Annual Sponors
The support of our annual sponsors provides vital assistance to families and individuals in our community struggling with housing issues. Thank you!
LEADERSHIP SPONSORS
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VISIONARY SPONSORS
INNOVATOR SPONSORS
Five Decades of Impact and the Road Ahead
As we celebrate 50 years of service to Cape Cod, we are reminded of the ideas that have guided Housing Assistance through five decades of growth and unwavering commitment to our region. Since our founding in 1974, qualities such as compassion, collaboration, innovation and integrity have been at the core of our work. Over the years, these principles have allowed us to adapt and expand our programs to meet the evolving needs of those we serve.
Housing Assistance has been a reliable partner for individuals and families working toward safe and stable housing. We have provided housing solutions to more than 230,000 people, whether through emergency shelter, affordable rental housing or homeownership opportunities. Our advocacy efforts have also played a crucial role in shaping local and state policies that better support Cape residents.
Looking back, we see that our challenges have shifted even as our mission has remained constant. The housing crisis on the Cape has reached unprecedented levels, making homeownership and year-round rentals increasingly out of reach for many. Outdated zoning regulations, rising construction costs, limited funding, and, sadly, community resistance have hindered housing development efforts, pushing homeownership out of reach for more of our residents. What was once an achievable dream for most has now become an elusive goal for far too many.
Despite these challenges, our dedication to fostering stability and security through housing remains firm. Our vision is one where the Cape is a vibrant, inclusive community for people of all backgrounds and income levels. We want the Cape to be a place where essential workers like teachers, police officers, health care professionals, and service workers can live in the
communities they serve, and where families can establish roots and stay for generations. Looking forward, addressing the root causes of the crisis will require expanding our development of affordable housing and addressing the regulations that impeded it. We remain steadfast in continuing to meet our clients with resources that support housing, stability, and economic mobility.
As we embark on the next chapter of our journey, we do so with renewed energy and vision. Housing Assistance will continue to be a vital resource for Cape residents, but we cannot do this alone. We must rely on the support of government, business leaders and citizens to step forward and help us meet this moment. On Beacon Hill, the recent enactment of the Affordable Homes Act is testament to the power of collective action. With new tools and resources at our disposal, we can tackle the housing crisis head-on.
We are deeply grateful for the countless supporters, partners and team members who have contributed to our endeavors over the years. Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the next 50 years and the work that still lies ahead!
With appreciation,
Alisa Magnotta CEO, Housing Assistance
Bill Bogdanovich Board Chair,, Housing Assistance
How We Started
From founder and executive director Rick Presbrey in the 1980 Annual Report:
Housing Assistance Corporation was incorporated in 1974 to assist low-income local residents to acquire decent and affordable housing. At that time, there was a specific need to provide state rental assistance (Chapter 707) to families living in non-housing authority towns on Cape Cod and the Islands and to provide some local help for households facing eviction in the spring at the beginning of the tourist season. In 1975, funds became available to operate the Federal Rental Assistance Program (Section 8), first in the non-housing authority towns. Several months later, a change in HUD regulations required that we provide assistance in all Cape and Islands towns.
In 1976, with the help of the Community Action Committee, and using CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) labor when it was available, we began a home winterization program, which provided labor for those homeowners who could pay for inexpensive energysaving materials. Today the HAC winterization program is extremely effective. It provided materials and labor to over 250 households last year to make their homes healthier and less expensive to operate, while also providing useful job experience to crew members through CETA.
Also in 1976, we became involved in an effort on Martha’s Vineyard to develop the first low-income housing for the elderly on that island. While the effort has been a long one, the Island Elderly Housing, Inc., board of directors has
been persistent. They received notification late in March of this year that the project had been approved by the Farmers Home Administration and that construction could begin as early as this spring on 40 one- and two-bedroom units just outside of Vineyard Haven.
Since 1976, a growing team of paid staff and volunteers has been actively involved in more than a dozen programs, including individual and group counseling, energy workshops, assistance to towns in housing planning, building repairs for individuals and non-profit groups, housing development and management assistance, “emergency” rental assistance, and fuel assistance. In 1980, assistance was provided to about 5,000 low-income households.
Rick Presbrey was Housing Assistance’s executive director from 1974 until 2017.
Housing Assistance Changes Lives
Tara Vargas Wallace
Living in a shelter for teenage mothers with her 2-year-old daughter, Tara Vargas Wallace was taking courses at Cape Cod Community College and needed to complete an internship to graduate. She applied at Housing Assistance and started out helping at the front desk.
“It was like the skies opened up and my world was about to change,” she said. A few months later, she was hired as an administrative assistant. “I chose HAC and in turn HAC chose me. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it weren’t for Housing Assistance, its programs, and the caring compassionate staff that treated me with dignity and saw the potential in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
She also became a client, getting a Section 8 certificate and graduating from the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. “Section 8 was extremely helpful for me while I was raising my family, going to school, working fulltime and trying to rise up out of poverty,” she said. “Housing Assistance gave me the life skills, education and tools that I needed to eventually be off of all social programs.”
Over the years, she shifted into other jobs at Housing Assistance, including Section 8 representative and FSS coordinator. Eventually, she was asked to be on the Housing Assistance’s board’s constituency committee, her first experience on a nonprofit board.
In 2020, she founded and became CEO of Amplify POC a local nonprofit that is “dedicated to amplifying the growth and success of historically excluded communities,” according to its mission statement. Its programs include workshops on Business 101, wealth building and financial empowerment, as well as leadership training and immigration advocacy.
“Housing Assistance is where I nurtured my passion for social justice. I would never have thought to be on a board until someone asked me. That was where I learned the power of my voice and how sharing my story and sharing my experience could impact the way that policies and decisions are made.”
Adam Gracia’s first interactions with Housing Assistance were as a professional colleague, working for an organization that helps find housing for veterans who were in transition and unhoused.
“Then life happens, and I was in between positions and my finances were not the best,” he said. He contacted Housing Assistance to find out about the agency’s mortgage assistance program. “It was nice to know that there was an empathetic organization that would hear my story, and understand the problems that I was facing. The incredible staff alleviated all of the barriers. They just said, ‘Tell us your story and let’s find a way to help you out.’”
Adam Gracia
“A monthly gift allows Housing Assistance to focus on its mission, and having benefitted from their services, I know how much of an impact that mission has in the lives of local families. I chose a recurring donation because my support adds up over time, and collectively we can all make an impact to #savethelocals!
Last year, Gracia, who had served in the Army National Guard in Bosnia, was overseas again with the Ukrainian International Legion, when his wife let him know that their home’s heating system had failed in the dead of winter.
“My family was warming up water in five-gallon buckets to take baths,” he said. “It was great to be able to tell my wife to call Housing Assistance and talk to our case manager from before. I knew it was going to be the same warm welcome. It was going to be the same empathetic ear... that same pragmatic approach that says, all right, here’s the issues that you’re facing and these are the solutions that we can try to implement.”
Grateful for the help he received, Gracia, deputy director of Care for the Cape and Islands, a local environmentally focused nonprofit, is now a monthly donor. “Housing Assistance advocates for a community that is accessible to all,” he said. “It’s not just the people on the coast in Chatham. It’s the service worker on Main Street Hyannis. It may be your grandmother. It may be your teacher. Housing Assistance Corporation keeps Cape Codders on Cape Cod.”
Having worked for Housing Assistance for 29 years, executive assistant Ann Rebello said she feels “very blessed” to be part of the agency’s team.
“We’re all here just for a little while and being able to make a difference while you’re here is a pretty big deal,” she said. “I worked at the front desk for a long time and I saw lives change completely – people, and I’m one of them, who never thought they’d be able to own a home or get themselves out of debt and gain stability. Our programs work miracles.
“Housing Assistance has empathy. We are creative. We think outside the box. We look at the big picture and we try to help you find the steps through it. I just can’t imagine Cape Cod without Housing Assistance.”
Rebello recalled being a single mother who was unable to pay her rent. Ater living with another family member, she took Housing Assistance’s first-time homebuyer class, even though she didn’t think she could afford to buy a house.
But she could and she did, purchasing a deed-restricted home 11 years ago. She lives about a minute and a half from her daughter, a special needs teacher who works for the Yarmouth school system. “I have two grandsons, and they ride their bikes over to see me,” she said. “Every day when I pull in that driveway, I still cannot believe that I own a house. I wake up in the morning and I can walk out to my kitchen and make a cup of tea and I don’t have to worry about when I go to the mailbox, is there going to be a letter in there, we’re raising your rent beyond what you can pay, too bad, or we’re selling your house. I don’t have to worry about that. I have something to leave for my daughter and my grandkids.
“That’s what Housing Assistance does. It helps a person change their life and the effects can last for generations.”
Ann Rebello
– ADAM GRACIA
Some Highlights From Housing Assistance’s First 50 Years
As the region has evolved, so has our agency. Starting as a small rental voucher agency in 1974, today we have grown to offer a wide range of services and programs critical to our community. From family shelters to rental assistance to financial education, to energy audits, to construction and attainable housing development, our mission is to help bridge the wide gap from homelessness to home ownership. As we celebrate our history and milestones below, we look forward to the next 50 years as we continue our work to elevate the Cape and Islands economy and community, empower residents of all ages and income levels, and address the root causes of our housing crisis.
Housing Assistance founded. Its first office is in West Yarmouth, with State Chapter 707 Rental Assistance as its first program.
The NOAH Shelter opens at the Armory in Hyannis. It later moves to Winter Street and is operated by Housing Assistance until 2016, providing homeless men and women with warm meals, showers and beds.
Beginning with weatherization services in the late ’70s, the Housing Assistance Energy Department now serves almost 800 clients each year. We love helping to keep our neighbors warm and safe.
The O’Neill Health Center, a free clinic run by volunteers opens in a closet at the NOAH Shelter. It eventually became a separate organization, changing its name to Duffy Health Center in 2006 and continues to serve our community’s vulnerable members.
Housing Assistance’s fundraising department starts and organizes the First Cape Walk to End Homelessness. The Resource Development Department raised $15,000 that year. In the most recent fiscal year, the department raised $2.8 million.
Carriage House Family Shelter opens in Falmouth and Angel House shelter in Hyannis opens for families who are homeless and recovering from substance abuse.
First affordable housing lottery for Anthony Drive in Hyannis. This was our first development of homeownership homes. Since then, we have developed 75 affordable homes for purchase with another 47 in the pipeline.
The Housing Consumer Education Center is established to provide information and mediation help for those in need. Housing Assistance’s Cape Community Real Estate is born.
The Family Self-Sufficiency program starts for Section 8 clients. With counseling, clients find and maintain employment, working toward the goal of financial stability without public assistance at the end of the five-year program. FSS has helped hundreds of clients pursue their dreams.
Housing Assistance selected to develop 50 affordable housing units on Nantucket and 27 rental units in Dennis.
Pocasset Assisted Living in Bourne (84 rental units) and Wells Court in Brewster (24 rental units) projects completed. As of this month, we’ve built over 585 homes and apartments for rent or purchase on Cape Cod, with more than 200 more affordable units in the pipeline.
The Housing to Protect Cape Cod (HPCC) coalition is established and convenes its first housing summit. The annual summits bring together elected officials, municipal leaders and housing advocates.
Prevention, Stabilization and Empowerment
For 50 years, Housing Assistance has provided essential services and solutions for low- and middle-income housholds on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Since our inception, we have served 230,000 year-round residents through an array of programs that include: shelter, homeless prevention, affordable housing development, weatherization, financial literacy workshops, rental assistance, and empowering households to realize their dream of home ownership.
We strengthen the Cape and Islands region by empowering individuals, fostering community connections and increasing affordable housing opportunities.
Homeless Outreach
Meeting individuals experiencing homelessness and helping connect them with needed services, including possible housing opportunities.
HomeBASE
Administering an emergency assistance program to divert families from entering shelter.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Providing permanent supportive housing to individuals and families who were previously homeless.
Prevention
1,296
HOMELESS PREVENTION CLIENTS SERVED IN 2023
Through homeless outreach, family shelters and Project Prevention, we help our neighbors find housing and stay housed.
Youth and Young Adults
Offering case management from the Cape bridges to Hyannis for unaccompanied youth (under 25) who are homeless or imminently at risk of homelessness.
Homeless Prevention
Administering funding to help individuals and families either remain in their current housing or move into new housing.
Shelters
Families in shelter are provided case management and support services to help get them back on their feet and in a home as soon as possible.
Housing Counseling
Meeting individuals experiencing homelessness and helping connect them with needed services, including possible housing opportunities.
Rental Opportunities
Assisting families and individuals in finding housing on the Cape and Islands.
Rent 365
Providing financial incentives to landlords who convert their seasonal rentals into year-round rentals.
Housing Search
Maintaining an up-to-date list of available rentals or upcoming rental lotteries.
THRIVE
Stabilization
2,883
FAMILIES RECEIVED HELP SECURING YEAR-ROUND HOUSING IN 2023
We mentor clients to help them meet financial and personal goals to become independent.
A rental subsidy program that provides rental funding and housing counseling to households employed in specific industries on Cape Cod.
Rental Voucher Programs
Regional administrator for federal and state vouchers that provide ongoing financial assistance to tenants throughout Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.
Education
Curating a variety of group-based educational workshops from basic financial literacy to certified First Time Homebuyer to post-purchase homeownership.
Family Empowerment
A two-year supportive transitional housing program for households exiting our family shelters.
Heating System Programs
Offering heating system repairs, replacements, and clean and tunes for low-income households.
Weatherization & Energy Assessments
Conducting Home Energy Assessments and assisting with insulation and air sealing.
Empowerment
3,017 PEOPLE CONNECTED TO SERVICES, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY IN 2023
Offering resources to help people get housed, stay housed and advocate for our community
Real Estate
Cape Community Real Estate (CCRE), a division of Housing Assistance, is a full-service, nonprofit real estate company that serves as a broker.
Home Ownership
Selling affordable homes through a lottery selection process.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Providing technical and financial assistance to homeowners looking to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their property.
Landlord Support
Providing resources for current and prospective landlords who want to ensure a beneficial experience for all involved.
GOOD SHELTERS
Eastern Bank is committed to recognizing the good in our communities and celebrating the work of HOUSING ASSISTANCE CORPORATION
Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary Celebration
Member FDIC
Memorable Moments
When new needs emerge, Housing Assistance leaps into action. Over the course of the COVID pandemic, Housing Assistance distributed over $10 million in rental assistance.
Mary LeClair is a longtime Housing Assistance volunteer and former board member. In recognition of her dedication to housing and many other community causes, a new housing development in Mashpee was named in her honor. When completed this year, LeClair Village will feature 39 affordable apartments.
Liz Belcher, information client services manager for Housing Assistance, was asked to help with the organization’s efforts to assist Venezuelan migrants in 2022. Her mother, Allison Alewine, performed a similar role in 2005 when 200 survivors of Hurricane Katrina were airlifted from New Orleans to Cape Cod. Alewine, who worked for Housing Assistance for more than 25 years, said, “It makes me proud to know that Housing Assistance has a history of helping people at their greatest time of need.”
It’s a joyful moment when someone buys their first home, and we’re proud of our programs that have helped hundreds of families do that. In this 1981 photo, a new homeowner signs for a mortgage through our Self-Help Housing Program.
Volunteers have supported Housing Assistance in numerous ways over the tears. For many years, groups from churches and community organizations cooked and served nutritious meals at our NOAH Shelter in Hyannis. Thank you to everyone who has donated time over the past 50 years to improve the lives of our clients.
In June 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stood before a crowd of state and local officials and Housing Assistance staff and supporters to announce the Healey-Driscoll administration’s $14 billion capital investment plan, which she said included “historic levels of funding” for affordable housing. Gov. Healey made the announcement at Housing Assistance’s main office in Hyannis, with an exhibit of young children’s drawings of the theme “Home Is Where the Heart Is” as the backdrop.
More Memorable Moments
Donations of any size are welcome, but we love a “big check” ceremony. In 2004, board member The Rev. Dr. Philip H. Mitchell and longtime Housing Assistance employee Deanna Bussiere accepted a donation from Keyspan, as part of the Home Runs for Housing campaign.
In February 2001, U.S. Sen. John Kerry visited our Hyannis office to meet with more than 100 local legislators and housing advocates. Kerry praised local efforts to confront affordable housing needs, saying, “I wish my colleagues could be tele-transported here to see the depth of your commitment and concern.”
The NOAH Telethon (later the Telethon for Hope) was a successful annual fundraiser from 2004 until the pandemic. In 2012, “American Idol” star Siobhan Magnus performed and helped out on the phones.
In January 2017, Housing Assistance welcomed new CEO Alisa Magnotta, who took over when founder and CEO Rick Presbrey retired. “We all know that housing is where everything starts,” she said. “Nothing can be accomplished without having a safe, affordable house.”
(left) “No one who works for a living should have to live in poverty,” Sen. Ted Kennedy said in a 2002 speech advocating an increase in the minimum wage. In this photo, he’s shown conversing with Housing Assistance founder Rick Presbrey at a Community Council meeting in 1984.
The American Dream says that success and prosperity will be realized through hard work and determination. Past generations may recall their first apartment or home as an integral part of that dream. On Cape Cod, it’s at risk – hard working, year-round families can’t find or afford a place to call home.
Cape Cod faces a tipping point... our community is in the grip of an unprecedented and unrelenting housing crisis.
The Cape Cod way of life is eroding – people are no longer able to set roots and plan for their future. We must find solutions to protect what we love about the Cape – our community and the quality of life on this special peninsula.
Our Capital Campaign will add affordable and attainable housing units that our workforce can afford.
With nine projects currently in the pipeline, your investment is helping us provide quality housing to 575 people across nine locations throughout Cape Cod. Together we can keep our workforce strong, keep businesses and services open, and help local families achieve the American Dream.
There is hope.
Help us bring back the American Dream.
LeClair Village is a brand-new 39-unit development in 3 buildings in Mashpee.
Top photo: Ground breaking Bottom photo: Ready for occupancy!
Building a Sustainable Future for Cape Cod
At this pivotal moment, Cape Cod finds itself at a crossroads. Inaction on our housing crisis will deepen the workforce shortage, driving up costs for employers and consumers alike. Looming large is the risk of business closure and economic stagnation, potentially diminishing Cape Cod’s allure as a thriving region to visit and to live.
At the core of this issue is an inadequate supply of homes for our workers, as so many have been purchased by remote workers and second home owners, as well as a longstanding local preference for the construction of single family homes over multifamily housing. Antiquated zoning that prohibits multifamily housing in some instances also contributes to this crisis.
Standing at the threshold of the next half-century, Housing Assistance is more committed than ever to finding lasting solutions for Cape Cod’s housing crisis.
We are embracing a comprehensive strategy that includes building new affordable homes that meet the needs of our year-round residents. At the same time, we continue to support the programs that have long defined our work – rental assistance, energy audits, financial education, and homeownership programs – as these empower residents and build stability and growth. This year, new funding allowed us to relaunch the Rent 365 program, which encourages residential property owners to convert seasonal rentals into year-round housing.
The choices we make now will shape the region’s future for generations. Decisive action can lead to a resurgence in our local workforce and to filling more vacant jobs. This, in turn, will fuel economic growth both in the summer months and year-round and will ultimately lower the cost of goods and services for local residents.
To propel these efforts, we have launched a $5 million capital campaign aimed at significantly expanding our housing initiatives. This campaign has already garnered substantial community investment, highlighted by a $1 million commitment from Cape Cod Healthcare. The funds raised will help create new rental and homeownership opportunities for nearly 600 individuals and families while providing the resources to complete nine key projects already in motion.
With this forward-thinking approach, we aim to streamline infrastructure and building costs through more efficient, higherdensity housing. These projects are designed to provide longterm, sustainable solutions for the Cape’s housing landscape.
By leveraging community collaboration, state investments and our expanded housing capacity, we are making a lasting impact on Cape Cod. The path ahead will be challenging, but it is one filled with purpose and the shared belief that everyone deserves a place to call home.
460 W. Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
508-771-5400
haconcapecod.org
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Join us at the third annual Housing to Protect Cape Cod Summit!
This year, we will dive into the details of the historic Affordable Homes Act and discuss how we can leverage the new policies and resources in the act to create more attainable year-round housing across our region. You will have the opportunity to connect with state and local officials, business leaders, and community advocates as we reflect on progress made over the past year and chart the course for the year ahead.
Featured Speakers:
• Edward Augustus, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing & Livable Communities
• Julian Cyr, State Senator, Cape & Islands District
• Alisa Magnotta, CEO, Housing Assistance
• Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
• Ryan Castle, CEO, Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS®
• Rob Brennan, Chief Legal Officer, Housing Assistance
• Kristy Senatori, Executive Director, Cape Cod Commission
