This week, the CDP will launch the Cape Community Housing Partnership’s Public Education Campaign.The campaign kicks off with a series of three print ads that feature three Lower Cape residents and their struggles to secure housing that is affordable.Centered on the theme “We can’t afford to lose the people who can’t afford to live here” the campaign is designed to address the misconceptions around the people who need affordable housing and encourage residents to attend Town Meetings and support housing initiatives. Over the next few months the ads will run in the Cape Cod Times, the Provincetown Banner, the Cape Cod Chronicle, and the Cape Codder.
“People in need of affordable housing on the Lower Cape are our neighbors, family members and vital members of our community,” said Jay Coburn, CEO of the Community Development Partnership.“This campaign is intended to remind all of us who care about the Lower Cape that we must take action to ensure the sustainabiliity of our communities and address our affordable housing crisis."
Towns across the Cape often struggle with a lack of public support for affordable housing solutions. Often times this resistance stems from misconceptions about what affordable housing is and who is in need of it.Many of those who seek affordable housing are employed in key service sectors that do not provide a salary necessary to be able to afford housing on Cape Cod such as teachers, first responders and nurses.This is exacerbated by a dwindling inventory of year-round rental properties being lost to the seasonal rental market.
Among those most affected by the housing crisis are millennials struggling to afford housing, seniors who want to downsize but cannot find housing, employers who struggle to find housing for their workforce and second home owners who are summer residents who rely on the services of the very people who struggle to find a place to live on the Lower Cape.
The education campaign was designed to educate and reshape perceptions regarding housing that is affordable and to illustrate that those who need affordable housing in order to live in our towns are valued, relatable and essential members of our community.The secondary message of the campaign is that citizens have the power to influence decisions through their voice and their vote.
The Cape Community Housing Partnership is a three pronged community based approach to addressing the housing needs of the Cape though the Cape Housing Institute, Advocacy Training and the Public Education campaign.
The campaign was created by Pierce Cote advertising out of Osterville and the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod has provided funding to help underwrite the campaign.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
The Community Development Partnership supports an array of programs that strengthen our Lower Cape community, providing greater opportunities for all who live here to thrive.
Our work starts with creating affordable homes—so essential to a healthy economy, but a real challenge in communities like ours where seasonal and vacation dynamics drive the market beyond the reach of many who live and work locally all year round.
We also work to launch entrepreneurs and strengthen local businesses. We believe a vibrant future depends on sustaining traditional industries and inspiring new ones—especially when they’re based on renewable natural resources such as fishing and farming.
In all that we do, we aim to protect the natural environment around us through efforts that preserve the character and sustain the future of the Lower Cape.
To find out more information about this organization, go to www.capecdp.org.