A Word from Jay...

The CDP’s mission is to lead the Lower Cape in building a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work and thrive here. The programs and services we provide to develop and manage affordable housing, and nurture the launch and growth of small businesses are key to achieving our mission. An equally vital part of our work is serving as advocates and facilitating collaboration with business, non-profit and government partners.

Our work as advocates takes on many forms. In this issue of our monthly E-news you will find an Op-Ed I co-wrote for the Provincetown Independent with my colleague Hadley Luddy of the Homeless Prevention Council in which we advocate that $3.8 Million in additional rooms tax revenue generated by the new short-term rental tax be used to create more affordable housing in our Outer and Lower Cape Towns.

Later this month, we will join other housing advocates working on the Cape and Islands in a meeting organized with our State House Delegation to focus on solutions at the state level that can help us meet our housing affordability challenges. 

This past December, our Director of Housing Advocacy, Andrea Aldana, was elected to the Board of Directors of CHAPA – Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association – the state’s leading advocacy agency on affordable housing. For the past two years I’ve chaired the Public Policy Committee of our state association the Mass Association of Community Development Corporations and since 2017 have served as Vice-Chair of the Massachusetts Rural Policy Advisory Commission.

Advancing better policy in our eight towns and sharing our experience with advocates at the state and federal level is critical to achieving our mission. And your support of our efforts helps us to ensure the vitality and strength of the people who live here throughout the year.

For even the most experienced and successful small business owners, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges. To help alleviate the burden, the town of Truro was awarded $400,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds to provide forgivable loans of up to $10,000 for Lower Cape small businesses.

The forgivable loan program is targeted to help very small businesses, micro-enterprises, with fewer than five employees. Many of these businesses were not a good fit for other programs such as the Payroll Protection Program. To be eligible, business owners must be of low to moderate-income and demonstrate significant losses due to the pandemic.

The Community Development Partnership was chosen by the town to administer these funds, and we began accepting applications in the early fall. Adventure Decor owner Rashida Jamieson has been in business for over a decade, and was one the first to apply for and receive a loan.

Anne Sigsbee

CDP Supporter

“My history with the CDP goes way back,” says Anne Sigsbee. In 1993, she and her husband Andy, who died in 2012, moved to Eastham from Worcester with their 8-year-old daughter. “We had these wonderful neighbors, Joe and Sandy Bayne, who immediately started connecting us with a number of non-profits on the Cape.” The Community Development Partnership was among the first that caught their attention.

“When we first arrived and started working here we soon realized why there were so many social service organizations serving the Lower and Outer Cape,” recalls Anne. “It became apparent to me that there were two worlds on the Lower Cape – one in which people were comfortable and another where people struggled.” Anne soon found herself supporting and volunteering at several non-profits including Cape Cod Children’s Place (CCCP), where she served as a Board member, and the Lower Cape Outreach Council (LCOC). 

If your business meets the following criteria, you could be eligible for a

Funds are limited and will be distributed on first come, first serve basis. Loans can be used for rent, utilities, staffing, inventory, or costs to pivot your business due to COVID-19.

The CDP continues to offer all trainings, workshops, technical assistance sessions, and appointments virtually.

We remain committed to serving our business clients and our community. Staff is working both remotely and from the office. While we are not taking in-person meetings at this time, we will continue to meet with clients via phone or zoom.

Its the start of a new year and whether you need assistance preparing for tax season, QuickBooks help, or guidance on making a a business plan for 2021, the CDP is here to support you.

Director of Business and Credit Programs Pam Andersen is available for free small business help over the phone or via Zoom. Find a time that fits in to your schedule so you can get the assistance you need to prepare your business for success this year!

Click the link below to schedule a 30 or 60 minute appointment!

Join the CDP and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Food Safety Educators for a FREE 1-hour webinar as an introduction to farm food safety.

Confused about farm and food safety lingo? Curious about value added products or marketing Grandma’s pickle recipe with your farm grown cukes? Have you tried to sell at a retail store and get ‘you’re not certified’? Been Selling direct to consumer and gearing up for the ‘scale up’? Join us and learn the next steps for your business.

When: February 8, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

OR

March 8, 10:00 - 11:00 PM

Where: Remote via Zoom

Attorney Melanie O'Keefe from the law firm La Tanzi, Spaulding and Landreth will be hosting free 30-minute consultations to answer questions related to small business law including:

Dates: February 9 and March 9

Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Where: Via phone call

To book your FREE 30-minute consultation call or email Marina at

WE CAN - 508-430-8111 or marina@wecancenter.org

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving weekly updates from our Business and Credit Program that are targeted to small businesses, please sign up for our Inside Scoop.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to support the Lower Cape community during this crisis.