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Creating opportunities for people to live, work, & thrive on the Lower Cape
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This month we are sharing the wonderful success story of one of our affordable rental residents, Nicole Wall. Nicole is moving out of her apartment at Thankful Chase in West Harwich to a new affordable home ownership development in Brewster. Nicole's story is a powerful example of the difference our affordable homes make in the lives of our residents and in the health of our community.
But not every resident who moves out of one of our apartments has an equally happy story. One of our Outer Cape residents is vacating her apartment and leaving her full time job at a local nursing home to move off Cape. She has been a wonderful neighbor and valued employee, but the struggle has just become too difficult for her and so she is seeking greater opportunities on the other side of the bridge.
In a column in this month's
Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine, I write about how important it is for us to address our affordable housing challenges if we are to have a healthy local economy. The over 140 local elected and appointed officials attending our six week
Cape Housing Institute understand the link between housing and jobs and are demonstrating their commitment to making progress on housing by attending.
In the coming weeks, you will receive our annual appeal in your mailbox or email box. I hope you will be inspired by the stories in this month's E-news and demonstrate your commitment to solve our housing challenges by making a generous donation to the CDP. Your financial support will help us make sure that more families like Nicole's can live, work and thrive on the Lower Cape.
As always, thanks for your interest and support,
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For One Mother, Thankful Chase Was Stepping Stone to Home Ownership
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When Nicole Wall graduated from Cape Cod Regional Tech in 2003
as a Cosmetologist, this 14th generation Chatham native did not expect housing to be one of her biggest challenges. She didn't want to leave the Cape, but couldn't find anything she could afford, so she and her mom moved in together.
In 2010, now a single mother of two-year-old Dezmond, Nicole connected with the CDP and became a resident of Thankful Chase Pathway, our 12-unit affordable rental housing complex in West Harwich. A year later, her daughter Nylah was born.
Nicole, now 32, has always been a woman with a plan and purpose. She knew that she wanted to stay and raise her children on the Cape and she wanted to own a home. "I had the mindset that I was going to get a house for me and the kids."
Her full-time wages as a hairdresser, however, made that a very ambitious goal. But Nicole saw Thankful Chase as her path to that dream. "If you don't use it as a steppingstone you'll never be able to do it because of the housing situation." Living at Thankful Chase made it possible for her to save money for a down payment.
Last year Nicole started looking at her options. As she sees it, "The CDP's apartment was a great program for me to grow and move out."
She tried for a Habitat for Humanity House twice, but unfortunately there were more applicants than available homes.
Determined, Nicole enrolled in the CDP's First Time Home Buyers course in May, an information packed series of workshops that prepares people for what will likely be the single largest purchase of their life. Graduates also qualify for special mortgage products with lower down payments, reduced fixed interest rates and no mortgage insurances.
Finally, in July, all her planning and preparation paid off. Nicole won the lottery for a three-bedroom home
at White Rock Commons in Brewster - a new 12 unit development built through Chapter 40B to include three affordable homes and nine market rate homes. In December she will be moving in to her own home, almost 7 years to the day of moving into her Thankful Chase rental unit.
Nicole worries about the future of the Cape, particularly of its younger generation. "We have a dying generation here, and something has to be done to entice young people to stay. Who is going to mow your lawn, pack your groceries, be your nurse's aide?"
"The housing situation is really bad. What is here for them?" says Nicole. "There has to be something to entice young people to stay."
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Local Contractor Sees Benefit of Housing Rehabilitation Program
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The CDP's Housing Rehabilitation (HR) program, works with low and moderate income homeowners to make crucial upgrades to their homes so that they can hold on to housing that is affordable. It has provided 380 homeowner's with over $8.7 million in repairs and is funded using Community Development Block Grants.
One of the components that makes the program successful are the contractors who work with us and eligible homeowners. Each job is required to be competitively bid, and we are always looking for more contractors to come to the table.
Mike Ferrullo has been an HR contractor with the CDP since 2014. He bid on his first job in Dennis in May of 2015. It was the start of a very beneficial relationship between Mike and the CDP's HR program. Mike was the highest earner in the FY15 grant year, and was awarded just under $500,000 in contracts in 2016 on 16 jobs out of 50 projects that were available that year.
That year he expanded his crew and bought a new truck. He and his wife also had a baby.
When Mike first started with the CDP's HR program, he was living in Marstons Mills, but has since moved to Yarmouth. While Mike has a very healthy construction business of his own, he likes the HR projects. "They're easy to get, they are pretty straightforward, and completed within a couple of weeks. They are great to use as fill in around my other jobs." Over the past 6 months Mike has worked on 5 jobs, and he says that he has two in the pipeline and three more that he plans to bid.
It's important that contractors are able to work well with homeowners. As Jean Stanley, the CDP's Director of Housing Rehabilitation says, "Mike is a great guy. We love working with him because he is dependable and has a great way with homeowners."
For this upcoming year we have been allocated funding for up to $40,000 per home. The CDP offers housing rehabilitation support in the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Eastham, Truro, and Provincetown
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Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Supports CDP's Business Programs
This month The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod awarded the CDP a $7,500 sponsorship for our Business & Credit Programs. The sponsorship will help underwrite the costs of our "Cape & Islands Green" and three-part "Marketing Your Business" workshops, as well as our "Connect & Grow" and Technical Assistance program.
Last year the CDP provided technical assistance to 208 local businesses. Over the past five years a total of 425 businesses participated in our workshops.
Seamen's Bank, Cape Air, The Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation are also funders of our B&C Programs. We could not offer these programs without this wonderful support from our local institutions!
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See What's Happening This Fall
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Connect & Grow: Peer Mentoring Group Kicks Off with Room for More!
On October 10 we kicked off "Connect & Grow" our peer mentoring group. Our second session will take place on November 14.
Local business owners often feel isolated and without the ability to bounce ideas and challenges off someone who understands. This group is the solution!
We have room for a couple of more people - all you need to do is
commit to meeting the 2
nd
Tuesday of the month, from now through April (no January Meeting) for the group meetings.
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Marketing Your Business: Traditional PR for the 21st Century
Our marketing workshop series for small businesses will kick off on November 7. It is the first in a series of three workshops that will help you improve your marketing and advertising skills.
The workshops run from 5:30 to 7:00pm in the CDP conference room in Eastham:
November 7: Measuring Social Media Efforts: A Checklist for Small Business
November 28:
How to use traditional PR in the 21st Century
December 5: What to Post and Why: Effectively Using Social Media
Each workshop is just $25. Sign up for just one or two, or commit to all three and really boost your ability to get your story out there and reach your customers the right way.
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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, November 15 between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
CDP Conference Room, 3 Main Street Mercantile, Unit 8 in Eastham.
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First Time Homebuyers Workshop
Our October workshop was sold out with over 25 people participating!
We will be offering the three-day, 9 hour course again in December. Advance registration is required and fee is $50 per individual or $70 per household.
Classes will be held on:
- Monday, December 4, 2017 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm
- Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm
- Monday, December 11, 2017 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm
This workshop series is sponsored by Seamen's Bank.
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Housing Rehabilitation Program: Information Session
Come learn about opportunities available through the Housing Rehabilitation Program. Funds are available to eligible residents to pay for critical home repairs, such as:
Roofing and Siding
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Lead Paint Abatement
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Minor Structural Repairs
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Heating and Plumbing
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Windows and Doors
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Energy Efficiency Upgrades
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Provincetown Council on Aging - Wednesday, December 7 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
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Affordable Housing Opportunities
Affordable Rentals
We own/manage 72 rental homes throughout the Lower Cape. Availability changes on a regular basis.
If you have questions, please contact Alice Demoracski, our Director of Property Management at 508.240.7873 ×17 or by email at
Housing Rehabilitation Program
Attention homeowners and landlords! Receive up to $40,000 for critical repairs to your home. Repairs include, but are not limited to roofing, heat, windows, siding, septic, lead paint abatement and energy efficiency upgrades. Get expert assistance on planning the work and work with quality licensed and insured contractors. Funding is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. This program is available to income eligible residents of Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet.
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This Place Matters
our bi-weekly radio & television show
Tune in
92.1 WOMR & 91.3 WFMR
Wednesdays 12:30pm
Join host Jay Coburn & guests to learn more
about activities affecting the people and places on Lower and Outer Cape Cod.
November 1: Join us for "Where Are They Now?" Jay Coburn will be talking with Brian Tilton, owner of The Building Inspector of Cape Cod, and Sanette Groenewald, owner of Karoo Restaurant, two business owners who have participated in the CDP's Business and Credit Program.
November 15: Alisa Galazzi, CEO of Housing Assistance Corporation and Heather Harper, Affordable Housing Specialist at the Cape Cod Commission will be discussing the current focus on the Cape's Housing challenge.
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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