EASTHAM – The Community Development Partnership (CDP) has announced a Community Impact grant award of $17,000 from the Cape and Islands United Way to support the Cape Community Housing Partnership.
The new program is a community-based strategy to increase the region’s affordable housing capacity.
Through the program, low to moderate income residents, business and community leaders, municipal staff and legislators would be supported with the knowledge and skills to support the creation of more affordable housing.
“What the project is designed to do is to really kind of change the climate and improve pathways for us to be able to develop more affordable housing,” said CDP Executive Director Jay Coburn.
The Partnership is a collaborative effort between the CDP and Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) and incorporates a comprehensive three-part strategy, 1) Cape Housing Institute, 2) Advocacy Training, and 3) a public education campaign.
The Cape Housing Institute is a six-week training for elected and appointed municipal leaders and town staff.
The Institute is scheduled to begin the week of October 11 and each session will be held in the Upper, Mid, Lower and Outer Cape.
“We’ve got a pretty detailed skills-based curriculum that will really equip our community leaders with the skills that they need to be making strategic decisions around housing,” said Coburn.
Advocacy Training will help community members advocate for affordable housing and training is scheduled to being in early 2018.
A public media campaign to educate the community on who lives in affordable housing will also being in 2018.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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