Housing to Protect Cape Cod (HPCC) is partnering with established local organizations to maximize its advocacy efforts. That includes a new collaboration with Love Live Local, a local nonprofit focused on building resiliency in the local economy.

Jen Cullum, Housing Assistance’s director of community engagement and advocacy, is leading the initiative. “The idea is that we will team up with active local groups that share our mission of diverse community and economy and work together on the housing crisis,” she said. “Dovetailing our intent with these local partnerships and organizations makes us much more vibrant.”

It is widely recognized that the economy is directly affected by our lack of housing, both for year-rounders and seasonal workers, Cullum said. Under the direction of Amanda Converse, CEO of Love Live Local, members are already very engaged in advocating on behalf of small businesses Cape-wide.

“We are excited to be working with Amanda Converse and her exceptional membership to get the word out to our elected officials that housing must be a top priority,” said Cullum. “We will provide training for any member who would like to come forward and advocate on behalf of housing for our Cape community.”

Other community partnerships are also on the front burner. Through a generous Diversity, Equity and Inclusion grant awarded by Rockland Trust, HPCC will join forces with Amplify POC, People of Action and the Health Ministry. The grant will help HPCC provide training sessions to the groups’ membership on how local government functions and how to speak at public meetings. HPCC will also partner with the Cape Cod Chapter of the NAACP on housing equity issues.

The goal? “We’re going to give wings to the voices that aren’t typically heard at town meetings when housing is discussed,” Cullum said. “We’re committed to bringing their voices to the forefront so that the people making the laws can hear from the people who are impacted by them. Their voice matters, and I’m working diligently to gather more groups that have an active membership that are willing and able to communicate to elected boards and committees.”

HPCC Offers Municipal Leader Training

Housing Assistance is collaborating with the Housing to Protect Cape Cod Coalition to provide a series of workshops for elected and appointed municipal leaders who want to take a deeper dive into housing policies.

The next training will be at 5 p.m. on April 10, when Provincetown Select Board member Leslie Sandberg will speak about “Year-Round Deed Restrictions, A How-To Guide.” A program initiated in Provincetown was modeled after one in Vail, Colorado, and aims to deed restrict properties to reserve them for housing for year-round residents. Register for the Zoom session at housingtoprotectcapecod.org/event-directory.

Previous sessions were recorded and can be viewed online. Those topics include “Housing Trusts 101,” a panel discussion with Rob Brennan, Smolak & Vaughn LLP; David Quinn, VP of real estate development for Housing Assistance; Leslie Sandberg, Provincetown select board member; and Tucker Holland, Nantucket housing director.

Brennan and John Smolak also led a workshop on “40Y and 40B The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” which covers how towns can use these state statutes to their advantage. The most recent workshops were “Form-Based Code and Housing Production,” led by Barnstable town planner Elizabeth Jenkins and “Year-Round Deed Restrictions” with Provincetown Select Board member Leslie Sandberg.

Past workshops can be viewed at housingtoprotectcapecod.org/municipal-leader-trainings