Cape Cod's Affordable Housing Crisis 

February 16, 11:30 - 2:30 at the Cape Codder Resort

Erin Perry, Deputy Director of the Cape Cod Commission  Buy Tickets Now

Cape Cod has long had an affordable housing problem.  However, the pandemic has fostered a housing crisis that must be addressed swiftly, or the Cape risks significant damage to its age diversity, economy and the long-term ability of many retirees to live here comfortably.  From January 2019 to September 2022, one real estate association estimated the median price of single family homes on Cape Cod grew an astonishing 69%, driven by extraordinary new demand from higher-income remote workers looking to acquire a second home base. Home ownership is now out of reach for many Cape residents earning salaries above the median, including those in the retail sector, health care, education and government. Rental units are totally occupied, and supply is declining because the new construction of multi-family condo or rental complexes has been limited by community opposition to loss of “Cape Cod character,” and perceived congestion.  Loss of workforce due to limited availability of housing threatens Cape businesses, schools and health care services necessary to care for an aging population.  Read the Commission's background information on the housing market here.  Read the Cape Housing Assistance Corporation's report on the crisis here.
Erin Perry, Deputy Director of the Cape Cod Commission, will give us background on this critical problem, including new market research the Commission is conducting, and the results of Commission community discussion forums.   She will also describe the Commission's new housing strategy initiative, which will support towns with successful models from other communities and actionable recommendations.Erin joined the Cape Cod Commission in 2011 as a Special Projects Manager, and in 2019 was promoted to Deputy Director.  Early in her tenure with the Commission, she focused on her academic area of expertise in oceanography - managing projects on coastal resilience, water quality and hazard mitigation.  In her current role, she manages regional planning efforts, including those on a broad range of issues critical to Cape Cod economic development and the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan, such as housing affordability, as well as directing the creation and implementation of the Cape Cod Area Wide Water Quality Management Plan.   Erin also manages the important process of developing community engagement and consensus on the Commission's recommendations.  Erin received a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from Rutgers and a Master of Arts in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.  Join HCCC for this important discussion that impacts us all, and highlights opportunity for us to influence the future of the Cape economy!Please register by February 10.  

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