A focus on our future

October 2018

N EWSLETTE R

Your Community Updates from the Community Development Partnership

A Word from Jay... A More Vibrant & Youthful Cape Cod

For more than a decade, business & community leaders and residents of the Lower Cape have been concerned about our aging population and “the flight of young people” from our shores.

A close look at the data reveals that young people are not leaving the Cape in droves. What is happening is that the high cost of housing, coupled with a preponderance of lower wage jobs have become barriers to young families moving to the Cape and making a life here as they did two and three generations ago.

With your support, a major focus of the work we do here at the Community Development Partnership is to create opportunities for young people to start and grow a small business or secure an affordable place to live.

In this month’s issue of our E-news you will read about two of our most recent loan clients, Sam Bennison of JoMama’s Bagels in Chatham, aged 22 and Cameron Henchy of Lea’s Boat Rentals aged 20. Sam and Cameron have both started businesses this summer. Their energy and optimism are infectious and leave me very hopeful about the future of our community.

You will also read about Year 2 of our Affordable Housing Institute – a six session training program for appointed and elected officials and town staff designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to address our region’s affordable housing crisis. Last year’s Housing Institute helped to fuel a number of affordable housing initiatives at Annual Town Meeting including over $4.9 Million in local funding.

All of this work is made possible thanks to the generous support we receive from individuals and businesses. This month's news features one of our donors, Kristen Roberts—one of the next generation now taking on a leadership role in her family's business.

In a few weeks you will receive our Annual Appeal in the mail - I hope that you will continue to help us create more opportunities for young families to live, work and thrive on the Lower Cape.

Thank you,

Affordable Housing

CDP Supporters Should be Proud As Year 2 of Cape Housing Institute Kicks Off

“What has changed most about the discussion at this year’s Institute…is the growing understanding that the economics of housing relate to the health of the rest of our economy.”

Andrea Aldana,

CDP Director of Housing Advocacy

Thanks to the generous support of many CDP donors, the Cape Housing Institute kicked off earlier this month. It has been an intense, informative, and motivating experience for the more than 50 participants from towns across the Lower Cape.

(Photo: Institute participants engage in a group exercise in Harwich)

Here's more from Year 2 of the Institute

Supporting Local Businesses

Two Entrepreneurs Under 25 ...Who've Learned on the Job

“They saw a hard-working young man, determined to grow the company, even though I could not always see that myself.”

Sam Bennison

Owner, JoMama’s, Chatham

Sam Bennison says he started his career in the kitchens of his childhood. He honed his cooking and management skills in the culinary program at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School and dreamed of owning his own restaurant. But he didn’t think he’d ever have the chance.

Sam Bennison in front of JoMama's

Now, not long out of school, he is the first franchisee of JoMama’s, running the new Chatham location of the popular coffee and bagel eatery with roots in Orleans.

Cameron Henchy is another one of those everyday people whose entrepreneurial spirit inspires us.

As a sophomore at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he’s into engineering and dreams of building lifts to outer space. But this past summer he was back home and in his fledgling year as owner-manager of Lea’s Boat Rentals, on Flax Pond in Brewster, a concession in Nickerson State Park.

(Photo: Cameron with his sister Luna at Lea's Boat Rentals.)

See how you helped Sam and Cameron launch their businesses.

Supporter Spotlight

A Family Business Looks to the Future of Families on the Outer Cape

“We’ve had so many talented people leave after not being able to find housing anywhere in the area...I guess you could say our support for the CDP is self-interested. Except that we know this isn’t happening just to us."

Kristen Roberts

Owner, Truro Vineyards

Truro Vineyards is a family adventure. If you get the chance to visit, you’ll surely feel the love and energy they’ve poured into making it a successful one.

Deep into a career in the beer and wine businesses—one that he escaped annually for a family vacation in Truro—Dave Roberts saw that the quaint clapboard house and its hillside vines were for sale.

Convincing his wife and children to come together to take on the business was his first ambitious goal.

In the decade since, besides running the winery and distillery together, the Roberts have made it their business to invest in helping other families on the Outer Cape.

How the Roberts see housing and hope for the future

Other News of Note:

Community Investment Tax Credit Program Update

At the beginning of 2018 we needed to raise $333,750 in order to use our allocation of Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC). We have met 93% of our goal through contributions and pledges received and now have just $23,000 to raise by December 31 ^st .

We anticipate that we will run out of tax credits before the end of the year.

If you intend to use tax credits as part of your support of the CDP this year and have not made a contribution or a pledge, please contact Britt Beedenbender at britt@capecdp.org or 508-240-7873 x25. We are happy to reserve tax credits for your use in 2018.

Unfamiliar with the CITC program?

Established by the Commonwealth in 2012 the CITC program is designed to enable local residents and stakeholders to work with and through community development corporations (CDCs) to partner with nonprofit, public, and private entities to improve economic opportunities for low and moderate income households across the Commonwealth.

Contributions of $1,000 or more receive a state tax credit worth half of the amount your donation. So if you step up and contribute $5,000, you will receive a $2,500 tax credit – that’s $2,500 deducted from your tax bill. And if you don’t have Mass tax liability because you live out of state or are using a family foundation to contribute, the state will send you a check for your credit. And to top it all off, you get a federal tax deduction on the remaining 50% of the contribution. This is an amazing way to double your contribution, support the Lower Cape community and receive a tax break!

Upcoming Events and Workshops

Housing Workshops