Your Monthly Update
from the Community Development Partnership
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A Word from Jay...
This past week, supporters of the CDP gathered for the 28
th time to celebrate another successful year, honor members of our community and elect new Board members & officers.
If you didn’t get a chance to join us for our Annual Meeting on April 25th, you missed a great reminder of the powerful role our community plays in helping entrepreneurs build a business to create jobs and in ensuring that all of our residents, regardless of income, have a safe stable and affordable home from which to build a successful life on the Lower Cape.
We heard from a panel of women small business owners, who have worked with our small business programs, about the opportunities for creating a business on the Lower Cape. With training in sound business practices, access to capital and a lot of hard work, these three business owners have overcome obstacles and are creating opportunities for others to thrive in our community.
And we honored Andi Genser with the Gwen Pelletier Award for excellence in community service and the Roberts Family of Truro Vineyards & South Hollow Spirits with the Norm Edinberg Award for excellence in entrepreneurship.
Most importantly, our talented staff presented an overview of all that we have accomplished in the past year. A great deal of thanks goes to you for supporting the important work we do.
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Jay Coburn
Chief Executive Officer
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Introducing a n
ew
and e
asier
to use online class for first time home buyers
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Buying your first home can be stressful. For those working with limited incomes, less than perfect credit or little knowledge of navigating the world of mortgages and finance, it can also feel discouraging and overwhelming.
Our three session, in-person First Time Home Buyer Workshop is held several times a year to help people learn the basics and intricacies of home buying, applying for a mortgage, etc. Once they have completed the course, they receive a Certificate of Completion which may allow participants to apply for an affordable rate mortgage if they income qualify, such as the
ONE mortgage
. Participants also receive the information to help them make the best financial decisions for their life and situation, according to Andrea Aldana, CDP Director of Housing Advocacy.
At the Community Development Partnership we are constantly looking for ways to make our programs and services more accessible to our clients. Not all first-time homebuyers are able to attend the in-person classes due to lack of childcare, inflexible work schedules or mobility issues, so an online class was made available a few years ago. Participants still need to attend one in-person Group Meeting, but the other pertinent classwork can be done at their own pace online. “We used to use a program called The Road Home, but the technology was clunky, it looked outdated and participants struggled with technical issues,” Aldana said. “We switched over to a new system called Framework which is much better in terms of design, content and technical support.”
Our next Group Meetings will take place on May 20th and June 24th
. People must call Aldana (508) 240-7873 x10 to determine their eligibility.
For more specific details about registration and fees, please click
here
. Our First Time Home Buyer Program is made possible by funding from Seamen’s Bank.
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This past February 40 enthusiastic individuals participated in our Housing Advocacy Trainings held in Wellfleet and Harwich. The trainings provided participants with the skills and practice needed to be effective advocates for affordable housing, whether before a town regulatory board or at a neighborhood potluck dinner.
Learning how to speak effectively in public, address core issues calmly and without rancor, how to listen and answer the specific questions being asked, were among the topics covered in the training, according to Andrea Aldana, the CDP’s Director of Housing Advocacy.
One of the biggest challenges we face on the Lower Cape is the issue of affordable housing in a housing market that struggles to support a diverse and vibrant community that serves all its people.
There are unfounded misconceptions about people who need housing that is affordable and those prejudices inform many of the decisions that negatively affect less fortunate members of our community. There have been numerous instances where people have expressed support for affordable housing – until it was planned to be put in their neighborhood.
To learn how our Advocacy Trainings can change these perceptions
click here
.
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We Can't Afford to Lose the People Who Can't Afford to Live Here...
Your Voice and Your Vote can make a difference at Spring Town Meeting!
Upcoming Town Meeting Schedule with links to Town Meeting Warrants/Websites:
Eastham:
May 1
Brewster:
May 6
Harwich:
May 6
Chatham:
May 13
Orleans:
May 13
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Supporting Local Business
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Nick Muto: Fishing is about hard work and setting goals...
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“I’d rather fail, fall flat on my face, than wish I had just tried.”
Nick Muto
In 2010 the CDP joined forces with the Cape Cod Fisherman’s Alliance (CCFA) and created the Cape Cod Fisheries Trust (CCFT). The goal was to provide a suite of economic development initiatives to support the local fishing fleet, including quota leasing, a revolving loan fund, and business and technical assistance. Last year $5,380,000 in gross revenue was generated by 11 local scallopers participating in the CCFT.
Fisherman Nick Muto has worked with the CDP over the years to strengthen his fishing business. Nick serves as Chairman of the Board for the Cape Cod Fisherman’s Alliance. He jokes that his fishing career began when he was kicked out of Salve Regina University 18 years ago.
Born and raised in Orleans, when Nick returned to the Cape the local fishermen urged him to try his hand at fishing. He started by cleaning lobster pots 12 to 14 hours a day and then “began working with one of the best cod fishermen in Chatham,” recalls Nick.
His hard work at the back of the boat paid off and Nick was asked to captain the F/V Dawn T. Not long after he purchased his own lobster boat, the F/V Lost, and this is when Nick’s relationship with the CDP began. “I needed some capital in order to do some asset improvements and purchase some gear. So Nick took out a loan with the CDP.
If you want to know the 'rest of the story' click
here
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Sally Digges…a career in building communities
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“There is an open and collaborative feeling between the two organizations and a sense of ‘come on let’s get going’.”
Sally Digges
Member, CDP Advisory Council
CDP Advisory Council member and supporter Sally Digges understands community development better than most. A native of Baltimore, Sally worked for the city as an urban designer responsible for supervising neighborhood planning, transitional housing for homeless families, economic development, and coastal resources for over 15 years.
Sally also worked for a non-profit developing rental housing for low to middle income residents, people living with AIDS, and individuals with special needs. Her last position prior to retirement in 2004, was administering a national program for the Hauser Center for Nonprofits at Harvard Center in which she worked with Executive Directors of non-profit housing organizations to develop leadership and planning skills.
It is accurate to say that she has spent her life in housing and community development.
After retiring in 2004, Sally and her husband Jim, an architect, summered on the Cape for the next twelve years. Then, in 2014, they decided to set down new roots and moved to Eastham. “We really liked it here and wanted to try something new,” she says. “We were attracted to the scale and the sense of community that was so prevalent.”
Discover how Sally put her interests and experiences to work with the CDP
here
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Business & Credit Workshops
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Quick Books Help Sessions
May 14 and May 28
3:00 - 5:00 pm
CDP Offices in Eastham
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SCORE Individual Business Counseling
May 15
9:00 - 1:00
CDP Offices, Eastham
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Office Hours at Provincetown Commons
May 29th
10:00 - 1:00
46 Bradford Street
The CDP will be hosting regular office hours on the 4th Wednesday of each month from 10:00 - 1:00 pm at Provincetown Commons.
Drop in or make an appointment to talk with CDP staff to address a variety of topics including record keeping, QuickBooks, business planning, cash flow projections, steps to starting a business, setting goals and much more.
Drop-Ins are welcome, but those with a scheduled appointment will be given preference. These sessions are free to Lower Cape small businesses.
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This Place Matters
our bi-weekly radio & television show
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Tune in
92.1 WOMR & 91.3 WFMR
Wednesdays 12:30pm
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Join host Jay Coburn & guests to learn more
about activities affecting the people and places on the Lower and Outer Cape.
May 8
: Join
Justina Carlson
from
SCORE
and
CDP Director of Business & Credit Programs, Pam Andersen
as they discuss our partnership and the benefits of mentoring.
May 22
: Join
Elaine McIlroy of the
Wellfleet Housing Authority and
Michelle Jarusiewicz, Provincetown Community Housing Specialist, as they discuss housing buydown, down payment and closing cost assistance programs.
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Thank you
for supporting the work we do to make the Lower Cape a place where we can all
live, work
and
thrive
!
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