District Local Technical Assistance funding to support housing initiatives

Each year, the Cape Cod Commission receives funding through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Living Communities (previously the Department of Housing and Community Development) to provide technical assistance to towns in our region. The District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program helps municipalities with sustainable development and encourages partnerships to achieve planning and development goals that align with state and regional priorities.

Over the years, DLTA funds have supported housing and wastewater initiatives, studies of redevelopment options and economic development strategies, and targeted local planning efforts.

Chatham: Planning ahead

The Town of Chatham is receiving DLTA funds to conduct a build-out assessment of approximately 55 parcels within the proposed West Chatham Neighborhood Center. This build-out analysis will support the efforts already made by the town, with assistance from Cape Cod Commission staff, to develop new zoning to foster mixed-use development, redevelopment, and affordable and attainable housing in the West Chatham Neighborhood Center.

Provincetown: Housing Needs Assessment

The Town of Provincetown is receiving DLTA funds to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment to provide a baseline on community housing needs, community views and opinions on housing, and current and desired housing situations. The needs assessment will inform decisions on how best to allocate limited resources to meet the housing needs of town employees, essential workers, and other year-round residents. The analysis will use data collected from public and town-owned sources before proceeding to resident and business surveys, which will be conducted by the UMass Amherst Donahue Institute.

Truro: Zoning Bylaw Task Force support

The Town of Truro is receiving DLTA funds to assist with establishing a Zoning Task Force and conducting a review of Truro’s existing zoning to identify unclear, outdated, and/or inconsistent zoning bylaw provisions. Inspired by the substantial progress the Town of Eastham has made on zoning issues through a similar task force, the Truro Select Board recently approved the creation of an ad hoc Zoning Bylaw Task Force. The Select Board will recruit and appoint members this spring.

Regional: Regional Housing Strategy Implementation

At the request of the towns of Eastham and Orleans, the Cape Cod Commission will use 2024 DLTA funds to work with a consultant to develop a strategy for creating a community land trust and regional housing land bank, which is a key regional recommendation of the Cape Cod Regional Housing Strategy. The regional housing land bank and community land trust would work together to facilitate the acquisition, management, and development of land throughout the region to advance development and redevelopment of attainable housing.

Additionally, the Commission will seek a consultant to create pre-approved housing plans for certain small-scale multi-family housing types to facilitate more predictable and streamlined permitting processes for housing development and redevelopment. Pre-approved plans may be adopted at the local level to expedite the building process and reduce costs while supporting context-sensitive building forms. The outcomes of these regional projects will contribute to implementation of the Regional Housing Strategy and support efforts across Cape Cod to increase the affordability and diversity of available housing.