Affordable housing developers: There are several steps involved with bringing new affordable housing projects to the table. Affordable housing developers should arrange to present their project before the Community Housing Council and file a permit application with the Provincetown Housing Office. Necessary document can also be obtained by contacting the Housing Office at 487-7000 ext 515.

HAC honors affordable housing leadership. The Housing Assistance Corporation honors Town Manager Keith Bergman's leadership efforts on affordable housing. Read more. CHAPA leadership award. CHAPA presented its municipal leadership award to Provincetown for the Town's affordable housing efforts. Read more.

The Lower Cape Cod CDC Launches its 2007 Housing Rehab Loan Program: The Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation has announced that its 2007 Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program is under way for income-eligible residents in Wellfleet and Provincetown. Read more.

2007 Town Meeting Affordable Housing Articles: The Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 7 p.m. on Affordable Housing articles in the April 4, 2007 Town Meeting warrant. Proposals include creation of a Provincetown Community Housing Council and a Provincetown Housing Office funded by Community Preservation Fund and Affordable Housing Trust Fund monies; and 1.5% real estate transfer fee to fund a Community Housing Bank. Go to Town Meeting Resources.

Selectmen adopt Housing Action Plan priorities: On February 20, 2007, the Provincetown Board of Selectmen approved the highest priority items contained in the Housing Action Plan. On February 12, 2007, the Board had voted to approve the plan for a Housing Office, with funding from the Provincetown Housing Authority (Affordable Housing Trust Fund) and the Community Preservation Committee (community housing funds subject to April 2007 Town Meeting).

Affordable/Community Housing Plan of Action Finalized: The Town of Provincetown's Housing Summit reconvened on Thursday, December 7th and finalized work on the Plan of Action to address the critical shortage of workforce housing in the community. Read Plan of Action prepared in advance of the December 7th Summit by participants in the Housing Summit Work Groups. See final plan as PDF file. The Town of Provincetown, through its Board of Selectmen, Community Preservation Committee, Housing Authority, and Local Housing Partnership, hosted a HOUSING SUMMIT on Thursday, September 21, 2006. More than 150 persons participated. The aim of the summit was to create a specific Plan of Action to address the critical shortage of workforce housing in the community. The Housing Summit was the kick-off event to create this Plan of Action. Consultant John Ryan facilitated the summit and will provide continuing support to the participants who will be formulating the Plan. View the slideshow from the summit. Get more information about the Housing Summit and the Plan of Action.

Working Groups met at the times and locations indicated below:

Housing Needs Assessment. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership, on behalf of the Town of Provincetown engaged consultant John Ryan of Amherst, MA to provide a housing needs assessment for the community. Read the executive summary. Read the full report. In the consultant's view, the following should be Provincetown's top housing priorities: 1. creation of 200-250 year-round, affordable rental housing units for working residents; 2. provision of 40 ownership opportunities immediately with an ongoing commitment to 25-30 units/ year.; and 3. creating up to 24 units of additional independent senior rental housing. The next steps including the September 21st Housing Summit.

Housing Assistance. Read more.

Potential Housing Development Sites. The Town of Provincetown is pursuing the development of affordable housing at 90 Shankpainter Road-- a 2.53-acre site to be purchased from Cumberland Farms for $1-million in CPA funds-- and 24 Race Point Road-- the 5-acre DPW garage site. Read more about cooperative efforts with the Seashore to site a shared DPW facility on Cape Cod National Seashore property.

Property tax exemption for Affordable Year-round rentals. Provincetown has obtained special state legislation-- Chapter 408 of the Acts of 2002-- which allows our Town to grant property tax exemptions for affordable year-round rental units. Read about the program. Contact the Board of Assessors for more information. Download the form.

Affordable Housing Production Goal: 10% plus 100. The Board of Selectmen has adopted the 2005 community housing report which affirms the goal of producing 100 affordable units beyond 10% of the Town’s total year-round housing units. 2004's goal was to create 144 units of affordable housing over the coming five years. This goal included adding 44 subsidized units in the low/moderate income category to reach the total of 206 units, or 10% of the Town’s total year-round housing units. In addition, the goal proposes to add another 100 units over the next five years, with a third of each in the income categories of low/moderate, median, and middle income. It was also agreed that two-thirds of the 144 units should be rental [96 units], and one-third home ownership [48 units].

Cape End Manor Care Campus approved with affordable housing component. April 4, 2005 Special Town Meeting voters overwhelmingly approved the Cape End Manor Care Campus project. The Care Campus includes the use of up to $1.9-million in Community Preservation Act housing funds at $100,000 each for up to 19 affordable assisted living/independent living units. New England Deaconess Association begins construction of its $20-million care campus by the Fall of 2006. Read more about "SEASHORE POINT in Provincetown."

Attorney General approves Community Housing Initiatives passed by April 7, 2004 Special Town Meeting. On July 6, 2004, the Attorney General gave approval to all three community housing initiatives passed by the voters at the April 7, 2004 Special Town Meeting. Voters had overwhelmingly approved the three initiatives contained in the Affordable Housing Task Force's 2004 Community Housing Report, with amendments from the Finance Committee (STM-1) and Planning Board (STM-2, STM-3) supported also by the Board of Selectmen:

• STM-1 Community Preservation Committee by-law approved with the requirement that at least 80% of CPA funds be used for community housing. By-law takes effect July 22, 2004. Read more. The Community Preservation Act was accepted by the voters at the May 4, 2004 Annual Town Election (Question 2) by a vote of 636 to 456.
• STM-2 Zoning: Affordable Accessory Apartments, Amnesty - allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in any residential or commercial zoning district by special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, as long as the accessory unit is deed restricted for low or moderate income community housing. The Amnesty provision allows owners of units not legal under current zoning to get a ZBA special permit within one year, if units meet all building and health codes AND are deed restricted as affordable.
• STM-3 Zoning: Growth Management reallocation for housing - reallocates decreases in Title 5 design flow (from prior changes in use, generally from commercial to residential) for moderate, median, and middle income community housing.

Housing Element of the Community Development Plan

Community Vision Statement. The purpose of the visioning phase is to identify the points on which residents agree and disagree, and to build a common framework through listening and dialogue. Read more. To facilitate this process, the Town will be engaging the services of Mr. John Goodrich, whose facilitation helped bring about Provincetown's unique sewer solution.

See the Commonwealth's baseline information for Provincetown.

Housing Element - Six Steps. Read about the Housing Element of a Community Development Plan.

• STEP 1. Gather Information and Complete a Housing Supply Inventory - Some baseline information was presented by Town Staff on May 14th:

• STEP 2: Complete an Assessment of Housing Demand
• STEP 3: Quantify Need by Comparing Supply and Demand
• STEP 4: Addressing Needs by Setting Goals and Objectives
• STEP 5: Draft a Preliminary Future Housing Map
• STEP 6: Identifying Additional Housing Opportunities

Go to Affordable Housing