Housing Rehab, Advocacy Training and Workshops for Businesses!

News & offerings from the Community Development Partnership

January 2018

Creating opportunities for people to live, work, & thrive on the Lower Cape

A Note from Jay

Many of you have very generously supported the work of the CDP using our Community Investment Tax Credit - a program that enables us to give donors a state tax credit worth 50% of any contribution of $1,000 or more.

I'm pleased to report that thanks to the great work of our State Representative, Sarah Peake, we are confident that this program will be extended to 2025 and that the allocation of tax credits each community development corporation in the Commonwealth receives will double to $300,000 each.

At the CDP's Board Meeting last Thursday, our leadership was able to thank Rep. Peake for her great work during her annual meeting with the CDP Board to discuss our legislative priorities for 2018. Representative Peake is committed to helping to increase state funding for our programs to support small businesses. And she reported on efforts to modernize zoning in the Commonwealth and provide incentives for creating more affordable and market rate housing. We are so fortunate to have such incredible support from Representative Peake, Senator Cyr and Representative Whelan.

On an almost daily basis, I am reminded of the difference our programs and services make in the lives of our low- to moderate-income neighbors here on the Lower Cape. Our meeting with Rep. Peake was an affirmation that the efforts we are working on--with our partners at the State House and with your support-- are beginning to realize true results.

I believe that the work we do with policy makers and elected officials is as important as putting roofs over people's heads or providing loans to businesses. While our programs are helping to meet immediate needs, we also have a responsibility to advocate for the people we serve in town halls, on Beacon Hill and in Washington.

So thanks for investing in all that we do to create opportunities for people to live, work, and thrive on the Lower Cape.

As always,

Providing Safe, Stable & Affordable Housing

Cape Housing Institute Gears Up for Next Phase...

Next month we will launch the Cape Housing Advocacy Training, a collaborative effort between the Community Development Partnership and Housing Assistance Corporation to provide people throughout the region with the tools to support affordable housing in their communities.

Participants can choose between taking three 90-minute Tuesday sessions in either the afternoon or evening; or one five-hour session on a Saturday. The training is free, open to the public and geared towards anyone who has struggled to find affordable housing on Cape Cod and the Islands and wants to make a difference.

The trainings are tied to a larger initiative, the Cape Community Housing Partnership, which we are undertaking together with our partners at the Housing Assistance Corporation to address

the region's housing needs. In the fall of 2017, we trained more than 130 municipal officials in the Cape Housing Institute. In the spring, we will also introduce a public education campaign designed to change misconceptions of who needs affordable housing in our communities.

The Cape Housing Advocacy Training is being sponsored by: Cape & Islands License Plate Fund; Cape & Islands United Way; Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank Charitable Trust; Cape Cod Foundation; the Estate of Bernard Kaplan; Cape Cod Young Professionals; and Shepley Wood Products.

Supporting Local Businesses

Local Businesses Likely to Face Even Greater Challenges In the Near Future

In early February the CDP is going to kick-off a 3-part workshop series focused on HR practices for small businesses. The first session will be led by Pamela Sande, of Pamela Sande & Associates, LLC, and we caught up with her for some interesting insights into significant changes that are affecting the labor market and businesses on the Cape.

"I feel like there is a tsunami coming here," says Sande. "Unemployment rates are the lowest we have seen for years and the economy is doing really well, so we are starting to see some very significant increases in wages." Increased wages combined with low unemployment means a more competitive labor market. These trends will impact businesses on the Lower Cape, and in order to compete, businesses will have to think longer term. "You can't think of hiring one season to the next," says Sande, "but the only way you do that is by having a great people strategy in place."

Sande says it starts at the beginning with how you market and brand your business which makes it attractive to employees. Retaining them is a combination of creating a work environment that makes people happy to work for you and how employees are compensated. Compensation can be achieved in a variety of ways - what HR professionals refer to as "total rewards."

One of the ways that Sande & Associates help their business clients, is working with them to align their hiring practices with their business objectives. "Businesses are successful because of the people they hire," says Sande, and "hiring the right fit is key."

Creating a Sustainable Future

Housing Rehabilitation to the rescue...

Recently we received a call from a single mom with two children, one of whom has autism. They had moved into her father's vacation home in Dennis over the summer, a home she inherited after taking care of her father in Littleton for 20 years. She was still in the process of getting settled and looking for work when, during the height of the recent cold snap, she discovered that her furnace had stopped working. She reached out to our staff who let her know that she was eligible for Housing Rehab funds. Within two weeks contractors were on site completing an emergency furnace replacement. Not only was her new furnace paid for through our Housing Rehab Program, but it was a fuel efficient unit, guaranteed to save her money every month!

...the program is expanding to Dennis, Eastham and Harwich.


Before

We are busy gearing up our 2018 Housing Rehab Program and are looking for low- to moderate-income home owners in Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Provincetown and Truro.

Eligible homeowner's may receive up to $40,000 for critical repairs to their home. Repairs include, but are not limited to: roofing, heat, windows, siding, septic, lead paint abatement and energy efficiency upgrades. Participants receive expert assistance from the CDP contracting with quality licensed and insured contractors to complete the repairs. Funding is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis.


	After

Learn more about this program.

More good news for the environment. ..Even in the dark of winter our solar panels are producing - they generated $2,922 worth of electricity and $5,200 in SREC credits from November through January!

YOUR OPINION NEEDED!

The YMCA Cape Cod is conducting a community needs assessment and would like your input. To design services focused on the community, the Y would like to hear from the entire Cape community, and we have agreed to distribute this survey to our constituents. Based on this community needs assessment, the Y, in partnership with others, will design and deliver new programs and services that address critical issues in the areas of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

This link will take you to a short online survey. Survey responses are not individually tracked and are kept confidential. The assessment should take no more than five minutes to complete, and the results will be compiled into an executive summary that will be shared with our organization and others partnering with the Y in this effort.

Should you have any questions, please contact Stacie Peugh, CEO YMCA Cape Cod at 774-251-5101 or by email at [email protected].

Upcoming Events and Workshops

SAVE THE DATE!

For our

2018 Annual Meeting

Thursday, March 29th

from 5:30pm to 7:30pm

at Karoo Restaurant in Eastham

We will be celebrating our accomplishments of the past year, electing new members to the CDP Board and presenting the Gwenn Pelletier Award for Excellence in Community Service and the Norm Edinberg Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. Hope to see you there!

Cape Housing Advocacy Training

Participants must pre-register here . Priority deadline for registration is Friday, February 2.

Outer Cape:

3 sessions: Tuesdays, February 13, 20, and 27 at Wellfleet Public Library, Wellfleet

Lower Cape : 1 session: Saturday, February 17 at Harwich Community Center, Harwich

Mid-Cape: 3 sessions: Tuesdays, February 13, 20 and 27 at Shepley Showcase, Hyannis

Upper Cape : 1 session: Saturday, March 3 at Falmouth Public Library, Falmouth

We are grateful to the Estate of Bernard Kaplan and the following organizations for making this workshop series possible.

Marketing Your Business:

Join us for this new 3 session workshop series to improve your human resources skills. Register for 1 or all 3 sessions.

February 6 - "Top 10 Simple Steps in HR Practice" with Pa mela Sande from Pamela Sande and Associates

March 6 - "Hiring the Right Fit" with Neila Neary from Career Opportunities

April 3 - "Employee Handbook" with Karyn Rhodes from Complete Payroll Solutions

Register Now!

S CORE Business Counseling

Looking for practical business wisdom? The CDP has arranged with Cape Cod SCORE to offer Individual Business Counseling with SCORE counselors right here in Eastham.

When & Where: a one hour mentoring session will be available on

Wednesday, February 14 between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

CDP Conference Room, 3 Main Street Mercantile, Unit 8 in Eastham.

Find out more & register >