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In late August, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card declared that the Cape Cod region is experiencing a critical Level-3 drought.  Conserving water now will help to reduce water use to ensure that water is available for drinking and fire protection, habitats have enough water to support their natural functions, and to sustain the long-term availability of water supplies. 

The Regional Housing Strategy aims to address housing supply, affordability, and availability issues by identifying appropriate areas for housing development and creating policies and strategies to further the plan’s goals.

The Cape Cod Commission has begun work on the Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative, a science-based, information-driven planning process to engage stakeholders and enable action to protect and restore Cape Cod’s freshwater resources. The effort is supported by $2,493,028 in funding approved by the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates and Board of Regional Commissioners.

The towns of Chatham, Harwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Provincetown will share a $205,479 action grant awarded through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program to assess low-lying roads in each community and develop solutions. This funding is part of $32.8 million in MVP Program grants awarded to Massachusetts cities and towns in late August through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Supported by $200,000 in state funding, the Cape Cod Commission collaborated with Barnstable County and the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy to conduct a survey-based needs assessment related to early education and childcare for Cape Cod and the Islands. 

The project aimed to better understand existing levels of provision and needs in the early education and childcare industries, identify gaps in services, and explore potential strategies for improving the accessibility of services in the region.  

A status on projects currently under Cape Cod Commission review. 

The 2022 OneCape Summit offered mobile workshops that allowed attendees to get a firsthand look at some of the issues impacting our region and learn about strategies to address these vulnerable areas.

Climate discussions at OneCape 2022 focused on work to improve the region's ability to combat climate change and strengthen our infrastructure, all while ensuring equity throughout the planning process. 

At OneCape, plenary speakers and breakout sessions aimed to highlight ongoing work to improve the region's access to, and affordability of, childcare.

During the OneCape Summit, local, regional, and national experts and advocates highlighted efforts to protect and preserve Cape Cod's water quality.