HYANNIS – Over 300 state and local officials, business leaders, and community housing advocates recently gathered for the second annual Housing to Protect Cape Cod Summit, an event which drew guest speakers Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus.
The summit featured panels on topics such as navigating short-term housing, local housing creation, a policy toolkit outlining policy recommendations, and a discussion of the Affordable Homes Act, a $4 billion plan to increase the production of affordable homes throughout the state.
The act would be the largest housing investment in the state’s history.
“If we’re in a housing crisis, and we are, we need to be thinking big and to be thinking bold,” said Augustus. “We can do better. It’s our moral responsibility to do better.”
The first summit, held in November of last year, focused on defining the causes of the region’s housing crisis, which has become a topic of increasing concern as many residents struggle to keep a roof over their heads. This year’s summit, however, was geared toward enacting regional action.
“I am incredibly impressed with the thoughtful and strategic approach by the Healey administration to develop the Affordable Homes Act,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alissa Magnotta.
“These historic investments,” she continued, “were decided after months of discussions with stakeholders around the state, understanding that each region is different, with a need for a variety of tools to address our housing needs.”
“This is our opportunity to stop talking about the problem and to take action that allows our families, our businesses, and our communities across the Cape and Islands region and across Massachusetts to thrive.”
To view the policy toolkit, click here.
About Matthew Tomlinson
