For the past seven summers (with a covid-interruptus in 2020) the high point of the summer here at the CDP has been our annual fundraising event – A Summer Evening on the Farm. The event is a wonderful opportunity to gather with community members to celebrate our successes, thank our donors and raise critical funds to support our work.

This year’s A Summer Evening on the Farm takes place on Wednesday, August 24 from 5 to 7 pm at a new location! Michael Herman will be hosting us at Greenhouse by the Sea, his certified organic vegetable farm in South Orleans. The farm has been in Michael’s family for over 100 years.

You can learn more about the event and purchase tickets here. The event usually sells out, so please don’t delay in purchasing your tickets.

Michael serves on the Orleans Select Board and is the liaison to the town’s Affordable Housing Trust. His family has deep roots in Orleans dating back to the 1920’s. He would often visit during the Summers and returned full-time a few years ago to build a business and a life in the community he loves.

At the event, we will also honor Alan & Fran McClennen and Chequessett Chocolate owner Katie Reed with our annual community awards that were announced at the CDP’s Annual Meeting last May. A spike in COVID cases forced us to hold the meeting virtually, so we very much welcome the opportunity to present these awards in person.

I hope you will join us on August 24^th to celebrate our efforts to build a stronger and more diverse year-round community of residents who can afford to live, work and thrive on the Lower Cape

 –Sarah Matto, Owner, Garden Hose

Over the past year, the Community Development Partnership has placed an increased focus on our housing advocacy efforts. This includes increasing our organization’s capacity to organize and promote local housing initiatives, and also shining a spotlight on the successes of housing advocates in the region. This year, the Town of Provincetown passed a package of ten housing articles presented at their April 2022 Annual Town Meeting. Here’s how.

Part one of the Town’s strategy was to take a more proactive approach. To do this, town officials started their work early and emphasized collaboration. Eight months before town meeting, town staff created a housing needs survey for members of three town bodies focused on housing – the Select Board, Community Housing Council, and the Year-Round Market Rate Rental Trust. Survey participants were asked 1) to rank how they felt about different types of housing for the town and 2) where Provincetown should focus its resources to move forward. They were also asked to consider questions about policy surrounding affordable, market-rate, and seasonal workforce housing.

50 Tar Kiln Road, South Orleans

Our Housing Rehabilitation Program is available to income-qualified residents of Eastham, Truro, and Provincetown. Qualified residents can receive up to $50,000 per household to pay for critical home repairs (such as roofing and siding, electrical, heating, and plumbing work), lead paint abatement, and energy efficiency upgrades to keep their properties in good condition for the long term. And with local contractors doing the work, it helps keep our local economy strong. 

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