trick is to recognize when we have enough, and if we are willing to share some of the extra that we have, we can make a real difference.

“You may not have much to give, but recognizing the abundance – that there is more than enough – allows us to share the extra we’ve been blessed with. And it might not be money. It might be your time or it might be your attention and being willing to share it with someone that doesn’t have enough.”

“

I have such a deep admiration and appreciation for the people at Housing Assistance and for the work they do. I

consider them

some

the superheroes of our day: defending those who can’t defend themselves and taking care of those who have the greatest needs.

Cape REALTOR Honored for Fair Housing Advocacy

Greg Kiely, chair of the Cape Cod & Islands MLS and a dedicated advocate for fair housing, recently received a 2025 Fair Housing Champion Award from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). The award honors REALTORS® who advance fair housing and expand homeownership in their communities.

Kiely has spent 20 years driving change in the real estate industry. As a past president of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS®, he pioneered a bylaw change requiring fair housing education for all members. Kiely’s leadership as Chair of NAR’s Fair Housing Workgroup helped implement mandatory fair housing training for all REALTORS® at the national level in 2023. His dedication to professionalism and advocacy has left a lasting impact, ensuring equitable access to housing and reinforcing fair housing education across the industry.

The NAR Fair Housing Champion award provides a $5,000 prize that winners can dedicate to a housingrelated nonprofit organization of their choice. We are grateful that Kiely selected Housing Assistance.

“The story of our success is not the story of any one person, but more about the group of community partners we have built over a decade-plus that have allowed us to make progress on all of the many challenges facing housing on Cape Cod and the Islands,” he said.

“So much of the work we did at the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS® over the last 10 years was work any group would aspire to. Yet, where we were successful wasn’t only in our desire to help with housing access and advocacy, but due to the fact that we built advocacy coalitions. Housing Assistance is a central partner that helped us amplify our voice and deliver more completely for our members and the clients we all serve.

“We all need to be an advocate for those not in the room – or who don’t know the room even exists,” said Greg Kiely, pictured on left with Rob Brennan of Housing Assistance and Jennifer Armandi of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS®.

“When we explored the potential to lead the way on Fair Housing education, we realized the challenges on the Cape were tied to employment, family status and composition, and personal background as much as anything else. Much of that education came from our relationship with Housing Assistance. We were able to lead because we had great partners helping teach us what was needed beyond what we would naturally see on our own.”

Alisa Magnotta, CEO at Housing Assistance, congratulated Kiely on his award and said, “We’re incredibly grateful for Greg’s leadership – and his generosity.”

Learn more about Greg Kiely’s work for fair housing (Scan the QR code to the right to watch a video about the 2025 NAR Fair Housing Champion Award).

Housing Assistance Expands Rent 365 Program

One of the avenues toward solving the region’s housing crisis may be the oft-seen Cape and Islands license plates. Revenue from the plates, which were introduced in 1996, supports the growth of our year-round economy through grants.

This year, a license plate grant via Barnstable County will help Housing Assistance expand its Rent 365 program, which incentivizes homeowners, particularly people owning second homes, to convert their rental properties from seasonal to year-round rentals.

Housing Assistance launched Rent 365 in 2018 as a pilot program strategically designed to help solve the housing shortage by increasing the number of year-round rental opportunities for the region’s workforce. Year-round rentals offer landlords predictability of income and less hassle than the constant turnover associated with short-term rentals.

“Our Rent 365 program is an important tool to help provide housing for the people who work in our schools, restaurants, hospitals and public safety organizations,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta. “By addressing the seasonal nature of rentals and encouraging homeowners to embrace long-term, year-round rentals instead of weekly or monthly vacation rentals, Rent 365 aims to help foster a thriving stable housing market in the region.”

The initial Rent 365 incentive program created 26 yearround rentals in one year. The program continued in 2024 with a generous $30,000 grant from Cape Associates.

The Barnstable County Commissioners recently awarded $70,000 from the Cape Cod and Islands License Plate Grant to support the expansion of Rent 365.

Rent 365 now features increased cash incentives of $4,000 for a one-bedroom unit, $5,000 for a two-bedroom unit, and $6,000 for units with three or more bedrooms, as well as $10,000 for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Homeowners seeking to participate in the Rent 365 program are required to meet specific eligibility criteria.

“I think the Rent 365 incentive program is a great bonus,” said a landlord who participated in the initial program. “I want to support year-round living.”

Half of all registered short-term rentals in Massachusetts are located in Barnstable County, even though the Cape contains only 6% of the state’s total housing units, according to “A Home for Everyone,” a statewide housing plan released earlier this year.

“When thousands of homes on Cape Cod are ‘lost’ to the seasonal rental market, that makes it even harder for our workers to find stable and affordable housing,” said Magnotta. “When owners rent their property year-round instead of seasonally, they make an important contribution to our community.”

The Rent 365 program offers second-home owners a financial bonus to rent properties year-round.

To learn more, visit haconcapecod.org/program-services/ rent365. The webpage includes links to an application and FAQ page for interested homeowners.

Teamwork Feels Like ‘Godsend’ for Homeless Senior

No matter how deep your roots on Cape Cod, sometimes all it takes is a small twist of fate to push someone into homelessness. That’s what happened to Carl Weis, who resorted to sleeping in his car at the age of 83.

His parents spent their teen summers on Cape Cod; his father was a counselor at Camp Monomoy and his mother was a waitress. Many years later in their retirement, they moved to Thirwood Place, an assisted living center in Yarmouth. When their mother became ill in 2002, Carl’s sister, Karen, moved to Cape Cod to help care for her.

Karen loved living here, but when she was diagnosed with dementia in 2021, it was Carl’s turn to help a family member. They moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Yarmouth in 2022, but two short years later Karen’s health deteriorated, and she soon passed away.

Because Carl’s name was not on the lease, he had to leave the apartment at the end of the month. “I never dreamed that this kind of thing could happen so quickly,” he said. “Each day that would go by, I was scared to death.”

At first, he stayed with a friend living in an ADU, but her own health issues made it impossible for him to stay. The evening he left her place, he visited with another friend, hoping to be invited to stay, but instead ended up sleeping in his car. Despite all that, Carl is one to look at every glass as half full. “The sunlight looked so beautiful in the woods my car was facing that it perked me up the next morning,” he said.

That hope made him go to a social services agency that had helped him previously, and they put him in touch with Patty Alonso, an outreach coordinator in Housing Assistance’s Homeless Services department. She made sure Carl didn’t

“I never dreamed that this kind of thing could happen so quickly,” said Carl Weis, who slept in his car after losing his housing.

spend one more night in his car, securing him temporary housing in a Hyannis hotel through our Elderly & Disabled Emergency Housing Program. “That was a godsend,” said Carl.

Alonso collaborated with a team of counselors and advocates to find long-term housing for Carl in Colony House Apartments in Hyannis, where he’s lived since late September.

“I’m so grateful for all the work behind the scenes,” he said. “I know there were angels working that helped me land here. It’s just been wonderful. I feel like I’ve landed in a palace.”

To learn more about our Homeless Services, visit haconcapecod.org/program-services/shelters-andhomeless-services.

Panel Discussion Explores Housing Crisis and Solutions

Housing to Protect Cape Cod, Cape Cod Community College, and CCYP collaborated in April for an interactive conversation about the housing crisis – what’s driving it, how it affects all of us, and what we can do together to make a difference.

The speakers were (left to right in photo) Rob Brennan (Housing Assistance), Seth Etienne (former member of the Town of Barnstable’s Ad-Hoc Zoning Committee), John Carey (local developer), Paul Niedzwiecki (Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce), and Mara Glatzel (Truro resident and housing advocate).

Watch the video from the event to learn what’s fueling the housing shortage on Cape Cod, what local leaders and grassroots efforts are doing about it, and how to show up and speak out in support of housing.

Lottery Open for 107 Main

The development at 107 Main Street in Orleans is a new 14-unit affordable rental community at the former Mason’s Lodge site. The project is about 75% complete, with expected occupancy by October–November 2025. Situated in the heart of town just off Route 28, the development offers a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments designed to meet the needs of local families and individuals.

Unit Breakdown & Income Eligibility:

• 12 units (1 & 2 bedrooms) are income-restricted for households earning up to 80% of Barnstable County’s Area Median Income (AMI).

• Two units (one 2-bed and one 3-bed) are subsidized for households earning up to 30% of AMI via project-based vouchers

• One unit is fully accessible, and another is designed for residents with visual or hearing impairments

A fair-lottery process, followed by tenant screening and prioritization for residents who live, work, or send children to school in Orleans (70% of units), will determine recipients.