Winters on the Lower and Outer Cape are windy. Some years we get snow, but it is always windy. And the storms we have experienced so far this winter have been really windy - snapping trees and downing power lines. I’ve been amazed, however, how our deeply rooted

trees withstand the storms, and it reminds me of the importance of the deep roots in our community.

In this month’s e-news you will read about three Lower Cape residents, all with deep roots in our community. Thanks to support from the CDP, they have been able to weather the storms that can characterize life on Cape Cod.

Our mission is to lead the Lower Cape in building a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work and thrive here. Our efforts to promote, develop and manage affordable housing as well as nurture the launch and growth of small businesses enable residents to develop deep roots. It’s these deep roots that have enabled members of our communities to weather the COVID storm and manage the shortage of affordable housing due to gentrification.

As we approach the 30^th Anniversary of the CDP’s founding it is important to acknowledge the CDP’s deep roots in our community and the critical support from people like you who make our work possible.

 –Rachel Harrington, Owner, B.xclusive Mom's Print Shop

The Community Development Partnership (CDP) offers a wide variety of programs to strengthen small local businesses on the Outer and Lower Cape. For many business owners, a simple inquiry to the CDP can turn into a long-term relationship. Rachel Harrington, owner of B.xclusive and Mom’s Printshop in Provincetown is one such business owner.

In 2001, working with the CDP, Rachel received a loan to help her open her first business, a piercing and tattoo shop, in Provincetown. While the store is no longer in business, Rachel stayed connected to the CDP, receiving the monthly Inside Scoop business newsletter and occasionally attending workshops.

For Lower and Outer Cape residents who rent apartments, finding a stable place to live is as important as finding a place that is affordable. People who find a “naturally occurring” affordable rental often face the constant fear it will be sold out from beneath their feet. At the Community Development Partnership, our mission is to provide safe, stable, and affordable housing for our residents like Lance Mirkin, who has lived at Thankful Chases Pathway in Harwich since it was built 11 years ago.

In 2001, Lance was furloughed from his job and could no longer afford his apartment in Quincy. He moved into his parents’ home in Truro while he got back on his feet, although he never intended to stay long. After a year, he moved out of his parents’ home into a small house in Sandwich before moving to Harwich in 2006. Slowly but surely, Lance was starting to build a life on the Lower Cape.

When Jeff Cusack was four years old, he went to Nauset Beach with his uncle and knew, at that moment, that he would always live on the Cape. “I know I wasn’t born here but I have lived here since I was a child, and my plan is to stay here,” said Jeff, who has lived on the Cape since he was 18 months old. Jeff went to college in Boston and then returned to the Cape. “The trick was figuring out how I was going to live here,” stated Jeff. He began working in the restaurant industry but when he turned 30 in 2000, he decided to change careers and joined a local real estate firm.

In 2004, Jeff’s wife Jennifer made a career change that brought her back to the Cape. She decided to live in her parents’ home in Eastham while attending Law School in South Dartmouth. She commuted to every day, but she didn’t mind – she just loved the idea of living on the Cape. Jeff and Jennifer met through a mutual friend and currently reside in South Eastham by the bay and close to the bike trails which they take advantage of almost every day.

Jerome Smith Road is a 65-unit new construction multifamily development in Provincetown. The Jerome Smith Road project will provide affordable, resilient housing and amenities tailored to the needs of residents of Provincetown. The proposed development is four 3-story buildings on a 1.8-acre site serving individuals at 30% AMI, 60% AMI, Workforce (80% AMI), and a handful of market-rate units. The development provides urgently needed affordable rental housing in a location where year-round rental housing at all price ranges is under intense pressure from short-term rentals, remote workers, and seasonal owners.

The planned unit mix is 18 studios, 32 one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, and 5 three-bedroom units. Four of the units will be designated CBH units for persons with disabilities.

TCB was awarded developer designation for the site through a Town-led RFP process and has executed a Purchase & Sale Agreement for an adjacent parcel which expanded the footprint of the site. Local CDC, Community Development Partnership (CDP) is serving as a local partner/consultant on this project.

Please join us to provide your feedback at a community meeting held on March 2 at 6:00 PM via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/95782228174

For more information, contact TCB’s Senior Project Manager, Lindsey Gael, at lindsey.gael@tcbinc.org

Each year, the Community Development Partnership presents two awards to distinguished members of our community — the Gwen Pelletier Award for Excellence in Community Service and the Norm Edinberg Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. We are now accepting nominations for the 2022 awards.

The Gwen Pelletier Award for Excellence in Community Service was created to

honor former longtime Executive Director, Gwen Pelletier for her years of service to the Lower Cape Community. It recognizes individuals, businesses, or organizations

for their involvement and support for maintaining the economic diversity of the

Lower Cape.

The Norm Edinberg Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship was created to honor former longtime CDP Board Member, Norm Edinberg for his years of service to the CDP and supporting small business development on the Lower Cape. The Award recognizes an established Lower Cape business owner who has utilized CDP business and credit services, and who has an established community connection through social responsibility, environmental sustainability, volunteer time, or financial contributions.

If you would like to nominate someone in the community, you can download the nomination form at https://capecdp.org/news/community-awards.

It is hoped that every member of the AC will be an advocate for the CDP in the community at large and make an annual financial contribution to the organization. If you are interested in joining the advisory council for a three-year term, please contact Jay Coburn, President and Chief Executive Officer, at jay@capecdp.org.

Our Housing Rehabilitation Program is available to income-qualified residents of Eastham, Truro, and Provincetown. Qualified residents can receive up to $40,000 per household to pay for critical home repairs (such as roofing and siding, electrical, heating, and plumbing work), lead paint abatement, and energy efficiency upgrades to keep their properties in good condition for the long term. And with local contractors doing the work, it helps keep our local economy strong. 

We remain committed to serving our business clients and our community. Staff is working both remotely and from the office. While we are not taking in-person meetings at this time, we will continue to meet with clients via phone or video conference.

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving weekly updates from our Business and Credit Program that are targeted to small businesses, please sign up for our Inside Scoop.