A Word from Jay...

We Can’t Afford to Lose the People Who Can’t Afford to Live Here – that is the tag line for the advertising campaign that we launched in 2019 to build stronger public support for housing that is affordable to the average year-round resident of the Lower Cape.

With all of the press about our out-of-control real estate market and the struggles businesses experience hiring staff because of the lack of housing, you would think a vast majority of citizens would understand the need for more affordable homes.

Sadly, there are still many misconceptions about the need for affordable housing. Yet we have lots of data to make the case:

The data is compelling. However, I find that it’s the stories that move people the most. So, the second phase of our campaign includes videos of three families sharing the story of their housing challenges. I hope you will watch the videos on our website and share these compelling stories with your friends and neighbors.

Affordable housing is the foundation of our efforts to lead the Lower Cape in building a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work and thrive here. Thanks for helping us spread the word.

Even the most experienced business owners may need guidance learning new skills, or implementing new technologies. Jo Johnson has owned Hairbenders, a salon in Truro, for nearly 30 years, and she reached out to the CDP when she needed help switching to a new accounting software program.

Jo comes from a Truro family that owned multiple businesses. As a child, she helped her family members fulfill the needs of their many businesses. “It really feels like I have been in business since I was eight,” she jokes, but, she knew from a young age that she wanted to go into the cosmetology field. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by housing advocates is misconceptions about or misrepresentation of the people who need housing that is affordable.

Many believe that affordable housing is detrimental to town character, but this simply is not true. Especially here on the Lower and Outer Cape, where the cost of housing is driven by the buying power of second homeowners and retirees rather than the incomes of working Cape Codders.

Home costs continue to increase more quickly than incomes, having affordable housing is critical to the future of our communities. Opposition to affordable housing often derails housing development and has real consequences for the viability of our towns. The people who make up our communities continue to pay more than 30% of their income for housing, can’t find year-round rentals, pay exorbitant rents, are forced to move each season, or end up leaving the Cape for good.

In 2019, as part of the Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership, the CDP launched a public education media campaign with the slogan “We can’t afford to lose the people who can’t afford to live here.” The goal was to challenge the stereotypes by focusing on the people in our community who struggle with finding safe, stable, and affordable housing.

“Affordable housing, coastal resiliency, and a new police station are all interesting challenges, and I was ready both personally and professionally to try something entirely new.”

David Panagore

CDP Advisory Council

Chief Administrator MBTA

Provincetown resident David Panagore is an urban revitalization specialist. Currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the MBTA, he also served as Provincetown’s Town Manager from 2015-2019. In February, he was appointed to the CDP’s Advisory Council.

“I have been looking at urban renewal my entire life,” says David, a native of Marlboro who wrote about the city’s urban renewal project while in the 6th grade. After graduating from law school and pursuing his MPA at Suffolk University, David gravitated to large-scale renewal projects and complicated issues such as municipal bankruptcy. “These are complex multi-layered problems with entrenched economic issues that impact the quality of human life at the ground level,” says David.

Last week the CDP hosted its 29th Annual Meeting. Joined by supporters and members, we celebrated this year's Community Awards recipients, unveiled Phase II of the media campaign, and elected new board members and officers.

This year's Norm Edinberg Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship was presented to Sunbird Kitchen. The Gwen Pelletier Award for Excellence in Community Service was given to Vicki Goldsmith, the retired Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod.

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

It's the start of a new year and whether you need assistance preparing for tax season, QuickBooks help, or guidance on making 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 into 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!

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.

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: May 11 and June 8

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 the CDP's response to the