It took five years, but the evidence of progress is everywhere.
The newly-paved access road flanked by cement footings for street lights. The cleared lots with white septic and water pipes protruding from the dirt.
With the infrastructure in place, construction on 30 one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable rental units, in what is known as Brewster Woods, is imminent. Standing out of the hot sun, under a tent before dozens of local, regional and state officials that helped make it possible, U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Mass., acknowledged that the ceremonial groundbreaking was indeed an occasion to celebrate.
But it was also a time to recommit to the effort of building and finding housing.
“This is a stepping stone in addressing the needs we have,” Keating said Tuesday about what he called a national affordable housing crisis that the Cape and Islands has known for decades. But the way it will be solved is piece-by-piece, Keating told the audience, with developments like Brewster Woods.
“Today we’re changing the lives of an estimated 60 people in those 30 units, and you’re saying that number is not big enough, but it sure is if you are one of those people.”
Brewster Woods was developed on town-owned land by the Housing Assistance Corp. and the Preservation of Affordable Housing, and will have eight one-bedroom units, 19 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units.
Construction is expected to be completed by next summer and tenants will be selected by lottery.
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Prospective renters can only qualify in two categories: up to 30% of local area median income ($20,300 for one person up to $35,160 for six); or up to 60% of median income ($40,620 for one person up to $67,260 for a family of six). Rents are estimated at $1,087 a month for a two-bedroom apartment for those at 30% of median income, and $1,305 for a two-bedroom for those making up to 60% of median.
It takes heavy lifting, both financially and logistically, by people at all levels of government and finance, to get one of these projects completed, including: a $1.68 million state MassWorks grant paid for the site clearing and infrastructure; a $2.4 million loan from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership; $1 million in Affordable Housing Trust Funds from MassHousing; $450,000 from Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation; $550,000 in Brewster Community Preservation Act money; and $800,000 in local and state HOME funding: $250,000 in Barnstable County HOME funds and $550,000 in Department of Housing and Community Development funds.
Keating urges other towns to act
Keating commended Brewster for actively pursuing the funding it needed to complete the project. He urged other towns that this was the time to act. Money from the American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021 was available to help with housing issues, but Keating said the infusion of money wouldn’t last forever.
“We have to seize the opportunity and be as aggressive as we can,” he said.
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Cape housing costs were already high pre-pandemic, but fueled in part by demand from off-Cape residents wanting to relocate in relatively COVID-19-safe rural areas, Cape housing costs soared by 27% this year with a median sales price of $560,000. Median sales prices on Martha’s Vineyard jumped up to $1.5 million and to $2.18 million on Nantucket. The median sales price in Chatham is $1.78 million.
Rental and home sales inventory is low and the Cape is in need of more than 4,500 rental units, local housing experts said.
“Our lifeblood is affected by our ability to have housing,” Keating said. “We’re going to lose … businesses; we’re going to lose those jobs, and we’re going to lose them because of a lack of housing.”
“Housing crisis is a term we use a lot,” state Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy said. He pointed to Gov. Charlie Baker’s recently successful housing legislation that allowed for a simple majority vote, instead of the formidable hurdle of a supermajority, for towns to change zoning to create affordable housing. The legislation also required a $50,000 bond of those wishing to sue to keep towns from building affordable housing in their neighborhood.