Housing for All

Cape Associates does its part to alleviate the Cape’s housing shortage

BY CAROL K. DUMAS – as seen in At Home on Cape Cod, a publication of Home Builders & Remodelers of Cape Cod, Inc.

Several nonprofit organizations and municipalities have been working tirelessly to alleviate the critical shortage of affordable housing on Cape Cod, but their efforts need the support of for-profit businesses to be successful.

Cape Associates has taken an active role in addressing the lack of affordable housing, in recent years, through a variety of initiatives with the nonprofit organization Housing Assistance, but its efforts go back decades.

“It really is part of our corporate culture,” said Matthew Cole, President and CEO of Cape Associates, the Eastham building and design firm founded by his grandfather, Lester Langhans in 1971. “It started with my grandfather, but back then it was more about helping faith-based organizations.”

It grew under my dad [the late Michael Cole], as the cost of housing started to climb and as a result shut out a lot of people. “We’ve expanded those efforts, especially focusing on creating affordable rentals, as that’s become a more cost-effective way to address the problem, as many people can’t afford the down payments for a single-family home.”

This past December, the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod recognized Cape Associates’ philanthropic efforts with a Building Community Award.

Since 2011, Cape Associates has been a key partner in Housing Assistance Corporation’s mission to increase the stock of affordable housing on Cape Cod and recently made a major donation to support the relaunch of the Rent 365 Program, which encourages homeowners who rent their properties seasonally to do so year-round instead. Rent 365 offers a financial incentive to convert a seasonal short-term rental into a year-round rental. Thanks to Cape Associates’ support and a grant from the Barnstable County License Plate Program, landlords can receive $4,000 for a one-bedroom unit, $5,000 for a two-bedroom unit and $6,000 for units with three bedrooms or more. Accessory Dwelling Units converted to year round housing can receive a $10,000 credit.

“It’s another tool in the toolbox in our efforts to address the ongoing housing needs of our year-round workforce here on the Cape,” said David Quinn, Housing Assistance

Corporation Vice President of Real Estate Development. “Our goal is to show people that by renting their property year-round, owners can not only offset costs but also contribute positively to our community. We need stable housing for the people we rely on to staff our schools, restaurants, hospitals and emergency services.”

Since 2021, Cape Associates has served as the general contractor for FORWARD (Friends Or Relatives With Autism And Related Disabilities) at the Rock in Dennis, a project that has created eight units of affordable housing for adults with autism. Phase 2, now under construction, will add eight, one-bedroom apartment units.

A current project between Cape Associates and HAC is 107 Main St., a property owned by the town of Orleans and being developed by Housing Assistance. Cape Associates was chosen to be the general contractor for the project that will offer 14 affordable rentals. The state-funded housing project will be a mix of nine, one-bedroom; four, two-bedroom and one three-bedroom units. All units will be restricted for households below 80 percent of the county median income and meet state standards for inclusion on the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). One unit will be fully handicap accessible.

“Cape Associates did a lot of work pro bono for us, pre-construction,” noted Quinn about the company’s past efforts. “They were involved in the design process leading up to the start of the project. They have been an excellent partner working with us on often very complicated affordable housing projects. Along the way, they would give us cost estimate updates, did site work and they were the bridge between us and the modular construction factory.”

Cole notes that the affordable housing crisis has far-reaching ramifications on many aspects of living on Cape Cod, on all businesses.

“The quality of life here for residents and visitors is diminished if no one can afford to buy or rent a home here. Our seasonal economy will also suffer as a result. We very much need this problem to be solved. “We can’t afford not to address this crisis,” says Cole.

Individuals at Cape Associates have also pitched in beyond building housing. Executive Vice President Rich Bryant has been a major fundraiser for HAC’s Walk for Hope and has run the Falmouth Road Race to raise funds for Housing Assistance.

In addition, “Rich has been the driving force behind 107 Main for us, both preconstruction and currently,” added Cole. Christa Danilowicz, Vice President of Philanthropy for Housing Assistance, said Cape Associates’ involvement in their projects has been key to HAC’s mission to increase the stock of affordable housing on Cape Cod.

“They are incredibly philanthropic and care deeply about the housing crisis,” said Danilowicz. “Their involvement and their leadership in the community has been so impactful.”