Nine Cape Cod towns designated as ‘seasonal communities.’
by Zane Razzaq, Cape Cod Times / Dec. 18, 2024
State officials have released the initial list of 25 seasonal communities that grapple with distinct housing challenges due to their status as vacation destinations.
Nine Barnstable County towns have made the cut: Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet. Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury of Dukes County and Nantucket are also represented.
Eight towns in the Berkshires round out the rest of the list, including Stockbridge, Monterey, Becket, and Mount Washington.
Under the new state Affordable Homes Act, tourism hot spots can unlock new resources tailored for their needs once they are designated as “seasonal communities.” Gov. Maura Healey signed the legislation into law in August.
The bill implements 49 policies to address the housing crunch and authorizes $5.16 billion in spending over the next five years. State officials also estimate it will support the building and preservation of more than 65,000 homes statewide over the next five years.
What are the qualifications for seasonal community designation?
In order to be designated a seasonal community, communities must meet one of two sets of criteria outlined in the law. Some communities can be automatically designated, such as all municipalities in Dukes and Nantucket County, and all municipalities in Barnstable County with over 35% seasonal housing.
Then, other communities can be designated after meeting certain criteria, such as high rates of short-term rentals compared to the overall housing inventory or significant population increases in seasonal visitors.
On Thursday afternoon, members of the newly created Seasonal Communities Advisory Council were sworn in during a remote hearing. Council members will give feedback on policies or programs that could help seasonal communities, such as specialized grant programs, and will submit an annual report, according to a press release from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Fourteen council members attended the first meeting, including: Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus; state Sen. Julian Cyr; state Rep. Kip Diggs; Brewster Town Manager Peter Lombardi; Housing Assistance Corporation CEO Alisa Magnotta; Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori; Laura Silber of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission; Orleans Select Board Chairman Kevin Galligan; Brazilian Resource Center founder Michael Mecenas; Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Niedzwicki; Nantucket land use planner Megan Trudel; Martha’s Vineyard Bank CEO James Anthony; Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Thomas Matuszko; and Cameron Volastro of Stone House Properties in the Berkshires.
New members may be added as the council’s work evolves.
