Dennis Housing 101

Causes & Solutions to Our Affordable Housing Needs

Housing 101 Agenda:

• Setting the Stage: What are Dennis’s Housing Needs? Needs Assessment Refresher
• What are the Types of Affordable Housing?
• How is Dennis Addressing Housing Needs? Current Housing Initiatives

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• What Can We Do As A Group?
• Questions for Discussion –
• How have you, or someone you know, been impacted by housing challenges? Your a housing need story
• What action could you take – letters to editor, attend Board/Committee meetings, recruit friends to become engaged,

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Setting the Stage: What are Dennis’s Housing Needs?

Dennis Housing Context

Dennis Housing Context - Overview

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• 14,742 people in 2022
• 15,322 housing units in total
• of these, 7891, or 51.5% are vacant for seasonal or recreational use
• Only 10% rental housing

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Dennis Housing Challenges: Availability and Affordability

Dennis Housing is Highly Seasonal

Dennis vs. Barnstable County vs. MA Housing

Over ¾ of Year ‘Round Housing in Dennis is Owner-Occupied

Year Round Renters are Highly Cost-Burdened

Dennis Homeowners Also �Cost-Burdened

Locals are Priced Out:�Home Sales Prices Nearly Doubled 3 Years –

Lack of Available Housing

• From 2015 to2020, year ‘round housing units decreased by 5; second homes increased by 225 (Dennis HPP 2021)
• Available homes has declined in recent years
• As of September 2023 there were TWO year-round rentals available in the town of Dennis
• There were 35 houses priced under $500k for sale in Dennis

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Who Needs Affordable Housing?

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Dennis residents aging in place while younger residents decline

Impact of Housing Affordability and Availability Needs

• Seniors aging in larger single-family homes
• Lack of smaller unit, senior housing in demand
• Young people and families priced out with scarce housing options

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Housing Types in Dennis

• In Dennis, nearly 77% of residential properties are single family homes; about 20% are multifamily properties. The remaining 3% are other types of properties.

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What are the Types of Housing?

How do we meet the needs of various household types?

Types of Housing in Dennis

Ex/’s from Dennis’s Subsidized Housing Inventory

Housing Authority:

Mulhern Drive apartments:

12 family apartments

Windmill Village:

38 2-bedroom, 2 1-bed; Ages 60+

Affordable Home Ownership

Habitat for Humanity

Jack Delaney Road (401 Setucket Rd. Dennis)

Applications closing soon; Blitz-build first of 4 3-bed homes in September

Mixed “A” and market rate “a” units

The Crossing

18 units: 4? Affordable at 80% AMI

12 market rate;

323 Main St. W Dennis

6 rental units, 2 aff.

Affordable Senior Housing

The Northside Village

11 Antonelli Circle. Dennis

46 apartments

Gordon Senior Apts:

64 units, all affordable

Capital “A” Affordable Housing

• “Capital A” Affordable Housing is deed restricted in perpetuity outlined in regulatory documents, aimed at housing people that need additional funding to rent or own. The “A” affordable component refers to a standard of tenants and/or homeowners paying no more than 30% of their income on housing. Tenants must qualify for “capital A" affordable housing by meeting the income criteria for the particular development, outlined in regulatory documents, which is determined by the government’s AMI, or area median income.
• Some of these partnerships exist in Dennis: example: Melpet Farms
• HAC produces Affordable housing units, as does Habitat for Humanity, POAH, Winn
• *Note: many Cape and islands workers with full-time jobs qualify to live in low-income Affordable housing.

Lower-Case “a” Housing

• affordable housing/attainable/workforce
• Lower-case “a” affordable housing refers to housing that is regionally affordable or attainable for local residents. Sometimes funded for construction by state or local monies (CPC funding), these units are market-rate but priced at a level that tenants can afford, but not price protected.

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“Missing Middle” Housing

• Missing Middle housing is housing that can supplement the existing market with much-needed variety and provide options at a wide range of price points. These are the units we need to attract more firefighters, police, nurses and teachers to our community. No other funding available.

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Market Rate Housing

• Area rent levels for units leased without any subsidy or assistance from a public program. Market rate in Dennis today is $3200 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. Yikes!

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Affordable Rental Housing – Defined by EOHLC

• There are 3 types of low-rent housing:
• Public housing is owned and run by a local housing authority. 
• A voucher is rental assistance to help people find an apartment in the private market. 
• Multifamily subsidized housing is owned by a private landlord or corporation that has received government subsidies to provide affordable housing.”)

Dennis Public Housing & Housing Vouchers

• Public housing is owned and run by a local housing authority.  Housing that can supplement the existing housing market with much-needed variety and provide options at a wide range of price points
• A voucher is rental assistance to help people find an apartment in the private market. Housing vouchers are awarded to income eligible households to subsidize monthly housing costs. Tenants receiving a voucher generally pay 30-40% of their income towards housing. There are both federal and state-funded vouchers

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Dennis’s Subsidized Housing Inventory:

• Number of units: 436
• Percentage of units: 5.45%
• The SHI - Used to measure a community's stock of low-or moderate-income housing for the purposes of M.G.L. Chapter 40B, the Comprehensive Permit Law. While housing developed under Chapter 40B is eligible for inclusion on the inventory, many other types of housing also qualify to count toward a community’s affordable housing stock. Dennis is currently at 5.45% as of the end of 2023.

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Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI):

• Units must be part of a "subsidized" development built or operated by a public agency, non-profit, or limited dividend organization; •
• The development must be subsidized under a state, federal, or local subsidy program.
• In a homeownership development, units which are deed-restricted to sale to moderate-income households (less than 80% AMI) can be included on the SHI. Sales prices must be restricted to affordable levels.
• Rental housing, all units included in the subsidized housing development, including those rented at Fair Market Rents, can be included in the SHI.
• The development must be subject to a regulatory agreement and monitored by a public agency or non-profit organization; and
• Developers must meet fair and affirmative marketing requirements
• Housing built through Local Initiative Program (LIP) - the “subsidy” is technical assistance from EOHLC LIP Program; also called “Friendly 40B”
• Dennis’s Local Affordable Housing Bylaw often used in the “local initiative” process,

How is Dennis Addressing Housing Needs? �

Current Housing Initiatives in Dennis

Current Projects – Dennis Affordable Housing Trust

• Members:
• Bob Samoluk, Kayla Hilts, Co-Chairs
• Josh Mason, Vice Chair
• Dave Winther, Treasurer
• Kate Byron, Member
• Noreen Browne, Member
• PJ Rainwater, Member

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• Maggie Spade-Aguilar, Housing Coordinator

Discussion Questions

Breakout Groups at Tables

Question 1: How have you, or someone you know, been affected by housing challenges?�

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Question 2: What Can We Do to�Advocate for Affordable Housing?:

• Some Ideas:
• Speak at Board & Committee Meetings – HPCC/HAC Script
• Write letters to Boards & Committees
• Opinion articles to media, newspapers
• Join Boards or Committees doing housing work
• Attend Informational meetings on housing
• Refer a Friend – to join this group