Shortly after Housing Assistance launched its Rent 365 program last October, John purchased a second home in Harwich.
“It had just come on the market and I really bought it as a long-term investment for something to pass onto my children,” he said.
John, who has lived on Cape Cod with his wife for the past 30 years, decided to take his new home and turn it into a year-round rental with Housing Assistance’s help. As part of Rent 365, homeowners receive a $1,000 bonus for renting out their home for a minimum of one year. They can also receive support from Housing Assistance staff with a model lease, tips for marketing the property, and the tenant selection process.
“I closed in October and rented in December,” John said. “It is a couple. They live in town and he works as a contractor and his wife works for a few retail shops in town.”
As a resident who has had family members benefit from Housing Assistance’s services, John understood that renting his home on a year-round basis is helping to address a need on Cape Cod. “At the end of the day, there is such a huge demand for housing,” he said. “So many people in the workforce are looking for housing. This is a nice little house and it was eye opening when I posted it [the advertisement] and saw all the responses.
“I think philosophically, it was the right decision,” he continued. “Knowing organizations like yours and all you do to promote workforce housing, this was really a good fit and it felt good doing it.”
John’s Harwich home is one of 22 new year-round rentals that have been created since the launch of Rent 365 last fall. Second homeowners interested in learning more about the program should contact Director of Housing Development and Planning David Quinn at either dquinn@haconcapecod.org or 508-771-5400, ext. 288.
