Community-led solutions for Cape Cod's housing crisis 

As stated in the Regional Housing Strategy, Cape Cod needs bold and swift action to address the housing crisis. Completed in May 2024, the strategy provides recommendations for addressing the region's housing supply, affordability, and availability challenges.  

One of the key regional recommendations is establishing a housing land bank and a community land trust. These two potential entities could work together to facilitate swifter acquisition, stewardship, development, and redevelopment of properties to advance attainable and affordable housing. 

A land bank is an organization that buys and sells land over a short time span for a values-driven purpose, such as housing, economic development, or land conservation. A community land trust is an organization that holds land in perpetuity, also for a values-driven purpose, often affordable housing or land conservation. 

To support the implementation of this recommendation, the Cape Cod Commission is working with a consulting team to develop a framework for the possible establishment of a community land trust and housing land bank. A series of public meetings aimed at educating the community about these entities and gathering feedback have taken place this fall, with additional meetings planned for the month of December.  

Public meetings in Orleans and Sandwich featured an overview of each entity and how they might benefit the region. Attendees had an opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts on a vision for these entities and how they could work with existing organizations in the region. Participants expressed the need to ensure new housing aligns with the character of the Cape and is appropriately scaled to a project’s location. It was also clear that these entities need to be able to support a wide variety of households and residents both in terms of income levels and types of housing, especially those types of housing or income levels for which there are not existing tools, funding mechanisms, or other support. Successful establishment of either entity will require significant community engagement, leadership, and support, but having entities that can act regionally and nimbly to acquire, provide, and preserve attainable housing can be important to help fill gaps in the current housing stock and development landscape. 

In addition to the broader public meetings, two in-depth virtual sessions were held – one on housing land banks and one on community land trusts. The sessions provided details about each entity, how they have been successful in addressing housing challenges across the country, potential structures and funding sources, and potential pathways for establishment on the Cape.  

Two additional virtual sessions are scheduled for December. The housing land bank session will be held on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 PM, and the community land trust session will be held on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:00 PM. Both sessions will be held via Zoom.  

This initial research phase will conclude in early 2025 with recommendations on the structure, governance, and funding should establishment of these entities be pursued on Cape Cod.