PROVINCETOWN – Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse recently penned a letter to residents concerned with the region’s housing crisis, outlining the town’s efforts to alleviate the issue.
In the letter, Morse highlighted plans underway to build over 150 housing units at projects in locations such as 3 Jerome Smith Road, The Barracks, 26 Shank Painter Road, and the Old Police Station & Firehouse #2.
The town is also assessing whether the Veterans Memorial Community Center and a parcel in the right-of-way on Route 6 could be used to facilitate more housing.
The town will continue to seek and purchase privately owned parcels to build a strategic “land bank,” countering the rise of unaffordable condominiums and short-term rentals that have contributed to the housing gap and reduced inventory available to residents and seasonal workers alike.
Additionally, the town is offering an Expanded Residential Tax Exemption and a “Lease to Locals” program to benefit year-round homeowners and incentivize property owners to rent their property on a year-round basis, while expanding eligibility for the Town’s Rental Assistance Program, which offers up to $400 a month for renters making up to $84,650.
A Housing Needs Assessment will be conducted in partnership with the UMass Donahue Institute in the coming months, which will be extended to all Provincetown residents to inform the unit sizing and target groups for upcoming housing projects.
Residents will get a chance to discuss housing and more at the Annual Town Meeting on April 1.
About Matthew Tomlinson
