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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBarnstable_HPP_Draft_2025 Update Redline TOWN OF BARNSTABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN FY20254-20292030 DRAFT FOR REVIEW 05/0212/20254 **DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY** PREPARED BY: JM Goldson LLC Town of Barnstable Planning & Development Department 367 Main Street Hyannis, MA 02061 Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 01/05/23June 2025 2 This page intentionally left blank Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 01/05/23June 2025 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents 3 Acknowledgments 4 Data Sources 656 Report Organization 767 Chapter 1: Introduction 878 Chapter 2: Housing Goals and Strategies 222021 Chapter 3: Demographic Profile 533850 Chapter 4: Housing Conditions 76617361 Chapter 5: Development Constraints 95799279 Chapter 6: Implementation Capacity and Resources 124107121107 Commented [KP1]: To be updated last Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Town Councilors • Precinct 1: Gordon Starr • Precinct 2: Kristin E. Terkelsen • Precinct 3: Betty Ludtke • Precinct 4: Craig A. Tamash • Precinct 5: John R. Crow • Precinct 6: Paul C. Neary • Precinct 7: Seth W. Burdick • Precinct 8: Jeffrey Mendes • Precinct 9: Charles R. Bloom • Precinct: 10: Matthew P. Levesque • Precinct 11: Kristine Clark • Precinct 12: Paula K. Schnepp • Precinct 13: Felicia R. Penn Planning Board • Mary Barry • Matthew Teague • Michael Mecenas • Tim O’Neill, Clerk • Stephen Robichaud, Chair • Raymond Sexton • Robert Twiss, Vice Chair Affordable Housing Growth and Development Trust Fund Board • Andrew Clyburn • Mark Ells, Chair • Mark Milne • Wendy Northcross • Laura Shufelt Barnstable Housing Committee • Paula Breagy • Emily Cornett • Evan Gaudette • Hilda Haye • Donald Lynde • Meaghan Mort Town Staff • James KupferElizabeth Jenkins, Director of Planning & Development • Kyle PediciniJames Kupfer, Assistant Director of Planning & Development • Kate Maldonado, Senior Planner • Kyle Pedicini, Community & Economic Development Planner • Ryan Bennett, (former) Housing Coordinator With the assistance of planning consultants: • Jennifer M. Goldson, AICP, JM Goldson • Laura Smead, AICP, JM Goldson • Elana Zabar, JM Goldson Barnstable Town Hall Photo Credit: (Courtesy of Barrett Planning Group LLC) Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 5 Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 01/05/23June 2025 6 DATA SOURCES The project team conducted data analysis of multiple sources including the Cape Cod Commission, the Decennial Census, the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), U.S. Census Annual Building Permit Survey, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Data (CHAS), CoStar Market Reports, Banker & Tradesman data, Local MLS data, Barnstable Housing Authority, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), MassHousing Partnership’s DataTown, as well as committee and staff knowledge and data. The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States by asking ten questions, whereas the ACS provides estimates based on a sample of the population for more detailed information. It is important to be aware that there are margins of error (MOE) attached to the ACS estimates, because the estimates are based on samples and not on complete counts. Throughout this report, the text states the source of the data as well as the margin of error where applicable. We also incorporated local data (GIS, zoning, plans, and short-term rental) and state data for GIS and the Department of Housing and Community Development (subsidized housing inventory). Community engagement was used to validate the findings from the data and the project team relied on the information gathered from the engagement process more than the data at times. Data collection and analysis was performed during Summer of 2022 and updated in Winter 2024, and Chapters 3 and 4 (Demographics and Housing Conditions) reflect the latest data available at that time, including the full 2020 Decennial Census information and updates using 2022 ACS data where applicable. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 7 REPORT ORGANIZATION • Chapter 1 provides an overview of the purpose of the plan, a community overview, description of the planning process, and summary of the town’s housing needs, goals, and strategies and may serve as an executive summary for this report. • Chapter 2 describes the Town’s five-year housing goals, strategies, and action plan as identified through the planning process associated with development of this plan. • Chapter 3 provides a demographic profile of the community’s residents. • Chapter 4 provides an analysis of local housing conditions including housing supply, residential market indicators, and affordable housing characteristics. • Chapter 5 describes the Town’s development constraints and limitations including environmental constraints, infrastructure capacity, and regulatory barriers and considerations. • Chapter 6 describes local and regional capacity and resources to create and preserve affordable and mixed-income housing in the community. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW A Housing Production Plan (HPP), defined in regulations at 760 CMR 56.03 and administered by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, is a proactive strategy for planning and developing affordable housing. The HPP identifies the housing needs of a community and the goals and strategies it will use to identify and achieve or maintain the 10 percent threshold mandated by M.G.L. (Massachusetts General Law) Chapter 40B. The Town’s status relating to this 10 percent threshold is documented on the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), also administered by EOHLC. This HPP Program enables a municipality to develop a strategy to meet its affordable housing needs in a manner consistent with the MGL Chapter 40B statute, produce housing units in accordance with that plan, and demonstrate progress towards affordable housing production. By taking a proactive approach in the adoption of a HPP, cities and towns are much more likely to achieve both their affordable housing and community planning goals. HPPs give communities under the 10 percent threshold of Chapter 40B, who are making steady progress in producing affordable housing on an annual basis, more control over comprehensive permit applications for a specified period. HPPs give communities over the 10 percent threshold a framework to maintain the statutory minima in accordance with local needs and community goals. The Town of Barnstable places great importance on planning for affordable housing through the HPP process. HPPs are updated and renewed every five years per the regulations, and Barnstable had a Housing Production Plan approved in 2018. Housing Production Plans can create a ‘safe harbor’ for a community. When a municipality has a certified plan and housing production has been achieved, decisions on comprehensive permit applications by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to deny or approve with conditions will be deemed “consistent with local needs” under MGL Chapter 40B. This distinction is very important. “Safe Harbor” is not achieved with simply a approved Plan. Plan approval refers to EOHLC’s action of reviewing a HPP and determining that it is complete and contains all the elements required by regulation and accompanying Guidelines. HPP Certification of compliance, is the next tier and refers to EOHLC’s determination that an approved plan is in place and the community has produced units that are affordable to low- or moderate-income households totaling at least 0.5% of year-round housing units in one calendar year and in accordance with the Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 9 approved plan. 0.5% may result in a one year safe harbor. Whereas 1% or greater may in fact result in a two year safe harbor. Barnstable has chosen to prepare a Housing Production Plan for three reasons: • The 2018 Housing Production Plan expired 2023, and this update is being undertaken to retain approval status per state regulations. • Barnstable remained below its 10 percent goal under Chapter 40B when 2020 Census data was released in the spring of 2023. Barnstable has 21,915 total housing units (2020 Census) and 1,485 subsidized housing units, totaling an overall 6.78 percent on the Subsidized Housing Inventory1. • Only some of the strategies defined in the 2018 Housing Production Plan have been implemented, and the community is currently updating its Local Comprehensive Plan, so it is time to reassess those strategies and set future strategic goals and objectives with broad community input. This Housing Production Plan was prepared by JM Goldson LLC and the Barnstable Planning & Development Department, with assistance from Barrett Planning Group, LLC and was funded with Barnstable Community Preservation Act funds. The Town has made some significant strides on several housing goals identified in the 2018 Housing Production Plan. These include developing and implementing a form-based zoning code for the Downtown Hyannis area, and a restructured Community Development Block Grant program process. The Town has also recently allowed market rate Accessory Dwelling Units as of right, while simultaneously exploring property tax abatement for those with existing affordable accessory apartments. Finally, the Town is pursuing opportunities to use municipal properties for affordable housing. It is normal to have made some progress on some strategies and not on others. A summary of progress on all former strategies can be found in the Appendix. 1 Department of Housing and Community Development Subsidized Housing Inventory, April 22, 2022, https://www.mass.gov/doc/subsidized-housing-inventory-2/download Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 10 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The project started with compilation of available information, and creating the Housing Needs Assessment, Development Constraint, and Implementation Capacity chapters. In August 2022, JM Goldson conducted nine focus groups with Barnstable stakeholders on the topic of housing issues, challenges, and opportunities in the town. Each focus group was made up of up to eight people, each one with an involvement or investment in the town’s housing needs (total 51 participants). An online survey was offered to residents and advertised in local media starting in early September and ending in early November (315 people responded). The project team held two community workshops on September 21 (34 participants) and November 30, 2022 (36 participants). The Plan was then updated when the 2020 Census was released in the Fall of 2023. In April 2025 the Town sought additional public input on the Plan by hosting two public meetings, one on April 7th at Town Hall and another on April 10th at the COMM Fire District Building. During this period the Town also solicited additional written comments over a 30-day comment period. Summary of additional process here. The Housing Production Plan was reviewed and adopted by the Planning Board on x date and the Town Council on x date. FOCUS GROUPS The project team held nine virtual focus groups. Groups consisted of business owners, older adults, young adults, young families, and Town officials. The groups had up to eight people with one consultant team member facilitating the conversation. For a full summary of all focus groups, please see the Appendix. Throughout the various focus groups, several key themes were identified. The following list represents topics and opinions that were brought up by participants in multiple focus groups. Focus Group Main Themes • Moderately priced and deed-restricted affordable housing are hard to find— Participants noted the need for increased housing stock of both naturally occurring and deed-restricted affordable housing. • Seasonal workers, young adults, and seniors are most in need of housing — Nearly every focus group identified these three populations as key targets for this Housing Production Plan. Formatted: Superscript Formatted: Superscript Commented [JK2]: Update process Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 11 • Wastewater constraints and zoning restrictions are systemic barriers to denser housing — While Barnstable is currently working to expand sewer down Route 28, wastewater capacity and zoning restrictions continue to limit developing a more diverse housing stock. • Public-private partnerships are an opportunity to bring more housing to town — Throughout the focus groups, participants continued to name businesses and non- profits as potential collaborators. Participants voiced support for working with the economic sector to provide more workforce housing in town. • There is a desire for the Town to streamline development processes and consider more programmatic approaches — Several groups mentioned the "red tape" and bureaucracy involved in developing housing, sharing that the Town could work to expedite these processes and provide technical assistance for developers. Participants voiced support for finding creative ways to levy and leverage tax dollars to support housing initiatives. • Properties across town are underutilized and would better serve the community if converted to housing — Properties addressed in multiple groups included the Marstons Mills Elementary School and old strip malls as potential to redevelop for housing. • The rise of short-term rentals and vacation homes in Barnstable limits year-round housing options — Participants expressed frustration with the influx of short-term vacation rentals and seasonal housing limiting opportunities for year-round residents. Different suggestions for restricting these markets were raised through several focus groups. • "NIMBY-ism" has blocked prior efforts to implement changes — Several focus groups addressed that "NIMBY-ism", or the "Not in my Backyard" sentiment is widespread in Barnstable and discourages development. COMMUNITY FORUM 1 On September 21, 2022, JM Goldson and the Town of Barnstable hosted the first Community Forum for the Barnstable Housing Production Plan process (34 participants). This hybrid forum focused on sharing preliminary findings from interviews and focus groups, hearing perspectives about housing needs, concerns, and opportunities, and sharing how participants can continue to participate in the process. Barnstable community members were invited to register for a Zoom webinar version or join the project team in person at the Barnstable Adult Community Center in Hyannis. This forum was comprised of a presentation by Laura Smead and Elana Zabar interspersed with several polling activities for participants, as well as opportunities for participants to speak about their experiences and views. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 12 Main Themes • The need for workforce and senior housing. • Seek more recent data and amend with qualitative sources that reflect community experience. • Acknowledge the impact of short-term rentals and vacation/second homes in town. • Speed up the process to affect change as quickly as possible. COMMUNITY FORUM 2 • JM Goldson and the Town of Barnstable hosted the second community forum in their process of developing a Housing Production Plan on November 30, 2022. This hybrid forum welcomed members of the public to join in person at Barnstable Town Hall or through Zoom to weigh in on select draft goals and strategies. In total, 36 people participated in this event over Zoom and in-person. Hyannis was the most represented village at this forum, tying with non-residents. Cotuit was the only village not represented. Main Themes • The most supported goal was to “Assist in stabilizing housing and provide housing assistance programs and services for Barnstable’s most vulnerable residents – especially those living in inadequate housing conditions, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.” 56 percent of participants who answered this question were in full support of it. • The most supported strategy was to “pursue the conversion of available Town properties to housing, for example, Marstons Mills School, the vacant land next to the police station, and 164 Route 149, Marstons Mills.” Over 60 percent of participants were in full agreement with this strategy. • Common themes that arose during this forum included: More specific goals in the next draft of the HPP, emphasize redevelopment/reuse of existing buildings into more housing, and the urgent need for more housing stock. TOWN COUNCIL MEETING (FEBRUARY 22, 2025) Director Kupfer presented a draft Housing Production Plan to the Barnstable Town Council on February 22, 2025. Town Council directed town staff to hold additional community outreach meetings on the draft plan and recommend edits based on community feedback. Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering Formatted: Normal Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 13 APRIL 2025 COMMUNITY FORUMS On April 7, 2025, the Town of Barnstable hosted a community meeting on the draft Housing Production Plan. 12 people attended the meeting and provided public comment on the draft. Main Themes • Support for the goals in the plan that focus on increasing the number of affordable housing units, such as revising the inclusionary ordinance. • Concern over inclusion of goals in this plan that do not relate to deed-restricted affordable housing. • Disagreement with the goal of amending zoning to create mixed-use development in village centers because it is not related to deed-restricted affordable housing. • Support for pursuing stricter short-term rental regulations. TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO ASSESS AND RECOMMNED STRATEGIES FOR HOUSING CREATION WITHIN THE TOWN On March 21, 2024, Town Council established a Committee to Assess and Recommend Strategies for Housing Creation Within the Town. The purpose of this committee was to recommend strategies for the creation of housing that serves year - round residents and seasonal workers. The four following recommendations were made by this committee: 1. Submit a home rule petition to create a transfer fee of an amount to be determined for houses sold above a certain amount. Revenue from the fees shall be deposited in the Affordable Housing Growth & Development Trust. ➢ This is reflected in Strategy #17 in this document 2. Use Town assets for affordable housing. ➢ This is reflected in Strategy #8 of this document 3. Prioritize funding and hiring of a housing staff person. ➢ This is reflected in Strategy #16 of this document 4. Create a regulatory structure for short-term rentals. ➢ This is reflected in Strategy #4 of this document Add Town Council meeting, Community forum 3 and 4 Formatted: Normal Formatted: Normal Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted: List Paragraph, Bulleted + Level: 2 + Aligned at: 1.09" + Indent at: 1.34" Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.25" Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 14 COMMUNITY OVERVIEW At 60.17 square miles, Barnstable is geographically the largest town on Cape Cod and the third largest in the Commonwealth. The Town also is the most populous community on Cape Cod, with its 48,922 residents accounting for approximately 21 percent of Barnstable County’s year-round population2. The Town of Barnstable includes seven villages: Hyannis, Centerville, Osterville, Cotuit, Marstons Mills, West Barnstable, and Barnstable Village. Each has a dynamic history of development and a unique village character. The Village of Hyannis has the largest population and most intense commercial development of the seven villages and serves as the commercial, transportation, cultural, social service, and health care center of Cape Cod. Barnstable also has significant populations with special socioeconomic needs that should be considered in setting priorities and allocating resources for housing and housing programs. Water and wastewater management are issues at the core of growth management in Barnstable. Barnstable is a “Mid-Cape” town, located 20 miles from the Cape Cod Canal and approximately 50 miles from Provincetown. Barnstable is bounded by the towns of Mashpee and Sandwich to the west, Yarmouth to the east, Cape Cod Bay to the north and Nantucket Sound to the south. Barnstable’s extensive shoreline, diverse natural resources, and location near the center of Cape Cod are among the factors that contributed to its development as a major tourism and second home destination, a popular location for residential and commercial development, and the commercial and service hub of the Cape. 2 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census 2020 T002 “Total Population [3]” Social Explorer Table, https://www.socialexplorer.com/tables/CENSUS2020/R13270840 Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 15 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSING GOALS 1. Achieve and maintain the state’s goal under Chapter 40B that 10 percent of Barnstable’s year-round housing units are countable on its Subsidized Housing Inventory, while also addressing documented local and regional needs. This includes, but is not limited to, affordable year-round senior and intergenerational housing opportunities, affordable year-round rental and ownership housing, and housing for residents with special needs. 2. Support the growing need for seasonal and year-round housing options for employees, and for more diverse housing options accessible to moderate-income individuals and families. 3. Ensure new development promotes a high quality of life for its residents and is consistent with Town-wide smart growth policies and protects natural resources by reusing vacant or underutilized properties, and by locating near public transportation, infrastructure, and in locations consistent with the Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP). 4.2. Assist in stabilizing housing and provide housing assistance programs and services for Barnstable’s most vulnerable residents – especially those living in inadequate housing conditions, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. 5.3. Enhance local capacity to implement deed-restricted affordable housing initiatives and strengthen working partnerships with local and regional organizations focused on addressing housing needs in Barnstable and the region. 6.4. Partner to promote greater public awareness and understanding of Barnstable’s housing crisis needs through continued research, outreach, and public education of our housing needs. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 16 HOUSING STRATEGIES Planning, Policy, and Zoning Strategies 1. Pursue the extension of Barnstable’s residential property tax exemption to Barnstable property owners that provide affordable year-round rentals to income- eligible tenants. i. Consider opportunities to use this incentive to strengthen the Accessory Affordable Apartment Program. 2. Develop strategies that will address the seasonal housing challenges unique to the region, including pursuing the ability to place year-round deed-restrictions on residential units. 3. Support village-scaled mixed-use and multi-unit development and redevelopment consistent with the local comprehensive plan by implementing community- supported planning initiatives and zoning amendments, and studying what design, scale, and type of housing may be appropriate in other commercial corridors and pedestrian-oriented village centers. 4. Identify zoning amendments and other strategies to support missing middle and "living little" forms of housing: such as allowing single family home conversions, duplexes, cottage clusters, townhouses, tiny homes, and infill design consistent with locations identified as suitable in the Local Comprehensive Plan. i. Explore options to implement M.G.L Chapter 40Y, “Starter Home Zoning Districts” to promote attainable homeownership opportunities. 5.2. Amend zoning to incentivize development and redevelopment of existing parcels to create affordable assisted or independent living units for low-income seniors, such as expedited permitting, zoning relief, and density bonuses. 6.3. Strengthen Revise the inclusionary affordable housing ordinance by making it a zoning ordinance, requiring a higher percentage of affordable units at a variety of income levels, and making the required percentage proportionate to the size of the development. i. Look for opportunities to provide expedited permitting, zoning relief, density bonuses, and financial subsidy for developments that provide affordable housing beyond what is required. ii.i. Establish an in-lieu of fee that is comparable to the housing market and can be utilized to support local housing initiatives. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 17 7.4. Consider regulations and other policies focused on short-term rentals to the extent they impact year-round affordable housing. 8.5. Pursue the creation of affordable year-round housing on vacant and/or underutilized land or properties as consistent with the Local Comprehensive Plan. • Consider a zoning amendment to define "underutilized properties" in locations consistent with the Local Comprehensive Plan to allow redevelopment and re-use for multi-unit housing through expedited permitting, zoning relief, and density bonuses. 9.6. Plan and partner with entities to produce permanent supportive housing for unhoused people. Local Initiative & Programmatic Strategies 10.7. Seek opportunities to increase the number of affordable units in future privately developed projects or create more deeply affordable SHI units in existing moderate-income deed restricted units by coordinating permit processes with incentive programs through the Affordable Housing Trust. 11.8. Explore community-supported opportunities to add affordable housing on Town properties, especially the Marstons Mills School (730 Osterville West Barnstable Rd2095 Main Street), vacant land next to police station (1200 Phinney's Lane), 164 Route 149, Marstons Mills, land around the Barnstable Adult Community Center, and other opportunities as may be identified as appropriate. 12.9. Strengthen the coordination, funding, and integration of available rent assistance, foreclosure prevention and housing stabilization programs for income-qualified residents, especially those who are in danger of foreclosure or homelessness. 13.10. Seek to establish a housing rehabilitation program to help low-income homeowners preserve their existing housing to live independently and fund repairs to homes for health and safety. 14.11. Continue to seek ways to defray costs related to predevelopment, either through utilizing Affordable Housing Growth & Development Trust funds or examining water and sewer connection costs to foster creation of affordable units. 15. Closely coordinate implementation of the Town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan and housing planning to address both natural resource protection and housing needs and continue to support upgrades to wastewater infrastructure in the Downtown Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 18 Capacity, Coordination, Research, and Education 16.12. Continue to promote and educate the public on housing initiatives, such as the Town's Local Initiative Program (LIP) guidelines for 40B Comprehensive Permits, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) guidance, and Affordable Housing Growth and Development Trust Fund Notice of Funding Availability. 17.13. Partner with neighboring communities to create a regional housing services office (RHSO) to expand resource capacity and support monitoring compliance of existing affordable units. 18.14. Clarify roles and responsibilities of the Housing Trust, other boards/committees, and Town staff; engage the Trust on housing developments early in the permitting stage for potential funding support; consider creating a Barnstable Housing Roundtable. . 19.15. Build partnerships with local organizations and continue affirmative outreach to target populations, such as low-income residents, seniors, and BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) communities. 20.16. Recruit, develop, and sustain dedicated and experienced Town staff to continue coordination of the Town’s affordable housing efforts and entities. 21.17. Support the Barnstable Affordable Housing Trust by continuing to provide funding through the Community Preservation Act, HOME/CDBG, and by seeking state authorization for a real estate transfer fee and building permit surcharge to create additional funding programs administered by the Trust other funding sources that may become available. Consider increasing the allocation of CPA funds towards housing or exercising borrowing and lending powers to support local housing initiatives. 22. Explore public-private partnerships with the Town’s largest employers, and opportunities internally with the Barnstable Public Schools, to create workforce and seasonal housing for employees and students. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 19 HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT Demographic Profile • Population growth: Between 2010 and 2020, the number of households decreased by three percent, while the total population increased by eight percent. Hyannis is a growing share of the overall population. Future growth or decline is uncertain. • Aging: The proportion of older adults (60 years or older) has increased over the past 20 years, reaching over 30 percent of the population. Residents over 60 are expected to comprise 37 percent of the population by 2040. • Diversity: Barnstable Town and Hyannis have much higher than average diversity of residents compared to Barnstable County (92 percent white alone3). Roughly one out of five Barnstable residents identifies as Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). The BIPOC population in Hyannis has grown from 25 percent in 2010 to 46.6 percent of the Hyannis population in 2020. • Language: Many Barnstable residents were born outside of the United States (17 percent), and for even more, English is not the primary language spoken at home (20 percent). • Special needs: More than one in ten Barnstable residents have some form of disability, especially among older adults. • Household size: Most Barnstable residents live in one- or two-person households (69 percent). • School enrollment: School enrollment has declined steadily since 2002. Enrollment was at 4,817 students for the 2023-24 school year. • Labor Force: Most residents (60 percent) over 25 do not hold a bachelor’s degree. An estimated 10 percent of Barnstable’s labor force works from home. Barnstable residents are more likely to have lower-paying jobs, exacerbating the need for affordable housing. The unemployment rate in Hyannis is almost double that of Barnstable. Housing Profile • Housing types: Most of Barnstable's housing stock is detached single-family homes (84.8 percent of residential properties). In Hyannis, the proportion of single-family homes is 59 percent, and the village holds one-fifth of all housing units. Barnstable has more rental housing than most surrounding towns (24 percent). In Hyannis, most units are renter-occupied (56.6 percent).4 3 Quick Facts Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 1, 2022, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/barnstablecountymassachusetts. 4 ACS 2022 (5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 20 • Housing size mismatch: Nearly 70 percent of households are one or two people; however, most Barnstable homes have three bedrooms. This mismatch between household size and the number of bedrooms suggests a need for more studio, one, and two-bedroom options in Barnstable. Hyannis homes are more evenly balanced between the number of bedrooms and people per household. • Seasonal housing: At least a quarter of Barnstable’s housing units are second homes (at least 23 percent) and at any one time, the percentage of units registered for short- term rental varies between approximately 2.3% - 3.4%. There were 513 844 registered short-term rentals (less than 30 days) in Barnstable as of February 21, 2014in the 2024 calendar year. The number of units that are active range from 25 to 32 percent (have hosted tenants in the last year). More data is needed to better understand this segment of the housing stock and its overall impact. Housing Affordability • Housing cost: Housing prices are on the rise. Between 2021-2022 the median sales price for a home in Barnstable rose by 62 percent5. The median sales price for a single-family home in 2023 was $799,000. In 2018, the median sales price for a condominium was $377,0006 and it can be expected that those prices rose proportionally per unit as well. Exacerbating the issue is the limited availability of homes for sale; there were 52 single-family home sales in Barnstable in 2023 compared with 114 in 2020.7 Rental costs have also increased and are anticipated to continue to rise. In 2023, rental units averaged $1,924 and the vacancy rate remained very low at around 1.7%.8 • Housing Cost-Burden: Thirty-seven percent of all households are cost-burdened (spending more than 30 percent of monthly income on housing costs); 72 percent of low-and-moderate income households are cost-burdened. 58 percent of renter households are spending more than 30% or more of their income on housing costs. • Subsidized Housing Inventory: Barnstable currently has 1,485 units on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, accounting for 6.73 percent of their 2020 Census Year-Round Housing Units. 5 Banker & Tradesman Median Sale Prices 7 Banker & Tradesman Median Sale Prices and Housing Sales 8 CoStar Annual Maret Report; Barnstable Multi-Family Commented [JK3]: Update? Commented [JK4]: Update? Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 21 DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS • Environmental constraints: Water quality, local wetlands regulations, sensitive ecosystems, and culturally/historically significant resources. • Infrastructure constraints: Limited availability of wastewater treatment and public need sewer. • Zoning constraints: Multi-family and mixed-use developments are permitted by-right on just two percent of the town’s total net land area; though, Accessory Dwelling Units were recently approved right by-right in all zoning districts. IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY • Staff: Barnstable’s Housing and Community Development Program within its Planning and Development Department focuses on affordable housing preservation and production. • Housing Authority: There are currently over 2,000 people on the state-wide waiting list for elderly/disabled units. This number more than triples for the family housing waiting list, with 4084 families waiting for two-bedroom homes, 2,077 families waiting for three-bedroom homes, and 501 families waiting for four-bedroom homes. • Housing Trust: The Trust currently has $576,823 available and is applying for $2,500,000 from the Barnstable Community Preservation Act Fund. The Trust anticipates revising its Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to invite developers interested in leveraging additional funds to create affordable housing and is evaluating opportunities for more direct support to residents.The Trust has $4.68 million available and is working on revising its Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to developers interested in creating affordable housing and evaluating opportunities for direct support to residents. • Financial support: Since 2006, Barnstable has supported 30 community housing projects, appropriating $8.9M. • Capacity can be a strength: Several other local and regional organizations and committees support affordable housing initiatives financially and through regulatory guidance, including the Housing Authority, Affordable Housing Growth & Development Trust, Community Preservation Committee, the Cape Cod Commission, Housing Assistance Corporation, and more. Formatted: Font: Not Bold Commented [JK5]: Still accurate? Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 22 CHAPTER 2: HOUSING GOALS AND STRATEGIES The housing goals and strategies detailed in this report are based on the findings of the demographic and housing analysis incorporated herein, as well as observations and preferences of community participants that were gathered through a variety of engagement methods. The Town solicited community input through focus groups in August 2022, two public forums on September 21 and November 30th, 2022, and a public survey between September and November 2022, two public forums on April 7 and April 10th, 2025, as well as offering the public the opportunity to submit written comments.. The goals of this plan are consistent with the Comprehensive Permit Regulations (760 CMR 56) as required by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for Housing Production Plans: a) a mix of housing types, consistent with local and regional needs and feasible within the housing market in which they will be situated. This includes rental, homeownership, and other occupancy arrangements (if any) for families, individuals, persons with special needs, and the elderly. b) a numerical goal for annual housing production pursuant to which there is an increase in the municipality’s number of SHI Eligible Housing units. This represents at least 0.50 percent of its total units [in accordance with 760 CMR 56.03(3)(a)], during every calendar year included in the HPP, until the overall percentage exceeds the Statutory Minimum of 10 percent of its total year-round housing units, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40B, and as set forth in 760 CMR 56.03(3)(a). Based on Barnstable’s 2020 US Census figure of 21,915 year-round housing units, Barnstable’s 10 percent goal would be met with 2,192 countable units on the SHI. KEY FINDINGS Please see the Executive Summary for a list of all goals and strategies. Formatted: Superscript Commented [JK6]: update Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 23 FIVE-YEAR GOALS A Housing Production Plan approved by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities expires after five years. If the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities approves this HPP in 20253, it would be in effect through 202820300, encompassing Fiscal Years 2024 2026 through 202820301. The goals of this five-year plan are intended to provide guidance for local housing policies and initiatives but do not bind future actions or decisions of local officials or the Town Council. The foursix goals, which are intended to accommodate Barnstable's housing needs, include one that is a specific quantitative production goal and threefive qualitative goals. The goals listed are in no particular or priority order. Note: The EOHLC 10 percent goal under Chapter 40B is a minimum target. Barnstable’s overall affordable housing goals seek to create a variety of housing opportunities that will foster Barnstable’s vibrancy and meet the needs of the community. 1. ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN THE STATE’S GOAL UNDER CHAPTER 40B THAT 10 PERCENT OF BARNSTABLE’S YEAR-ROUND HOUSING UNITS ARE COUNTABLE ON ITS SUBSIDIZED HOUSING INVENTORY, WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING DOCUMENTED LOCAL AND REGIONAL NEEDS. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, AFFORDABLE YEAR-ROUND SENIOR AND INTERGENERATIONAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, AFFORDABLE YEAR-ROUND RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING, AND HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. In 2023, Barnstable has 76.1578 percent of its year-round housing units on the SHI, which is based on 2020 US Census data and the EOHLC’s Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory update released on June 29, 2023. That 76.1578 percent is calculated by dividing 1,48566 countable SHI units by year-round housing units per the 2020 US Census. Barnstable has gained 19413 units on the SHI since the last HPP was approved in 2018, from 1,372 units to now 1,564865 units. Based on the 2020 US Census, and with an approved Housing Production Plan is place by 20253, Barnstable could obtain “Safe Harbor” certification for a period of one year by creating 109 new SHI units; or for a period of two years by creating 219 new SHI units. Note, per the 2020 year-round housing units of 21,915, the Town would need 2,192 units listed on the SHI to meet the State’s 10 percent goal. The Town has 1,485 566 units listed on the SHI, requiring production of at least 707 626 units to surpass the 10 percent goal. It will require coordinated and consistent funding and staff time on the Town’s part to achieve such housing production goals during the life of this HPP. Commented [JK7]: update Commented [JK8]: update Commented [JK9]: update Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 24 2. SUPPORT THE GROWING NEED FOR SEASONAL AND YEAR-ROUND HOUSING OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES, AND FOR MORE DIVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS ACCESSIBLE TO MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. Housing choices are limited in Barnstable: 84.8 percent of Barnstable’s existing housing stock are single-family homes. More diverse housing options can provide choices for both older and younger residents. Local employers are struggling to attract year-round and seasonal workers and are increasingly seeking housing solutions to keep their businesses operating and viable. 3. ENSURE NEW DEVELOPMENT PROMOTES A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ITS RESIDENTS AND IS CONSISTENT WITH TOWN-WIDE SMART GROWTH POLICIES AND PROTECTS NATURAL RESOURCES BY REUSING VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES, AND BY LOCATING NEAR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IN LOCATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (LCP). Barnstable has significant infrastructure and environmental constraints that limit the locations where new housing development may be appropriate. Strategic areas for accommodating a variety of housing options are those with minimal environmental constraints, already developed and underutilized property, and where community resources and transportation connections exist, such as in locations near public transportation, village centers, and areas with access to sewer. 4.2. ASSIST IN STABILIZING HOUSING AND PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR BARNSTABLE’S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS – ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING IN INADEQUATE HOUSING CONDITIONS, HOMELESS, OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. Many low-income residents struggle with housing costs. Barnstable will work to support the housing needs of vulnerable residents, especially those who are living in inadequate housing conditions, those who are homeless, or are in danger of homelessness. Barnstable will seek out new ways to expand local assistance and maximize such support by leveraging state and other public or private programs. 5.3. ENHANCE LOCAL CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT DEED-RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES AND STRENGTHEN WORKING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING HOUSING NEEDS IN BARNSTABLE AND THE REGION. Barnstable is fortunate to have staff, local Boards, an Affordable Housing Trust, and organizations helping to address housing needs in the community. These organizations provide affordable housing, financially support affordable housing development, and Commented [KP10]: Paula suggested simplifying under goal 12 Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 25 provide housing assistance or other related support, such as community education and advocacy. To further address local housing needs, the Town intends to continue to support its local capacity and expand the initiatives in partnership with these organizations. Further, finding opportunities to pair housing initiatives with aligned efforts focused on climate resilience, workforce development and education, and environmental restoration will help meet the multiple challenges faced by our evolving region. 6.4. PARTNER TO PROMOTE GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF BARNSTABLE’S HOUSING CRISIS NEEDS THROUGH CONTINUED RESEARCH, OUTREACH, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION OF OUR HOUSING NEEDS. Understanding and being responsive to local residents’ housing needs in light of changing economic and market conditions is an effort that requires ongoing investment by the Town and community partners. The Town intends to develop research-based tools, communication strategies, and benchmarks to keep residents and policy makers informed of ongoing need and progress towards the goals of this plan. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 26 FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIES Achieving the community’s five-year goals will require a variety of regulatory, programmatic, and policy strategies. This section includes descriptions of local regulatory strategies, local initiatives, and strategies that deal with implementation capacity, education, and outreach. The intent is not to suggest that Barnstable will implement all these strategies over five years, but rather to offer multiple ways the community can work to achieve its goals. Many of these strategies are contingent on factors beyond the municipality’s control, including market opportunities and funding availability. All strategies will require local approvals in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. This plan’s strategies comply with the requirements of the Comprehensive Permit Regulations (760 CMR56), which are summarized as follows: The HPP shall address the matters set out in the Executive Office’s guidelines, including an explanation of the specific strategies by which the municipality will achieve its housing production goal, and a schedule for implementation of the goals and strategies for production of units, including all the following strategies, to the extent applicable: a) The identification of zoning districts or geographic areas in which the municipality proposes to modify current regulations for the purposes of creating SHI-Eligible Housing developments to meet its housing production goal. b) The identification of specific sites for which the municipality will encourage the filing of Comprehensive Permit applications. c) Characteristics of proposed residential or mixed-use developments that would be preferred by the municipality (examples might include cluster developments, adaptive reuse, transit-oriented housing, mixed-use development, inclusionary housing, etc.). d) Municipally owned parcels for which the municipality commits to issue requests for proposals to develop SHI Eligible Housing; and/or e) Participation in regional collaborations that address housing development. The strategies are organized into three categories and are in no specific order: A. Planning, Policies, and Zoning Strategies B. Local Initiatives and Programmatic Strategies C. Capacity, Coordination, and Education Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 27 PLANNING, POLICIES, AND ZONING STRATEGIES9 The Town’s authority to update zoning regulations can have powerful effects on encouraging private responses to address local housing needs with minimal local expenditure. The following strategies incorporate recommendations for both local planning initiatives and zoning amendments. 1. PURSUE THE EXTENSION OF BARNSTABLE'S RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION TO PROPERTY OWNERS THAT PROVIDE AFFORDABLE YEAR- ROUND RENTALS TO INCOME-ELIGIBLE TENANTS. The Town Council has the option of enacting a residential exemption of up to 20 35 percent of the average total residential value in Barnstable every year for those property owners who maintain their primary residence in the Town of Barnstable (the current exemption is set at 25%). On October 4, 2023, Governor Healey signed a tax relief bill that created a local-option property tax exemption for residential properties that are rented to households earning no more than 200% of area median income, and allow municipalities to determine the amount of the exemption and adopt ordinances implementing these provisions. Barnstable’s residential exemption could be extended to property owners who may have an investment property that they rent. If the resident rents that property as a year-round rental (as opposed to a short-term or vacation rental) the Town could consider offering a residential property tax exemption in that case, provided that the property is not already under a Tax Increment Exemption (TIE) or Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Agreement. • The Town could consider a higher percentage of residential exemption to property owners who maintain their primary residence in the Town of Barnstable. • The Town could also consider a higher percentage of residential exemption for property owners that participate in the Accessory Affordable Apartment program. This program is a local comprehensive permit program which allows property owners to create an accessory dwelling unit for year-round rental to tenants making at or below 80% of the area median income. If the Accessory Affordable Apartment program is going to be incentivized and marketed, the Town should consider updating and clarifying the ordinance. 9 More information: Room Occupancy Excise Tax: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/room-occupancy-excise-tax Data Analytics and Resource Bureau Local Tax Options: https://dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us/reports/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=LocalOptions.Room_Tax_Impact_Fee Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 28 2. DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT WILL ADDRESS THE SEASONAL HOUSING CHALLENGES UNIQUE TO THE REGION, INCLUDING PURSUING THE ABILITY TO PLACE YEAR-ROUND DEED-RESTRICTIONS ON RESIDENTIAL UNITS. A significant proportion of Barnstable’s housing are second homes and demand for housing from seasonal residents continues to place a strain on year-round residents and workers. Advancing policy solutions to address the additional demands that come with being a seasonal community are necessary in seasonal communities such as Barnstable. • A year-round deed restriction program would allow the Town to place and/or purchase deed restrictions to permanently limit the occupancy of a unit to a year-round owner or tenant. Year-round housing occupancy restrictions could be placed on rental or ownership units and would not contain income restrictions. A program could be developed through which homeowners could voluntarily sell restrictions to the Town which would remain in perpetuity and secure occupancy of the unit for year-round owners or renters. Legislation or a home-rule petition would be necessary to carry out this program. o Communities that have such programs in place include Provincetown, Massachusetts, whose program is managed by a Year Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust (YRMRRHT), with approval from the Select Board. Similar successful programs exist in Vail, Colorado (Vail inDEED) and the Lake Tahoe region (Truckee Home Access Program and the Placer County Workforce Housing Preservation Program). • In October 2023, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced the Affordable Homes Act, a comprehensive package of spending, policy and programmatic actions to jumpstart the production of homes and make housing more affordable across Massachusetts. Proposed in the Act is a Seasonal Communities Designation, which would create a framework for designating communities with substantial seasonal variations in employment and housing needs. The designation, which may work similarly to the Gateway Cities designation, would allow for the development of programs targeting seasonal communities by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The Town should offer input on this potential effort to ensure the program addresses the Town’s unique needs as a regional housing and economic center. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 29 3. SUPPORT VILLAGE-SCALED MIXED-USE AND MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED PLANNING INITIATIVES AND ZONING AMENDMENTS, AND STUDYING WHAT DESIGN, SCALE, AND TYPE OF HOUSING MAY BE APPROPRIATE IN OTHER COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED VILLAGE CENTERS. To help foster more housing choice in all of Barnstable’s villages, consider amendments to zoning use and dimensional requirements to permit the location of appropriately scaled mixed-use buildings (commercial and residential) in and around village centers and near the auto-oriented commercial nodes along the Falmouth Road, West Main Street, and Route 132 corridors. To ensure that new housing development is consistent with infrastructure availability, community character, and is developed with lasting value, guidance on the design, scale, and typology of new units should be developed and adopted for each unique location. Any future potential zoning changes must be crafted collaboratively with the community and must be consistent with locations identified as suitable in the Local Comprehensive Plan. 4. IDENTIFY ZONING AMENDMENTS AND OTHER STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT MISSING MIDDLE AND "LIVING LITTLE" FORMS OF HOUSING SUCH AS ALLOWING SINGLE FAMILY HOME CONVERSIONS, DUPLEXES, COTTAGE CLUSTERS, TOWNHOUSES, TINY HOMES, AND INFILL DESIGN CONSISTENT WITH LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED AS SUITABLE IN THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. ‘Missing middle housing’ is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units— compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes—located in a walkable neighborhood10. Allowing for duplexes, townhouses, single family home conversions, cottage clusters (may also be cohousing), and tiny homes in more zones puts the Town on a path towards more sustainable land use patterns and more walkable neighborhoods. M.G.L. 40Y Massachusetts recently adopted Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40Y known as Starter Home Zoning Districts. Starter homes are defined as a single-family home not exceeding 1,850 square feet of heated living area. A 40Y district comes with incentives from the State for each starter home produced. Barnstable could utilize this district in strategic locations that may be well suited to develop missing middle and 10 Missing Middle Housing Home, Missing Middle Housing, Updated January 2023, https://missingmiddlehousing.com/. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 30 attainable homeownership housing such as the Marstons Mills Elementary School property and potentially others as defined in the Local Comprehensive Plan. One program that may align with 40Y is the Commonwealth Builder Program, offered by MassHousing. This program funds the creation of deed-restricted single-family homes and condominiums for moderate-income households, with a focus on households of color. More information: • MassHousing: Commonwealth Builder Program. https://www.masshousing.com/en/developers/commonwealth-builder Cottage Clusters Cottages are a classic Cape Cod architectural style. They first appeared on the Cape as a more permanent form of self-built summer campgrounds in the 1930s. Recently, several towns around the Commonwealth have updated their zoning to allow for cottage development. In Dennis, MA, they now allow for small cottage clusters via their Seasonal Resort Community Zoning bylaw, while Concord, MA permits cottage developments though its Planned Residential Development (PRD) Zoning. Tiny Houses Tiny houses tend to be designed to architecturally resemble traditional homes, are built using renewable materials such as wood for finishes and siding, can be constructed by their owners, and their footprint is tailored for smaller one-to-two person households. Tiny homes historically were illegal under Massachusetts state building code as their dimensions are often less than minimum international building code requirements. However, regulations for tiny houses have evolved and now communities around the country and in Massachusetts have changed their zoning to welcome tiny homes. Tiny House Appendix Q has been adopted in Massachusetts, effective January 1, 2020. This provides for building safety standards Source: Alexis Smith, Metropolitan Area Planning Council Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 31 for houses on foundations that are 400 sq. ft. and under. However, to build a tiny home, local zoning codes must also be changed. Some communities regulate tiny houses under the umbrella of detached Accessory Dwelling Units, while others allow them as stand-alone primary structures like a “cottage cluster” with shared green space, wastewater, and parking. Only one Massachusetts community (Nantucket, MA) currently allows tiny homes as the main dwelling unit on a lot. Case studies: • Nantucket, MA (See: Tiny House Unit; Tiny home as main house) • Brewster, MA (Tiny homes as detached ADUs) • Falmouth, MA (Tiny homes as detached ADUs) • Worchester, MA (Village of tiny houses to combat homelessness) Townhouses Townhouses come in many different shapes and sizes, and harkening back to their middle-income origins, they represent a single-family housing option that tends to be more affordable than large-lot detached homes. Townhouse units are often between 1200 and 2400 s.f. with between 1 and 4 bedrooms. Many townhouses are developed through 40B or 40R or other flexible districts. Northampton utilized a M.G.L Ch. 40-R Smart Growth Overlay District to facilitate townhouse development and other communities could use this state tool if they do not have bylaws that are well-suited for this development. Source: Curtis Adams Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 32 Single Family Home Conversions Single family home conversions divide a home into two or more housing units, typically with few or no changes to the exterior. This can be used as a strategy to preserve large historic properties that can no longer be maintained by a single owner; however, they need not be limited to any time period. If a property is on septic, it may need to be expanded to accommodate an increased load (if more bedrooms are created). Some communities treat home conversions as internal accessory dwelling units. Case Studies: • Cohasset, MA • Duxbury, MA (410.3) • Hingham, MA (III-A, 1.2) • Norwell, MA • Gloucester, MA Infill11 Infill can happen in locations in Barnstable where parking lots create large empty spaces, and where parking demand can be met with a smaller number of spaces. While parking serves an important need, in some cases it may not be the highest and best use or could be made more efficient. In these cases, consideration should be given to infilling these lots where feasible to include additional housing. Two-Unit Dwellings Two-unit dwellings (also known as duplexes) and townhouses provide alternatives to single-family dwellings at a scale that can be complementary to existing low-density suburban residential neighborhoods. Barnstable currently only allows duplexes in the Highway Business District, Downtown Main Street District and Downtown Village District, and Downtown Neighborhood District. Duplex dwellings are also required to have separate septic facilities. The Town could consider locations 11 Town of Barnstable, “Creative Approaches to Moderate Density: Filling the Missing Middle on Cape Cod”, Cape Cod Commission, Union Studio, February 11, 2019, https://town.barnstable.ma.us/departments/planninganddevelopment/Projects/Downtown/CommunityResilienceDesign.pdf. Source: Flickr user Roger W Source: Union Studio Architecture Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 33 where it may be appropriate to amend the zoning ordinance to allow duplexes, provided that the total structure does not exceed a maximum square foot in floor area, the proposed building meets all other relevant zoning and environmental ordinances, complies with established design standards, and the property has wastewater septic capacity sufficient to meet Title 5 requirements for the number of units. 5.2. AMEND ZONING TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING PARCELS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE ASSISTED OR INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS FOR LOW-INCOME SENIORS, SUCH AS EXPEDITED PERMITTING, ZONING RELIEF, AND DENSITY BONUSES. Zoning amendments could incentivize development of affordable senior housing units – both independent living and affordable assisted living units. For example, for developments that include a substantial portion of affordable units the minimum lot sizes could be reduced, allowed density could be increased, and dimensional requirements including parking, could be reduced. The proportion of older adults has increased over the past 20 years, reaching over 30 percent of the population. Residents over 60 are expected to comprise 37 percent of the population by 2040. 6.3. STRENGTHEN REVISE THE INCLUSIONARY AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE BY MAKING IT A ZONING ORDINANCE, REQUIRING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS AT A VARIETY OF INCOME LEVELS AND MAKING THE REQUIRED PERCENTAGE PROPORTIONATE TO THE SIZE OF THE DEVELOPMENT. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE EXPEDITED PERMITTING, ZONING RELIEF, DENSITY BONUSES, AND FINANCIAL SUBSIDY FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEYOND WHAT IS REQUIRED. ESTABLISH AN IN-LIEU OF FEE THAT IS COMPARABLE TO THE HOUSING MARKET AND CAN BE UTILIZED TO SUPPORT LOCAL HOUSING INITIATIVES. Inclusionary housing strategies help ensure that the benefits of new investment and development are shared more equitably among households of different income levels. Barnstable adopted an inclusionary affordable housing ordinance in 1999, which has remained largely unchanged in the intervening twenty-five years. While the Barnstable ordinance has resulted in the creation of dozens of units of affordable housing, the Town recognizes that the Cape Cod housing market has changed dramatically and that newer approaches to creating affordable housing have been tested and adopted. There are no incentives through Barnstable’s zoning ordinance to encourage creation of units affordable to extremely low and very low-income households. Such incentives could help to create mixed-income housing that includes units affordable to extremely Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 34 low, very-low, and low/moderate income households as well as workforce and market rate units to help encourage units affordable at multiple price-points. The incentives could include increase in units/acre, more flexible dimensional requirements, reduced parking requirements, and similar changes. It is clear from the housing needs assessment that there is a great need for rental units that are affordable to households with extremely-low and very-low income. However, workforce housing incentives are also needed. The ordinance only allows the option for a developer to pay a fee in lieu of creating on-site units through a “development agreement” process. There is no formula or guidance established for calculating an appropriate fee. The Town should evaluate the local housing market and consider modifications to its ordinance that are economically feasibleinformed through an economic feasibility analysis and that create meaningful and quality affordable housing opportunities. 7.4. CONSIDER REGULATIONS OR OTHER POLICIES FOCUSED ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO THE EXTENT THEY IMPACT YEAR-ROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. The Town should continue to evaluate the impact of short-term rentals on the community’s housing stock and their impact on neighborhoods and year-round residents. There are several regulations on short-term rentals Barnstable could consider that would support affordable housing. For example, Barnstable could reallocate a portion of the transient occupancy rooms tax, including short-term rental income, which may require Special State Legislation, to support revenue for affordable and community housing. Barnstable should continue to monitor and research other communities with pressure from increasing short-term rental units for examples of ordinances and regulations, such as an added 3 percent community impact fee for professionally managed short- term rentals. The Town should continue to monitor and report on approaches other communities are taking to evaluate and regulate short-term rentals and consider what process and information may best contribute to local discussions. 8.5. PURSUE THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE YEAR-ROUND HOUSING ON VACANT AND/OR UNDERUTILIZED LAND OR PROPERTIES AS CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. CONSIDER A ZONING AMENDMENT TO DEFINE "UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES" IN DISTRICTS CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ALLOW REDEVELOPMENT AND RE-USE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 35 FOR MULTI-UNIT HOUSING THROUGH EXPEDITED PERMITTING, ZONING RELIEF, AND DENSITY BONUSES. The Town could incentivize the creation of affordable year-round housing on vacant or underutilized properties using a combination of Town staff capacity, regulatory process, and funding. For example, the 2021 Economic Development Bill authorizes $40M for the Underutilized Properties Program12, administered by MassDevelopment, to fund “projects that will improve, rehabilitate or redevelop blighted, abandoned, vacant or underutilized properties to achieve the public purposes of eliminating blight, increasing housing production, supporting economic development projects, increasing the number of commercial buildings accessible to persons with disabilities.” The program focuses on funding capital improvements and code compliance projects, along with the design of these improvements. The term underutilized is not defined within the Program’s establishing legislation. The Town has also sought to enhance the regulatory process within the Growth Incentive Zone to incentivize the redevelopment of these underutilized properties using a prescribed and streamlined permitting process that allows for increased density. Underutilized commonly means a building is not operating within its full potential, with vacancies or unused space. Not many municipalities in Massachusetts define “underutilized” properties in their zoning bylaws. One unique example is the Newburyport MA 40R District, which defines underutilized as “Developable Land within a District that would otherwise qualify as Substantially Developed Land, but which: a. is characterized by improvements that have a marginal or significantly declining use, as measured by such factors as residual Floor Area Ratio (FAR), vacancy rates, extent of operation, current and projected employment levels, market demand for the current uses or the uses to which the existing improvements could readily be converted, and low value of improvements in relation to land value; and b. as demonstrated by existing or anticipated market conditions, may have reasonable potential to be developed, recycled, or converted into residential or mixed-use development consistent with Smart Growth.” 12 Underutilized Properties Program, Mass Development, Updated January 2023, https://www.massdevelopment.com/what-we- offer/real-estate-services/underutilized-properties-program Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 36 By formally defining underutilized properties, Barnstable could enact other permitting or zoning incentives for these properties. It could also tap into other state resources, such as the Underutilized Properties Program or the M.G.L. 40Y “Starter Home” program. (see Strategy 4). Case Study: • Newburyport, MA 40R district 9.6. PLAN AND PARTNER WITH ENTITIES TO PRODUCE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE.13 People need a stable, decent, permanent place to live first as a foundation for wellbeing. Historically, Single-Room Occupancies (SROs) were a common form of housing that provided an important and affordable option for people at many life stages and situations. SRO housing is a residential property that includes multiple single room dwelling units. Each unit is for occupancy by a single eligible individual. There are a variety of types of SROs. The unit need not, but may, contain food preparation or sanitary facilities, or both. SROs are an essential housing type to permanent housing for formerly unhoused individuals or those at risk of becoming unhoused. Enriched SROs is a type of SRO where social services are available onsite or by referral through a supportive services program. One example is Lifebridge, which currently has 22 units of SROs in Salem that is combined with supportive programs and training. While not a traditional SRO, but similar in many ways is the concept of a tiny house village and micro units. A public – private partnership in Worcester is resulting in a tiny house village and a state partnership with their Housing Authority is resulting in studios that will provide permanent housing for people who have been chronically unhoused. Each home will be less than 500 sq.ft. and contain a bedroom, bathroom, and combination living/kitchen area. Both models will include on -site housing specialists. Plan for the creation of SROs through development regulations and partner with entities that recognize the economics of creating SROs. 13 More information: • EDGE PD&R, Considering SRO Housing in New York City and Beyond, June 2018: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-trending-062518.html • Bedford, Tori, GBH News: Village of Tiny Homes Will Offer Permanent Housing for Some of Worcester’s Homeless: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2021/07/18/a-village-of-tiny-homes-will-offer-permanent-housing-for- worcesters-homeless-population Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.25" Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering Formatted: Normal, Indent: Left: 0" Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 37 LOCAL INITIATIVE AND PROGRAMMATIC STRATEGIES Local initiative strategies refer to recommendations that the Town can undertake to foster the creation of more housing options, especially affordable housing. These initiatives are not regulatory in nature; rather, they deal with allocation of Town resources, including staff time, funding, and property. 10.7. SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IN FUTURE PRIVATELY DEVELOPED PROJECTS OR CREATE MORE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE SHI UNITS IN EXISTING MODERATE-INCOME DEED RESTRICTED UNITS BY COORDINATING PERMIT PROCESSES WITH INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THROUGH THE AFFRODABLE HOUSING TRUST. The Barnstable Affordable Housing Growth and Development Trust will continue to pursue the creation of additional affordable units through issuing RFPs indicating its desire to fund increased affordability in private developments, work with the Planning Board to negotiate increased affordability into future developments or buy down moderate-income units to SHI-eligible levels on resale. This could include utilizing CPA and Housing Trust funds to cover gaps in funding through grants or loans, and to demonstrate local commitment to secure competitive funding from other state, federal, and/or private sources as available. See the Development Pipeline section for specific locations. It may also include enhancing the existing inclusionary affordable housing ordinance to include density bonuses for increased affordable unit percentages. The Trust has more than $2.65 million in grants available and is working to market a Notice of Funding Availability to developers who are interested in creating affordable housing. 11.8. EXPLORE COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON TOWN PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY THE MARSTONS MILLS SCHOOL (730 OSTERVILLE WEST BARNSTABLE RD2095 MAIN STREET), VACANT LAND NEXT TO POLICE STATION (1200 PHINNEY'S LANE), 164 ROUTE 149, MARSTONS MILLS, LAND AROUND THE BARNSTABLE ADULT COMMUNITY CENTER, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS MAY BE IDENTIFIED AS APPROPRIATE. To help address Barnstable’s most critical housing needs, as documented in the Town’s Housing Needs Assessment, the Town could explore offering available Town-owned properties for development of units affordable to households at or below 50 percent AMI and 30 percent AMI. This could be 100 percent affordable units or a mix of income-restricted units and market rate units. As the property owner, offering public land for affordable housing development provides the Town with a high level of Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 38 control over how a property ultimately gets developed. To implement this strategy, the Town would issue a Request for Proposals that specifies a minimum number (or percentage) of units that should be affordable. This minimum should be established by testing the feasibility – estimate how the affordable unit minimum may impact project feasibility and the need for public subsidies. Funding programs typically have a maximum award per unit, and this will affect the feasibility of the project. Funding programs could include local Community Preservation Act/Affordable Housing Growth & Development Trust funds and CDBG funds. Projects could be permitted under a Comprehensive Permit (friendly 40B), EOHLC’s 40R or 40Y programs, or through other zoning changes. The Town may sell property or could retain the property under Town ownership and lease it to a developer through a long-term ground lease. The developer builds, owns, and manages the building but the Town can establish certain criteria for the project that become restrictions. This approach allows the Town to create housing without having to administer the construction or management of the housing itself and provides strong assurances for long-term affordability of the units. Potential locations suggested in the focus groups and interviews include the former Marstons Mills Elementary School (730 Osterville West Barnstable Rd2095 Main Street), the vacant land next to the Police Station at 1200 Phinney’s Lane, and 164 Route 149, Marstons Mills. The Town is also conducting conducted a master planning process for the Barnstable Adult Community Center, which will evaluated the potential for affordable senior housing. 12.9. STRENGTHEN THE COORDINATION, FUNDING, AND INTEGRATION OF AVAILABLE RENT ASSISTANCE, FORECLOSURE PREVENTION AND HOUSING STABILIZATION PROGRAMS FOR INCOME-QUALIFIED RESIDENTS, ESPCIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IN DANGER OF FORECLOSURE OR HOMELESSNESS. The Town should continue to collaborate with local service providers to address homelessness through the efforts of the Human Services Committee, Affordable Housing Trust, Housing Committee and/or other groups as necessary. There are numerous state and public funding programs available to assist in the creation and rehabilitation of housing. There are also a number of programs, administered federally, state-wide, and regionally that fund direct assistance to residents struggling with housing stability and being housing cost-burdened. These funding streams and others have the potential to rehabilitate and increase Barnstable’s overall housing stock and specifically its deed-restricted affordable housing stock. They also have the Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 39 opportunity to make the housing stock that we currently have more affordable, stable, and accessible to residents. 13.10. SEEK TO ESTABLISH A REHABILITATION PROGRAM TO HELP LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS PRESERVE THEIR EXISTING HOUSING TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND FUND REPAIRS TO HOMES FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY. As the community ages, there will be more need for home rehabilitation to accommodate aging in place. For those with mobility challenges, existing housing would have to be made more accessible through rehabilitation initiatives to provide handicapped access and safety improvements. Establishing a housing rehabilitation program to provide low-income homeowners with assistance to rehabilitate their homes could help both young and old alike with needed health and safety improvements. A variety of Massachusetts’ towns have established Home Repair Programs and Housing Rehabilitation programs for low-income homeowners utilizing federal funds and local non-CPA sources. Funds provided through this type of program would be intended to improve home functionality or occupant health and safety, and to allow older residents to age in place. Applicants would be required to meet income eligibility requirements (not more than 80 percent of the area median income) and the homes undergoing repair could also be required to meet assessed value requirements (at or below the Town’s median assessed value). In addition, it is best practice for such a program to require a dischargeable lien that requires the funds to be repaid if the home is sold within a specified period. It may be possible to require a permanent affordability restriction in return for the rehab funding, but the funding would need to be substantial enough to justify this requirement because it would substantially decrease resale potential. For improved units to be counted on the state’s SHI under a housing rehabilitation program, the program must require a minimum 15-year affordability restriction14. Such a program creates affordable housing through this restriction requirement. The Town should further investigate best practices and legal considerations for such a program. Note that if the program is structured to create affordable or community housing 14 Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. Comprehensive Permit Guidelines, Updated December 2014, https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/10/10/guidecomprehensivepermit.pdf. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 40 units, per the CPA statute (MGL c.44B) then such a program may also qualify for CPA funds. Case Studies: • Amesbury, MA • Pioneer Valley Planning Commission • Adams, MA Locally, the Town has successfully partnered with the Barnstable Housing Authority to use Community Development Block Grant entitlement funds to make repairs and upgrades to its housing stock. Projects have improved the quality of existing units or supported necessary repairs to existing units to make them habitable. The Town should continue this, and other collaborations with the Barnstable Housing Authority to continue to improve the quality and livability of the public housing in Barnstable. 14.11. CONTINUE TO SEEK WAYS TO DEFRAY COSTS RELATED TO PREDEVELOPMENT, EITHER THROUGH UTILIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUNDS OR EXAMINING WATER AND SEWER CONNECTION COSTS TO FOSTER CREATION OF AFFORDABLE UNITS. Infrastructure connection costs can be a barrier to development of multi-family, mixed- use, and affordable housing. The Town already uses Housing Trust funds to defray costs related to pre-development. The Trust provides for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in the Town of Barnstable for the benefit of low- and moderate-income households. Funds are available for pre-development work to determine the viability of residential development on a vacant or developed site. Maximum funding per project is $50,000, according to the current Trust Notice of Funding Availability. The Town could also explore predevelopment programs to incentivize the creation of the most desirable forms of housing development, including top-of-the-shop development in appropriate areas. Incentives for upper-story, or top-of-the-shop housing might include the use of Tax Increment Financing or the Housing Development Incentive Program to help defray costs of infill development. Some grant programs may help owners pay for architectural or engineering costs necessary to convert upper story space to housing. Education, capacity building and guidebooks, such as this one from the Preservation League of New York, could also be developed to help guide property owners through the process of developing upper floor housing. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 41 15. CLOSELY COORDINATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TOWN’S COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND HOUSING PLANNING TO ADDRESS BOTH NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION AND HOUSING NEEDS AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UPGRADES TO WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE DOWNTOWN HYANNIS GROWTH INCENTIVE ZONE. The availability and capacity of public infrastructure is a significant limiting factor in the development of housing across the region. The Town of Barnstable has long pursued a strategy that directs new investment, including in housing, to areas with existing public infrastructure and away from areas with sensitive natural resources. As the Town implements its Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, it should closely coordinate its housing policy and regulations to ensure a predictable rate and location of growth town-wide. Opportunities to encourage housing should be closely coordinated with infrastructure planning through the Local Comprehensive Planning process, as well as through any future regulatory changes it may recommend. CAPACITY, COORDINATION, AND EDUCATION The following strategies are recommended for expanding the Town’s capacity to implement housing initiatives through staffing and infrastructure, coordination with other local or regional entities, and education. 16.12. CONTINUE TO PROMOTE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON HOUSING INITIATIVES, SUCH AS THE TOWN'S LOCAL INITIATIVE PROGRAM (LIP) GUIDELINES FOR 40B COMPREHENSIVE PERMITS, ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) GUIDANCE, AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY. The Town continues to add housing tools to support housing needs. The Local Initiative Program (LIP) is a state housing program, established by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B, sections 20-23 (also known the Comprehensive Permit Law) and administered by EOHLC. The program was established to give cities and towns greater flexibility in their efforts to provide low and moderate-income housing. The Town of Barnstable developed a procedure for evaluating LIP proposals that has been adopted into the Zoning Board of Appeals Comprehensive Permit Rules and Regulations. On July 15, 2021, the Town Council affirmatively voted to approve Item No. 2021- 174, a zoning amendment allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The Council voted a modification to the rental requirements (§240-47.2(C)(11)) to state that “Either the principal dwelling or ADU, but not both, may be rented at any given time.” The ADU zoning ordinance became effective on Sunday August 15th, 2021. Staff has Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 42 developed a permit checklist which will guide applicants through the process of permitting and constructing an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), and information is readily available the Town’s website. In February of 2023, Town Council adopted the new Downtown Hyannis zoning. The rezoning of Downtown Hyannis is an evolution of the zoning code for the Town of Barnstable. This Gateway City took on a three-year planning process that sought to consolidate and better define the zoning districts, updated their dimensional standards, and incorporate form-based zoning techniques that would foster a more predictable built outcome and produce a high-quality public realm and lively main street. The provisions defined for each district address the relationship between building facades and the public realm as well as the size, shape, and scale of buildings in relation to one another, while regulating land uses through broader, more permissive categories as compared to conventional zoning techniques supporting a more pedestrian focused Main Street. Marketing the opportunities for infill and redevelopment within the district to property owners under the new zoning, and communicating expectations regarding high quality design, will support the intent of the zoning amendments going forward. 17.13. PARTNER WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES TO CREATE A REGIONAL HOUSING SERVICES OFFICE (RHSO) TO EXPAND RESOURCE CAPACITY AND SUPPORT MONITORING COMPLIANCE OF EXISTING AFFORDABLE UNITS. A Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) is a collaboration between neighboring towns to expand resource capacity and monitoring compliance of existing affordable units. RHSOs use an Inter-Municipal Agreement. The RHSO serves its member towns by assisting with the municipal function of affordable housing, including proactive monitoring, program administration, project development, and resident assistance. Because of the RHSO staff’s expertise and the intermittent nature of affordable housing work, the monitoring, administration, development, and assistance is delivered more efficiently and effectively. The Town of Barnstable could become the Lead Community and hosts the RHSO at its office and employ RHSO staff or work with the County to lead for each of the communities on Cape Cod. Case Study: Regional Housing Services Office (Boston Metro North) https://www.rhsohousing.org/ 18.14. CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HOUSING TRUST, OTHER BOARDS/COMMITTEES, AND TOWN STAFF; ENGAGE TRUST ON HOUSING Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 43 DEVELOPMENTS EARLY IN THE PERMITTING STAGE FOR POTENTIAL FUNDING SUPPORT; CONSIDER CREATING A BARNSTABLE HOUSING ROUNDTABLE. Barnstable could develop a Housing Roundtable to assist its various municipal housing groups in coordination and collaboration. The Barnstable Housing Authority, Housing Committee, Community Preservation Committee, and Housing Trust could convene quarterly to discuss local housing issues and to build solutions. The Town Council and Planning Board are other groups with housing responsibilities, that should also be invited to Roundtable meetings. The groups included in the Housing Roundtable should clarify the roles and responsibilities for Housing Production Plan implementation, including what level of staffing and professional support is required to implement the plan. Case Study: Concord, Massachusetts Housing Roundtable The Concord Housing Roundtable includes representatives from the Housing Authority, Affordable Housing Trust, Concord Housing Foundation, Select Board, Planning Board, and Community Preservation Committee 19.15. BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CONTINUE AFFIRMATIVE OUTREACH TO TARGET POPULATIONS, SUCH AS LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS, SENIORS, AND BIPOC (BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR) COMMUNITIES. The Town should undertake concerted efforts to provide ongoing outreach to target populations to increase awareness of existing affordable housing programs and assistance at local and state levels. Some possible methods for consideration include15: • Translate information on affordable housing programs and assistance in multiple languages. • Identify networks and nearby organizations serving people of color, immigrant groups, low-income families, veterans, and other protected classes; they may share information with their members, and/or provide language assistance or volunteers. • Faith-based organizations in Barnstable can provide leads on specific outreach and service programs they offer. • Advertise through local and regional social media and newspapers (Kidon Media lists national and statewide ethnic newspapers). • Connect with the local hospital to distribute outreach materials. 15 MAPC Affirmative Marketing, Metropolitan Area Planning Committee, February 1, 2018, https://www.mapc.org/resource- library/affirmative-marketing/ Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 44 • Include educational institutions on the outreach list. School social workers and parent-teacher organizations are good sources for spreading information among parents. Barnstable is fortunate to have several organizations helping to address housing needs in the community and region. These organizations provide affordable housing, financially support affordable housing development, and provide housing assistance or other related support, such as community education and advocacy. To further address local housing needs, the Town intends to continue to support the initiatives of these organizations. 20.16. RECRUIT, DEVELOP, AND SUSTAIN DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED TOWN STAFF TO CONTINUE COORDINATION OF THE TOWN’S HOUSING EFFORTS AND ENTITIES. Barnstable has demonstrated a continued ability to implement local initiatives. However, maintaining and increasing local capacity will benefit the Town so it can successfully reach local housing goals. Ongoing professional housing staff support, predictable revenue for the Affordable Housing Trust, and coordination among local entities will strengthen the Town’s ability to continue its strong track record. Staff in Barnstable’s Planning & Development Department support the Housing and Community Development program. The objective of this program is to renew and strengthen neighborhoods by encouraging livability and diversity and by encouraging affordable and work force housing opportunities throughout the Town. Town staff coordinates and manages the resale of existing affordable housing units, including running any required lotteries and ensuring that all state and federal requirements are met, and works directly with the Housing Trust to develop new affordable units throughout the community. The staff also provides information on existing affordable housing options on the Town’s website and updates the information as needed. 21.17. SUPPORT THE BARNSTABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST BY CONTINUING TO PROVIDE FUNDING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT, HOME/CDBG, AND BY SEEKING STATE AUTHORIZATION FOR A REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE AND BUILDING PERMIT SURCHARGE TO CREATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE TRUST OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT MAY BECOME AVAILABLE. CONSIDER INCREASING THE ALLOCATION OF CPA FUNDS TOWARDS HOUSING OR EXERCISING BORROWING AND LENDING POWERS TO SUPPORT LOCAL HOUSING INITIATIVES. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 45 Barnstable needs predictable, sustainable revenue sources so that funds are readily available when affordable home opportunities arise. Much of the development of affordable homes is opportunistic, occurring when a suitable property becomes available. Without the necessary funds to act quickly, valuable opportunities could be missed. To accomplish this, Town Council could approve an annual appropriation for the Trust. Additionally, the Town could file home rule petitions or a real estate transfer fee for the 2022-2023 legislation session. Both Community Preservation funding and affordable housing mitigation funds, including proceeds from the inclusionary zoning ordinance, have helped capitalize the Fund and help also leverage CDBG funds. Currently, the Fund has $2.6M available in grants toward pre-development work and subsidizing affordable housing developments. Given the extent of Barnstable’s housing crisis, the Town should consider increasing the allocation of CPA funds towards housing, or exercising borrowing powers, to support local housing initiatives. Several Cape Cod towns, including Truro, Provincetown, and Chatham, have filed home-rule petitions to establish a real estate transfer tax to support local affordable housing initiatives. The Local Option for Housing Affordability (LOHA) Coalition is working to create and support affordable housing with a real estate transfer fee. The LOHA Coalition is composed of the following cities and towns: Boston, Concord, Somerville, Nantucket, Brookline, Provincetown, Chatham, Cambridge, and Arlington. It also includes about one hundred organizational members. Both bills, still pending in state legislature, reported out favorably by committee in 2022. Barnstable could join this coalition and file a home rule petition for the transfer fee and the permit surcharge. This has the potential to provide substantial long-term and reliable funding to the Barnstable Housing Growth and Development Trust Fund. More information: www.realestatetransferfee.org. 22. EXPLORE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE TOWN’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS, AND OPPORTUNITIES INTERNALLY WITH THE BARNSTABLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO CREATE WORKFORCE AND SEASONAL HOUSING FOR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS. One option, a bridge loan, is a form of short-term financing that can serve as a source of funding and capital until an organization or company secures permanent financing or removes an existing debt obligation. Bridge loans are typically short-term in nature, Source: Local Options for Housing Affordability Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 46 lasting on average from 6 months up to 1 year, and are often used in real estate transactions. The Town Council or Housing Trust might collaborate and consider partnerships with local lending institutions, or Mass Housing, and the Town’s largest employers (such as the hospital or Cape Cod Community College) to support workforce housing and seasonal housing for essential employees and students through a such a program. Case Study: Concord, MA Affordable Housing Trust funding for a bridge loan to Christopher Heights/ Assabet River Bluff development project. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 47 GOALS AND STRATEGIES MATRIX # Strategy Chapter 40B – 10% SHI Support seasonal and year-round housing Smart growth Stabilizing housing Preserve local capacity Promote greater public awareness G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 1 Property tax exemption for local owners of year-round rentals. 2 Develop strategies that will address the seasonal housing challenges unique to the region. 3 Zoning for village-scaled mixed-use and multi-unit development. 4 Zoning to support missing m iddle and "living little" housing. 5 Zoning to incentivize affordable assisted or independent living units. 6 Strengthen inclusionary ordinance 7 Regulations on short-term rentals. 8 Define "underutilized properties" 9 Zone for permanent supportive housing for unhoused people. 10 Increased number of affordable units in privately developed projects 11 Addition of housing to Town properties. 12 Programs for residents in danger of homelessness. 13 Rehabilitation program. 14 Defray costs related to predevelopment or infrastructure. 15 Coordinate housing policy with infrastructure investment. 16 Educate the public on the Town's housing programs and policies. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 48 17 Create a regional housing services office (RHSO). 18 Clarify roles and responsibilities of Trust/ boards/committees/staff. 19 Partnership and outreach to target populations 20 Recruit, develop, and sustain dedicated and experienced Town staff 21 Support the Barnstable Affordable Housing Trust by continuing to provide funding. 22 Explore public-private partnerships with the Town’s largest employers. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 49 ACTION PLAN The matrix below provides more specific assignment of the responsible entity, supporting entity, and timeframe to implement each housing strategies. Housing Strategies FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Responsible Entity Supporting Entities 1 Property tax exemption for local owners of year-round rentals 0 0 0 0 5 TC HC 2 Zoning to incentivize affordable assisted or independent living units 0 0 0 15 15 TC PB 3 Revise inclusionary ordinance 60 60 30 20 20 TC PB, HC 4 Short-term rental regulation review 00 0 0 0 0 0 TC PB 5 Create housing on underutilized properties 0 0 0 0 0 TC PB 6 Create supportive housing for unhoused people 0 0 0 0 20 TC PB 7 Increased number of affordable units in privately developed projects 0 0 0 10 10 PB TC, HC, HT 8 Addition of housing to Town properties 0 0 0 0 0 40 TC PB, HC, HT 9 Programs for residents in danger of homelessness 0 0 0 0 0 HT HC, TC Commented [JK11]: UPDATE BASED ON CHANGES Formatted Table ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... Formatted ... 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Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 50 10 Rehabilitation program 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 TC HC, HT 11 Defray costs related to predevelopment or infrastructure 0 0 5 5 5 HT PB 12 Educate the public on the Town's LIP and ADU guidance 0 0 0 0 0 HC PB 13 Create a regional housing services office 0 0 0 10 10 10 TC PB, HC, HT 14 Clarify roles and responsibilities of Trust/ boards/committees/staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HC TC, HT 15 Partnership and outreach to target populations 0 0 0 0 0 HC TC, HT 16 Recruit, develop, and sustain dedicated and experienced Town staff 0 0 5 10 10 TC 17 Support the Barnstable Affordable Housing Trust by continuing to provide funding 0 0 18 20 20 TC CPC, HT Additional units through anticipated 40B projects 4 35 35 20 0 TOTAL 64 95 103 110 158 AH % .3% .43% .47% .5% .72% Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Font: 11 pt Formatted: Right Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Commented [LS12]: See comment at # 8 Formatted: Right Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered Formatted: Right, Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Centered Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 51 # Housing Strategies FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 Responsible Entity Supporting Entities 1 Property tax exemption for local owners of year-round rentals. TC HC 2 Develop strategies that will address the seasonal housing challenges unique to the region. TC HC 4 Zoning for village-scaled mixed-use and multi-unit development. TC PB 5 Zoning to support missing middle and "living little" housing. TC PB 3 Zoning to incentivize affordable assisted or independent living units. TC PB 6 Strengthen inclusionary ordinance TC PB, HC 7 Short-term rental regulation review TC PB 8 Define "underutilized properties" TC PB 9 Zone for permanent supportive housing for unhoused people. TC PB 10 Increased number of affordable units in privately developed projects PB TC, HC, HT 11 Addition of housing to Town properties TC PB, HC, HT 12 Programs for residents in danger of homelessness. HT HC, TC 13 Rehabilitation program TC HC, HT 14 Defray costs related to predevelopment or infrastructure HT PB 15 Coordinate housing policy with infrastructure investment TC PB 16 Educate the public on the Town's LIP and ADU guidance HC PB Formatted Table Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 52 Housing Strategies Action Plan TC = Town Council HC= Housing Committee HT = Housing Trust PB = Planning Board CPC = Community Preservation Committee Note: Strategies colored across all years indicates strategies that are ongoing and/or should be implemented as opportunities arise, rather than a specific schedule. 17 Create a regional housing services office TC PB, HC, HT 18 Clarify roles and responsibilities of Trust/ boards/committees/staff HC TC, HT 19 Partnership and outreach to target populations HC TC, HT 20 Recruit, develop, and sustain dedicated and experienced Town staff TC 21 Support the Barnstable Affordable Housing Trust by continuing to provide funding. TC CPC, HT 22 Explore public-private partnerships with the Town’s largest employers. TC HT Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 53 CHAPTER 3: DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE An analysis of local demographic data and housing stock reveals key characteristics and trends in Barnstable that help explain housing needs and demand. The characteristics of a town’s residents — such as their life stage, wealth, race and ethnicity, and household size — are closely linked to the characteristics of a town’s housing stock. To understand the broader context of Barnstable’s housing needs, we compare the demographics of Barnstable Town to Barnstable County and to Massachusetts at times, as well as to surrounding communities: Bourne, Dennis, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich, and Yarmouth. Hyannis is also presented independently where necessary to showcase how this one village skews Barnstable’s total statistics.16 This chapter will provide the framework for housing production goals and strategies that were covered earlier in this document. SUMMARY In the last ten years, Barnstable has seen a 3 percent decrease in the total number of households, but an overall increase of 8 percent in its total population. Barnstable’s full- time population has fluctuated since 1980. Most Barnstable residents are over the age of 35, and the population is predicted to grow increasingly older with the aging of these residents. The town is also becoming more diverse, with Black, Indigenous, and other people of color accounting for over one-fifth of the population. Hyannis's BIPOC proportion is even higher, accounting for nearly half of the village's overall population. Both Barnstable Town and Hyannis have significantly higher-than-average resident diversity compared with Barnstable County, which is 92 percent white17. Almost two-thirds of Barnstable’s households are family households, and 69 percent of total households are individuals living alone or with only one other person. The average household size in Barnstable is slightly lower than both the County and the state. Most resident occupations are in education, health care, and social assistance professions, and this may account for the lower median household income as compared to the Area 16 For the purposes of this study, Hyannis is generally composed of 2020 Census block groups where data is available at that lev el: Tract 125.02 groups 2, 3, and 4; Tract 126.02 groups 2, 3, and 4; and Tract 153 groups 2 and 3. Where block group -level data is not available, this study uses Census tracts 125.02, 126.02, and 153. Census geography is specific throughout the report. Further note that margins of error for the block group level, being a smaller sample size, are typically greater than at the census tract level; therefore, findings may be more accurate at the census tract level despite encompassing areas larger than the immediate bounds of Hyanni s village. Tract and block group boundaries fluctuate between each census and make historical comparisons a nd trends impossible to define on this level. 17 Quick Facts Barnstable County, Massachusetts, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/barnstablecountymassachusetts Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 54 Median Income (AMI) set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Non-family and renter-occupied households earn roughly $40,000 less than the AMI, which means increased difficulty for these households to afford housing costs. In Barnstable, 37 percent of households are spending more than 30 percent of their monthly income on housing costs – and for low- and moderate-income earners, this number jumps to 72 percent. More information on housing affordability is included in the next chapter. DEMOGRAPHICS This Housing Production Plan is grounded in a thorough examination of Barnstable’s demographic makeup. An analysis of the current population, household composition, race and ethnicity, and educational attainment provides insight into existing housing needs and demand. Projects of Barnstable’s future residential composition help inform housing planning efforts. POPULATION According to the 2020 Census, Barnstable’s total population is 48,916, though the number of people living in Barnstable on any given day is likely much higher. The US Census collects information on where people live for most of the year, which can negatively skew population data in communities with large tourism rates and high amounts of seasonal housing and short-term rentals. Barnstable saw significant growth between 1980 and 2020, climbing more than 58 percent. This growth mainly took place between 1980 and 2000, when the population grew 55 percent. Between 2000 and 2010 Barnstable’s population shrunk by about 5.5 percent, but it recovered and grew another 8 percent between 2010 and 2020. MassDOT and the UMass Donahue Institute both predict that Barnstable’s population will significantly decline by 2040, with each estimating a population of 34,277. Yet these agencies also predicted that Barnstable’s population would continue to shrink after 2010 – and that did not happen. In contrast with their predictions, the Cape Cod Commission predicts that Barnstable’s population will continue to rise through 2025.18 (Historic population data and future projections are shown in the graph below.) Barnstable’s population has growth recently, but future growth or decline is uncertain. 18 Barnstable County Population by Town 1990-2025, Cape Cod Commission, ACS Data EPR/Crane Forecast, https://ww2.capecodcommission.org/housingdata/. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 55 Barnstable Population Data 1980–2040. Source: US Census (T1), ACS (A00001), MassDOT, and the UMass Donahue Institute. Hyannis While Barnstable has seven villages, it is worth noting that Hyannis is significantly more densely populated than the Town of Barnstable. Hyannis is home to 13,334 residents, which is higher than the 8,577 reported in 2010.19 At the time of the 2010 Census, Hyannis residents comprised 19 percent of the Town’s total population, compared with today when 27 percent live in Hyannis. The population of Hyannis has increased by 55 percent in the last decade compared with Barnstable’s 8 percent increase. Population Trends in Barnstable and Hyannis, 1990–2020. Source: US Census (T1) and ACS (A00001). 19 Town of Barnstable, Housing Production Plan, November 9, 2016, https://www.townofbarnstable.us/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Plans_and_Reports/Barnstable-Housing-Production- Plan.pdf?tm=9/8/2022%209:59:03%20PM. 40,949 47,821 45,193 48,916 6,278 7,241 8,577 13,334 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 1990 2000 2010 2020 HYANNIS RESIDENTS ARE A GROWING SHARE OF BARNSTABLE'S POPULATION Barnstable Hyannis 30,000 32,000 34,000 36,000 38,000 40,000 42,000 44,000 46,000 48,000 50,000 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 projected 2040 projected BARNSTABLE'S FULL-TIME POPULATION PROJECTIONS ARE UNCERTAIN Census MassDOT UMass Donahue Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 56 POPULATION AGE Currently, the bulk of Barnstable’s residents (41 percent) fall between the ages of 35 and 64, with 47.3 being the median age. Those aged 17 and younger comprised 18 percent of the Town, which is slightly higher than County levels but below state levels. About 18 percent of Barnstable’s residents are between 18 and 34, which, again, is higher than the County but lower than the state’s shares. At about 23 percent, older adults (those aged 65 and older) are the second largest age bracket in Barnstable. Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of Barnstable’s population that is aged 60 years or older increased 10 percentage points, from 21 to 31 percent; by 2025, the population is predicted to become increasingly older. Predicted age distribution is displayed in the graph below on the right, with the left side referencing the last two decades. The proportion of older adults has increased over the past 20 years, reaching over 30 percent of the overall population. 18%15%20% 18%16% 24% 41%39% 39% 23%30%17% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS ARE YOUNGER THAN COUNTY AVERAGE 0-17 18-34 35-64 65+ Barnstable Population Age Distribution with Comparison, 2020. Source: US Census (T11) and ACS (B01001). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 57 Historical and Predicted Age Distribution of Barnstable Residents. Sources: US Census (T11), ACS (B01001), UMass Donahue Institute. Hyannis Comparatively, Hyannis residents are younger; just 15 percent are 65+. Within this village, the population of residents aged 0–17 has increased 19 percent, while Barnstable experienced a 3 percent decrease. The bulk of Hyannis residents (38 percent) fall between 35 and 64 years old, which is a 10 percent decrease from 2010 and is on par with Barnstable as a whole. 5%5% 20%19% 19%16% 16%14% 14%14% 11%10% 42%44%22% 21% 20%21% 31%37% 2000 2010 2020 2040 NEARLY TWO IN FIVE BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS ARE OLDER THAN 60 60+ 45-59 35-44 20-34 0-19 21%18% 26% 18% 38% 41% 15%23% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Hyannis Barnstable Hyannis has a younger population 0-17 18-34 35-64 65+ Age Distribution of Population for Hyannis and Barnstable, 2020. Source: US Census (T11) and ACS (B01001). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 58 Population by Age in Hyannis and Barnstable, 2020 (left) and Change in Population by Age for Hyannis and Barnstable between 2010 and 2020 (right). Source: US Census (T11) and ACS (B01001). RACIAL COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION While Barnstable has seen significant growth in their Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations (105 percent increase between 2010 and 2020), the community remains predominantly white, with 79.1 percent of residents identifying as such. This growth is rapidly outpacing both the County and state whose BIPOC communities have increased 86 percent and 46 percent, respectively. BIPOC populations now account for over one-fifth of the entire population. Black, Indigenous, and People of color now account for over one-fifth of the entire population. 19% 4% -10% 7% -3% 6% -9% 9% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 0-17 18-34 35-64 65+ Hyannis saw the most growth in children aged 0-17 Hyannis Barnstable ABOUT ONE IN FOUR BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS IDENTIFY AS BIPOC 43,443 39,512 37,296 3,896 5,681 11,620 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 2000 2010 2020 White Alone All BIPOC Barnstable Majority vs. Minority Population Distribution 2000– 2020. Source: US Census (T15, T55, T003). ABOUT ONE IN FOUR BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS IDENTIFY AS BIPOC Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 59 Barnstable saw a decrease of white residents by 6 percent between 2010 and 2020. This number is larger than the County but is similar to the state. Barnstable’s non-white population is largely composed of those identifying as Two or More Races (8.9 percent) and Non-White Hispanic (5.4 percent). BIPOC Population Growth in Barnstable, 2000–2020. Source: US Census (T15, T55, T003). Hyannis Most non-white residents in Barnstable are living in Hyannis. The ‘White Alone’ population is 76.2 percent in Barnstable, compared to 53.4 percent in Hyannis. Similarly, the percentage of BIPOC residents living in Hyannis nearly doubles for Black/African American, Asian, Two or More Races, and Hispanic residents. The BIPOC population in Hyannis has grown from 25 percent in 2010 to 46.6 percent of the Hyannis population in 2020. This is much higher than Town or County averages. 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 2000 2010 2020 Multi-Racial and Hispanic American populations have grown the most between 2000 and 2020 Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Alone Asian Alone Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone Some Other Race Alone Two or More Races Hispanic or Latino Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 60 BIPOC Population Distribution by Hyannis and Barnstable, 2020. Source: US Census (T15, T55, T003). FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION AND LANGUAGE In 2020, an estimated 17 percent of Barnstable’s population were born outside the United States. Of this population, 74 percent were born in Central and South American countries, primarily Brazil (2,502 people) and Jamaica (996 people). Barnstable Town has a higher proportion of Central and South American-born residents than the County (52 percent) and state (40 percent). Subsequently, Barnstable’s European immigration share, at 16 percent, is lower than the County (28 percent) and the state (20 percent). Small percentages of Barnstable residents were born in Asian, African, and Oceanic nations as well. In Barnstable, roughly 80 percent of residents speak English at home, which is lower than the County (90 percent) but higher than the state (76 percent). Other than English, Spanish is the main primary household language in Barnstable, with an estimated 5 percent of residents speaking Spanish at home. Portuguese, Slavic and other Indo- European Languages are also represented in small percentages. Many Barnstable residents were born outside of the United States (17 percent) and for even more, English is not the primary language spoken at home (20 percent). 10.1% 4.4% 0.8% 0.5% 2.3% 1.7% 0.1% 0.0% 6.2% 2.8% 15.9% 8.9% 11.2% 5.4% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0% 50.0% Hyannis Barnstable BIPOC populations are more likely to live in Hyannis Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Alone Asian Alone Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone Some Other Race Alone Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 61 Hyannis Neither Place of Birth of Foreign-Born Populations nor Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Older are collected at the Block Group or Census Tract Level. Given the racial distribution of Barnstable’s population, it is likely that Hyannis is similarly home to a higher proportion of immigrants and those whose primary language is something other than English, as compared with the other villages. DISABILITY The US Census Bureau defines a disability as a long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition. The agency breaks these conditions down into six classifications and defines them as shown at right. Residents with one or more disabilities are more vulnerable to housing challenges in communities with a shortage of affordable, physically accessible housing or housing with supportive services tailored to individual needs. The 2020 Census states that 6.8 percent of Barnstable residents under 65 have a disability, and 30 percent of those 65 years or older have one or more disabilities. More than one in ten Barnstable residents have some form of disability, especially among older adults. Hyannis Disability statistics are not collected at the Block Group or Census Tract Level in Barnstable, so no conclusions can be drawn regarding the distribution of people with disabilities. Hearing Difficulty: Deaf or having serious difficulty hearing. Vision Difficulty: Blind or having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses. Cognitive Difficulty: Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions. Ambulatory Difficulty: Having serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Self-care Difficulty: Having difficulty bathing or dressing. Independent living difficulty: Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 62 Percentage of Age Groups with Disabilities in Barnstable with County and State Comparison, 2020. Source: ACS (B18101). HOMELESS The Cape and Islands Regional Network on Homelessness has released its 20242 findings from the Annual Point in Time Count (PIT)20, which took place on January 23February 22, 20242, on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. On the Cape and Islands, the total number of homeless persons (adults and children, sheltered and unsheltered) counted on the night of February 22January 23 was 397568, an increase of 54 141 from last year, and the highest number of homeless persons counted in the past eight years., with 250 unhoused individuals located in the Town of Barnstable (63 percent). In 2022, sixty-three percent of the homeless individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands were in the Town of Barnstable. The 2022 Point in Time count for Barnstable alone was as follows: • Emergency Shelter (Motel Voucher): 10 • Emergency Shelter (Family): 74 • Emergency Shelter (Individual): 73 • Transitional Housing: 81 • Unsheltered: 12 20 Point in Time Count, Barnstable County Cape Cod Regional Government, Updated January 20243, https://www.capecod.gov/departments/human-services/initiatives/housing-homelessness/continuum-of-care/point-in-time- count/ 4%4%5% 8%9%9% 30%25% 31% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts Those with disabiltiies are more likely to be older adults Under 18 Years 18-64 Years 65 Years and Over Formatted: Normal Formatted: Indent: Left: 0" Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering Commented [JK13]: UPDATE FROM COUNTY Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 63 HOUSEHOLDS HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION The number and type of households within a community, along with household spending power, correlate with the housing unit demand. Each household resides in one housing unit, regardless of the number of household members. The 2020 Census reported that Barnstable has 19,748 households. Roughly 65 percent of households in Barnstable are family households, which is only slightly higher than County and state levels. Family households can be broken down further to describe married couples with children, married couples without children, single-parent households, and households composed of other family members. Married couples without children made up 52 percent of all family households, lower than the County (60 percent) but higher than the state (43 percent). ONE IN FIVE BARNSTABLE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE MEMBERS AGED 18 OR YOUNGER Percentage of households with youth (18 or younger), 2020. Source: US Census (T89, T59, PCT18) and ACS (A1008, A10009, A10026). Barnstable saw a 15 percent decrease in households with youth between 2000 (40 percent) and 2010 (25 percent). In the last decade, this percentage has remained steady with just over 25 percent of households (one in five) containing a member aged 18 or younger. Non-family households, including those with residents living alone or with non-family roommates, make up the other 35 percent of total households. In Barnstable, 79 percent Household: A household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. A household includes the related family members and all the unrelated people. Family Household: A family household is a household maintained by a householder and one or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption. Non-family Household: A nonfamily household consists of a householder living alone or where the householder shares the home exclusively with people to whom they are not related. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 64 of non-family households (5,316) are made up of those who live alone, with 2,753 householders aged 65 or older living alone. BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. THOSE WHO DO NOT ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE ALONE THAN WITH ROOMMATES. Barnstable Household Composition (left), with Breakdown of Non-Family Households (right), 2020. Source: US Census (T58, T59, PCT18) and ACS (A10008, A100009, A10025). Hyannis Hyannis had 3,598 households in 2020, which represented about 19 percent of all households in Barnstable. In Hyannis, households are more evenly split, with 51 percent family households and 49 percent non-family households. In alignment with Hyannis’s larger population of residents aged 17 and younger, 29 percent of family households have youth under age 18, which is slightly higher than Barnstable’s 25 percent. Information about non-family households is not recorded at the Block Group or Census Tract Level in Hyannis, so no further conclusions can be drawn about household composition as compared with Barnstable. Total Family Households 65% Total Non- Family Household s 35% Householder under 65 Living Alone 41%Househol der 65+ Living Alone 38% Roommates or Other Non-Family 21% Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 65 HOUSEHOLD SIZE The average household size in Barnstable was 2.43 persons per household (pph) in 2020. This is slightly larger than Barnstable County (2.30 pph), but smaller than Massachusetts as a whole (2.48 pph).. Most households in Barnstable (41 percent) are two-person households, with single-person households the second most popular at 28 percent. These numbers are comparable to County and state estimates. SEVEN OUT OF TEN BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS LIVE ALONE OR WITH ONLY ONE OTHER PERSON. Household Size in Barnstable, 2020. Source: US Census (H13) and ACS (A10024). 1 person 28% 2 people 41% 3 people 14% 4 people 9% 5+ 8% 1 person 2 people 3 people 4 people 5+ MOST BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS LIVE IN ONE- OR TWO-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS People per Household in Barnstable, 2020. Source: US Census (H13) and ACS (A10024). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 66 Hyannis Hyannis sees a slightly larger household size at 2.45 pph. This is closer to the Commonwealth average, although 42 percent of Hyannis households are reportedly single-person households. The average household size is likely elevated by the rental household size, which is 2.65 compared with the ownership household size of 2.04. Hyannis has a larger percentage of rental households than Barnstable; therefore, rental households are more heavily weighted. 28% 41% 14% 9% 8% 42% 26% 12% 10% 10% 1 person 2 people 3 people 4 people 5+ People per Household in Hyannis (outer ring) and Barnstable (inner ring), 2020. Source: US Census (H13) and ACS (10024). HYANNIS RESIDENTS (OUTER RING) ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE ALONE OR IN LARGER HOUSEHOLDS Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 67 EDUCATION ENROLLMENT Barnstable’s school enrollment peaked in 2002, with 7,913 students enrolled in schools. Since then, enrollment has declined steadily. By 2020 school enrollment had dropped to 5,542 students, with a large majority (81 percent) enrolled in local public schools. Vocational and technical schools account for almost 9 percent of Barnstable students. School Enrollment Trends, 2000–2020 (top) & 2020 Enrollment Distribution by Schooling Type (bottom). Source: MHP DataTown via Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 81.11% 0.29% 8.81% 5.90%3.90% Public school is the most popular school option Public Private Vocational Charter Home School 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 20002001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20092010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 20182019 2020 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS DECLINING Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 68 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Barnstable’s population over age 25 has achieved slightly less educational attainment compared with the County and state. Among Barnstable residents, 6 percent do not have a high school degree which is a larger percentage than Barnstable County at 4 percent. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher account for 40 percent of Barnstable residents compared with 45 percent in the County and in the state. Although most Barnstable residents over age 25 do not hold a bachelor’s degree, 29 percent have an associate degree or have completed some college. Educational Attainment in Barnstable with County and State Comparison, 2020. Source: ACS (A12001). 6%4%9% 25%23% 24% 29%28%23% 41%45%44% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts Less than High School High School Degree Some College/Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree or Higher MOST RESIDENTS 25+ DO NOT HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 69 Hyannis Hyannis appears to have lower educational attainment than Barnstable as a whole, with 54 percent of Hyannis residents age 25+ having a high school degree or lower compared with 36 percent in Barnstable Town. Subsequently, Hyannis has a lower concentration of residents with a bachelor’s or post- secondary degree. In terms of residents with some college credits or an associate degree, this applies to 24 percent in Hyannis and 29 percent in Barnstable. 6%, 6% 25%, 25% 29%, 29% 41%, 40% 13%, 13% 41%, 41%24%, 24% 21%, 22% HYANNIS RESIDENTS (OUTER RING) ARE LIKELY TO HAVE LOWER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Less than High School High School Degree Some College/Associate's Degree Educational Attainment Distribution for Hyannis (outer ring) and Barnstable (inner ring), 2020. Source: ACS (A12001). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 70 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS LABOR FORCE According to the 2022 ACS survey, 28,060 residents are in the Barnstable labor force and 1,240 are unemployed, which represents a 3.3 percent unemployment rate. Massachusetts Department of Economic Research data reports that in January 2024, Barnstable's total labor force was 23,452 persons with a 4.7 percent unemployment rate, which is lower than the rate for Barnstable County (5.5 percent), but higher than the Massachusetts rate reported of 3.5 percent.21 The Barnstable County unemployment rate shows a predictable variation by season, with rates in January, February and March being consistently higher, with notable declines in April that hold during the summer months. Excluding the context of the pandemic, Barnstable's labor force has remained relatively stable since 2010 (24,631 residents employed), and the unemployment rate has increased only slightly from the 4 percent it was in 2010. It is somewhat concerning, though, that demographic shifts to an older population have led to an increased number of individuals at or approaching retirement age.22 OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES The largest share of jobs in Barnstable (36 percent) are in management, business, science, and arts occupations, followed by 24 percent in education, health care, and social assistance, which tend to be lower-paying jobs. Other prominent industries in Barnstable include “Professional, Scientific, Management, Administrative, Waste Management,” “Construction,” and “Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, [and] Food Service." 21 Massachusetts Department of Economic Research, Massachusetts Regional Labor Market Information City/Town Map. (14 March 2024). Massachusetts Regional Labor Market Information | Tableau Public 22 Cape & Islands Work Force Development Board, The Cape & Islands Regional Workforce Blueprint (2016). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 71 Percent of Jobs in Barnstable by Industry, 2020. Source: ACS (C24050). Barnstable residents are more likely to have lower-paying jobs, which may exacerbate the need for affordable housing. The table below showcases how the 2021 Average Annual OES Wages23 compared with the JM Goldson calculated income required ($132,169/year) to afford the 2021 Median Single-Family Home Price.24 23 2021 Average Annual OES Wage taken from the Massachusetts Department of Economic Research (31 August 2022) Long - Term Occupational Projects Table for the Cape and Islands Region. This data may differ slightly for Barnstable. 24 For more information on this calculation, see Affordability Gap section of Chapter Four. 0%10%20%30% Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting, Mining Wholesale Trade Information Transportation, Warehousing, Utilities Manufacturing Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental, Leasing Other Services, Except Public Administration Public Administration Retail Trade Arts, Entertainment, Recreation,… Construction Professional, Scientific, Management,… Education, Health Care, Social Assistance ONE-QUARTER OF RESIDENTS WORK IN EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 72 Gap between Median Wages and Home Costs in Barnstable, 2021. Source: Massachusetts Department of Economic Research, JM Goldson calculations using FY22 Barnstable tax rate, assumes 30-year fixed mortgage, 10 percent down payment, and 5.22 percent interest rate. Hyannis Most employment-based economic characteristics are not reported at the Block Group or Tract level. An estimated 8,734 Hyannis residents were in the labor force according to the 2022 ACS and 236 were unemployed, for a 2.2 percent unemployment rate. HOUSEHOLD INCOME The estimated median household income in the Town of Barnstable was $94,387 in 2022; in 2023, the HUD Area Median Income (AMI) for a two-person household in Barnstable County was $92,100. Between 2000 and 2010, Barnstable median household income rose 6 percent compared with the County AMI’s 13 percent. Similarly, between 2010 and 2020, the Town of Barnstable saw a 4 percent increase, while the area’s median income grew by 8 percent. The median household income increased dramatically between 2020 and 2022, rising from an estimated $82,816 in 26% 28% 29% 31% 44% 46% 52% 64% 71% 84% 0%20%40%60%80%100% Home Health Aid Retail Sales Waitstaff Teaching Assistant Carpenter Landscaper Health Care and Social Work Secondary School Teacher Registered Nurse Operations Manager Single Earner Households with Common Jobs do not pay enough to afford the 2021 median single family home in Barnstable Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 73 2020 to $94,387. There was a corresponding jump in HUD Area Median Income data during this time. Barnstable Household Income Distribution with County and State Comparison, 2020. Source: ACS (A14001). Percent of Families Below Poverty Threshold in Barnstable with Regional Comparison, 2020. Source: ACS (A13002). 13%13%16% 16%19%15% 20%17%14% 11%13%12% 20%18% 18% 20%20%25% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts Barnstable's income distribution skews slightly toward middle- income earners Less than $25,000 $25,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000 - $99,999 $100,000 - $149,000 $150,000 or More 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% Sandwich Bourne Mashpee Falmouth Dennis Barnstable Barnstable has a higher percentage of families below the poverty threshold Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 74 Seven percent of Barnstable’s families live below the poverty threshold, which is higher than surrounding communities. Households whose total income is 80 percent or less of the AMI are considered low- or moderate-income. This accounts for an estimated 7,370 households that could potentially qualify for affordable housing. Of those, 12 percent are extremely low income (below 30 percent AMI), 12 percent are very low income (between 30 and 50 percent AMI), and 15 percent are moderate income (between 50 and 80 percent AMI). It is important to note that median household income combines both family and non- family households as well as owner-occupied and renter-occupied households. Family and owner-occupied households often significantly skew median household income metrics. In Barnstable, for instance, the median family income ($100,075) is almost twice that of the median non-family income ($53,660). Similarly, owner-occupied median income is $94,154, compared with renter-occupied median income of $50,410. Non-family households and renter households make nearly $40,000 less than the AMI compared with family households and owner households, which are much more aligned with the AMI. Poverty Threshold: Poverty threshold is set by the US Census Bureau annually and varies by household size and number of children under 18. About 39 percent of Barnstable households earn what is considered low or moderate income. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 75 Families and owner-occupied households earn about twice as much annual income as renter and non-family households. BARNSTABLE’S MEDIAN INCOME DIFFERS GREATLY BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE Median Income by Household Type, 2000–2020. Source: US Census (T93, T95, T100), ACS (A10410, A14012, A14015), and HUD. Hyannis At $52,003, the median household income for Hyannis is about $25,000 less than that of Barnstable. This means Hyannis residents, on average, earn about $45,000 less than HUD’s estimated AMI. As with Barnstable, the median household income combines both family and non-family households. The Median Family Income (representing 51 percent of Hyannis households) is $66,262, whereas the Median Non-Family Income (49 percent of Hyannis households) is $29,013. Cost burden information is not available at this level. $- $20,000.00 $40,000.00 $60,000.00 $80,000.00 $100,000.00 $120,000.00 2000 2010 2020 Median Family Income Median Household Income Median Non-Family Income Area Median Income $- $20,000.00 $40,000.00 $60,000.00 $80,000.00 $100,000.00 $120,000.00 2000 2010 2020 Median Owner-Occupied Income Median Household Income Median Renter-Occupied Income Area Median Income 13% 16% 20%11% 20% 20% 27% 21%22% 6% 13% 10% HYANNIS RESIDENTS (OUTER RING) ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE LOW-AND MIDDLE- INCOME EARNERS Less than $25,000 $25,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000 - $99,999 $100,000 - $149,000 $150,000 or More Income Distribution of Hyannis (outer ring) and Barnstable (inner ring) Residents, 2020. Source: US Census (T93, T95, T98, T100) and ACS (A14006, A14012, A14015). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 76 CHAPTER 4: HOUSING CONDITIONS The following section examines Barnstable’s current housing supply and how it has changed over time. Identifying housing type, age, tenure, vacancy, and recent development will contribute to an understanding of current needs and demand in Barnstable, and thereby help inform future housing production planning. SUMMARY Barnstable's population has grown 8 percent in the last ten years. Hyannis is one of its seven villages but holds about one-fifth of Barnstable’s housing units, which suggests that housing is not equitably distributed throughout the town. Roughly 85 percent of Barnstable's housing stock is single-family housing, and 84.8 percent of that is single-family detached units. Hyannis, on the other hand, has a much more even split, with 59 percent of units being single-family and 41 percent being multi- family. The number of multi-family units in Hyannis is higher than the overall Town's multi-family housing stock, with the remaining six villages having significantly fewer multi- unit housing options. Of Barnstable’s overall housing stock, at any one time, the percentage of units registered for short-term rental varies between approximately 2.3% - 3.4% of the total housing stock.25 Short-term rentals in Barnstable typically rent for $200–$599 per night. The total number of short-term rentals in the town can vary based on season and the economy; Barnstable had 759 registered short-term rental units in August of 2022 and 513 in February 2024. The number of units that are active range from 25 to 32 percent (have hosted tenants in the last year).12 At least 23 percent of homes in town are second homes, which may or may not be seasonally rented.26 Vacancy rates in Barnstable indicate that the town has a 1.8 percent vacancy of ownership units and 6.9 percent vacancy of rental units. In 2020, an estimated 80 percent of seasonal and recreational housing units were vacant. It is safe to assume the COVID-19 25 Local Town data on short-term rentals from the month of August 2022 (to get a snapshot of a peak tourist time) through February 2024. Counted only short-term rentals across all available short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) that actively rented in the past year (these short-term rentals may or may not be registered with the state). 26 Cape Code Commission housing market analysis, 2017 – projected for 2022. 6,319 second homes and 21,348 year-round homes reported for the mid-Cape in 2022. This totals 27,667 homes, of which 23 percent are second homes. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 77 pandemic impacted these numbers, as seasonal rental vacancy rates for nearby communities were closer to 35 percent in 2018.27 Rental opportunities for Barnstable residents are on the rise as the town saw a 4 percent increase in renter-occupied housing between 2010 and 2020. Barnstable has comparatively more rental housing than most surrounding towns at 76 percent owner- occupied and 24 percent renter occupied. Hyannis shows much closer tenure parity with 43.4 percent owner-occupied units and 56.6 percent renter-occupied units. Barnstable experiences a mismatch between the number of people living in a home and the number of bedrooms in that home. While most Barnstable households are one or two people, most of its homes have three bedrooms, suggesting a need for more studio, one-, and two-bedroom housing options. Housing prices are on the rise. Between 2021-2022 the median sales price for a home in Barnstable rose by 62 percent28. The median sales price for a single-family home in 2023 was $799,000. In 2018, the median sales price for a condominium was $377,00029 and it can be expected that those prices rose proportionally per unit as well. Exacerbating the issue is the limited availability of homes for sale; there were 52 single-family home sales in Barnstable in 2023 compared with 114 in 2020.30 Rental costs have also increased and are anticipated to continue to rise. In 2023, rental units averaged $1,924 and the vacancy rate remained very low at around 1.7%.31 In Barnstable, 37 percent of households are spending more than 30 percent of their monthly income on housing costs. For low- and moderate-income earners, this number jumps to 72 percent. One in three Barnstable homeowners is cost-burdened while 58 percent of renters are cost-burdened.32 27 Housing Assistance Corporation, “Housing on Cape Cod: The High Cost of Doing Nothing,” page 11, https://haconcapecod.org/wp - content/uploads/2019/06/HAC-Housing-on-Cape-Cod.pdf. 28 Banker & Tradesman Median Sale Prices 30 Banker & Tradesman Median Sale Prices and Housing ales 31 CoStar Annual Maret Report; Barnstable Multi-Family 32 ACS 2022 (5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 78 HOUSING SUPPLY AND TRENDS Percent Change in Barnstable Population and Housing Units, 1990–2020. Source: US Census (T1, T72, T55, T68). According to the 2020 Census, there were 27,452 total housing units in Barnstable, which means an additional 4,075 housing units were added between 1990 and 2020. This represents a 17 percent increase in housing units compared with a 19 percent population increase over the same period (although if population growth slows or declines, this difference will become much closer). Hyannis The 2020 Census found that Hyannis is home to 4,906 (18 percent) of Barnstable’s total housing units. Just one of the Town’s seven villages, Hyannis’s share of housing units is four percentage points higher than if housing was distributed evenly throughout all seven villages. TYPE AND AGE Housing choices are limited in Barnstable. In 2022, 84.8 percent of its housing units were single-family homes. County-wide, the percentage of single-family homes is 82%; across the Commonwealth the percentage of single-family homes is 52%. Only 2.3 percent of housing units in Barnstable Town are duplexes; 12.8 percent of units in multiple-unit properties and 2.4 percent are in other forms (mixed-use or cottage colony). Most Barnstable’s housing units were built between 1960 and 1999, a time when the community was experiencing rapid population growth. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 1990 2000 2010 2020 Barnstable's population and housing units grew between 2010 and 2020. Population Growth Housing Unit Growth Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 79 Massachusetts communities often have a higher percentage of older housing stock as towns and cities were incorporated during early colonization periods. Homes in Barnstable are relatively newer than state averages, with only 27 percent of homes built before 1960 compared with 49 percent statewide. Barnstable Housing Units by Type with County and State Comparison, 2020 (top); Barnstable Housing Units by Type, 2020 (bottom). Source: ACS (B25024). HOUSES IN BARNSTABLE ARE RELATIVELY NEWER THAN THOSE IN THE COUNTY AND STATE Age of Housing Units in Barnstable, 2020 (left). Age Distribution of Housing Units with County and State Comparison, 2020. Source: ACS (B25034). Hyannis Hyannis hosts a large proportion of the Town’s multi-unit housing options. The chart at right showcases the stark differences between multi-unit and single-unit home stock in Hyannis and Barnstable. While single-unit homes make up nearly 85 percent of Barnstable’s housing stock, that number falls to 59 percent in Hyannis. Hyannis also sees 7% 14% 0%10%20%30%40% 1 Pre-1939 1940-1959 1960-1979 1980-1999 2000-2013 2014 or later 14%12% 32% 13%14% 17%29%32% 22% 36%31% 19% 7%9%9% 1.3%1%2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts Pre-1939 1940-1959 1960-1979 1980-1999 2000-2013 2014 or later Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 80 a greater number of homes that are two to four units and ten to 49 units than the Town. Additionally, all the Barnstable Housing Authority properties which are multi-unit are located within Hyannis. The age of houses in Hyannis mirrors that of Barnstable with a slight skew toward houses built between 1980 and 1999. VACANCY A low vacancy rate often indicates that demand exceeds current supply, placing pressure on housing prices. According to the 2021 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, a 2 percent vacancy rate for ownership and 6 percent vacancy rate for rental units are considered natural vacancy rates in a healthy market. The 2022 ACS estimates that Barnstable currently has a 2.2 percent vacancy rate for ownership units (down from 4 percent in 2012). Current market data reveals a 1.7 percent vacancy rate for rental units. The rental market in Barnstable has grown in the last five years, although ownership opportunities have not progressed at the same rate. The 20232 ACS estimates suggest that 5,8406,219 housing units (83.385 percent of total vacant units) identified as seasonal or recreational are vacant. 81% 4% 6% 4% 4% 2% 52% 7% 18% 5% 15% 3% MULTI-UNIT HOUSING OPTIONS ARE CONCENTRATED IN HYANNIS (OUTER RING) 1 Unit Detached 1 Unit Attached 2-4 Units 5-9 Units 10-49 Units 50+ Units Building Type Distribution in Hyannis (outer ring) and Barnstable (inner ring), 2020. Source: ACS(B25024). Commented [JK14]: UPDATE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 81 TENURE The Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies “America’s Rental Housing 2022” report develops the concept of a “rental desert" as one with 20 percent or less housing available for rent.33 Even with the increase in rental availability in Barnstable, almost 85 percent of housing units in town are owner-occupied. Between 2010 and 2020, Barnstable saw a 4 percent increase in renter-occupied housing and a 2.5 percent decrease in owner-occupied housing, which could indicate that at least a portion of owner-occupied units were converted to rental housing. These growth rates, along with how they compare to the County and state, are shown in the graph on the following page. Growth in Barnstable Housing Units by Tenure, 2010–2020. Sources: US Census (T11) and ACS (B01001). There are about 100,000 year-round occupied housing units in the region; of these, 84% are owner-occupied and 16% are renter-occupied. Thus, Barnstable’s tenure profile is similar to that of the overall region.34 Rental units in Barnstable exist across all housing types, with almost half of all rental units being in single-unit structures (35.6 percent detached, 10.4 percent attached). Renters are more highly concentrated in multi-unit buildings than owners, and this is consistent across the nation. 33 “America’s Rental Housing 2022” Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University Harvard Graduate School and Harvard School of Design, 2022, https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_Americas_Rental_Housing_2022.pdf . 34 ACS 2022 (5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau -2% 3%4%4% -10% 3% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0% 2% 4% 6% Barnstable Barnstable County Massachusetts Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied BARNSTABLE HAS A 4 PERCENT INCREASE IN RENTER-OCCUPIED HOUSING Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 82 There is more tenure parity in Hyannis than in the Town of Barnstable overall. In Hyannis, 45 percent of homes are owner-occupied while 55 percent of homes are renter-occupied. HOUSING STOCK BY NUMBER OF BEDROOMS About 7.8 percent of housing units in Barnstable are studio or one-bedroom units. Two- bedroom units make up 24.1 percent of the housing stock, three-bedroom units are 46.9% and units with four or more bedrooms comprise 21.2 percent. One- and two-person households make up 69 percent of the total population, but one- and two-bedroom units make up only 32 percent of the overall housing stock. THERE IS A MISMATCH BETWEEN NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN A HOUSING UNIT AND THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS IN EACH UNIT People per Household in Barnstable (top) vs. Bedrooms per Household in Barnstable (bottom), 2020. Source: ACS (B25041). Although smaller households may live in units with more bedrooms, this mismatch exhibits a need for more small housing options for residents in smaller households who may not be able to afford extra bedrooms or might prefer smaller units. Smaller households also generally incur less energy and maintenance costs than larger households. This mismatch between household size and number of bedrooms suggests a need for more studio, one-, and two-bedroom options in Barnstable. 1 person 28% 2 people 41% 3 people 14% 4+ people 17% 1 person 2 people 3 people 4+ people Studio/1 bedroom 10% 2 bedrooms 22% 3 bedrooms 47% 4+ bedrooms 21% Studio/1 bedroom 2 bedrooms 3 bedrooms 4+ bedrooms Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 83 Hyannis Homes in Hyannis are more evenly distributed between studio/one-bedroom (29 percent), two-bedrooms (36 percent), and three-bedrooms (26 percent), with just 9 percent of housing stock in Hyannis having four or more bedrooms. HYANNIS HOMES ARE MORE EVENLY BALANCED BETWEEN NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND PEOPLE PER HOUSEHOLD People per Household in Hyannis (left) and Bedrooms per Household in Hyannis (right), 2020. Source: ACS (B25041). YEAR-ROUND HOUSING MARKET Housing costs within a community reflect numerous factors, including supply and demand. If the former exceeds the latter, prices and rents tend to rise. Depending on the income levels of the population, these factors can significantly reduce affordability for both existing residents and those seeking to move in. Mortgage interest rates also play a significant role in ownership affordability. While these interest rates have generally been declining since 1980, economic conditions have recently reversed this trend. As of March 14, 2024, the mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.75 percent; the peak over the last 52 weeks was 7.79 percent.35 In Barnstable, the median household income (adjusted for inflation) rose 4 percent between 2010 and 2020. In just the last four years of that timeframe, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported a 29 percent increase in the median sales price of a single-family home in Barnstable and 24 percent increase for a condominium. Those prices have continued to escalate, with a 48 percent increase from 2020 to 2023. 35 Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Freddie Mac. Accessed March 14, 2024. [Rates cited as of accessed date] https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms 1 person 42% 2 people 26% 3 people 12% 4+ people 20% Studio/1 bedroom 29% 2 bedrooms 36% 3 bedrooms 26% 4+ bedrooms 9% Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 84 In 2023, the median sales price for a single-family home in Barnstable was $799,000. For all home sales, it was $794,500. In 2018, the median sales price for a condominium was $377,500.36 The median sales price for a single-family home in Barnstable rose 22 percent between 2020 and 2021, while the median sales price for a condominium only rose 3 percent in that same period. 36 Banker & Tradesman Median Sale Prices, data accessed 2024. $0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 The cost of housing in Barnstable is on the rise Single-Family Condo Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 85 Median Sales Price in Barnstable, 2016–2021 (top) and Average Monthly Sales Prices, 2022 (bottom). Source: Massachusetts Association of Realtors Town Data.37 The 2021 ACS estimated that the median gross rent for a year-round rental unit in 2020 was $1,569, which was roughly a 9 percent increase from 2020 and a 39 percent increase from 2010. While American Community Survey data regarding rents provide an overall picture of the year-round rental market, there is a large margin of error given the small sample size and self-reporting nature of the survey. Additionally, this information represents units that were leased any time prior to the survey response, so it may not paint an accurate picture of the current market. An annual market report from Co-Star shows a market asking rent per unit of $1,925, an increase of 12 percent since 2020. 37 Condo Median Sales Prices intentionally begin in March, as there were no condo sales in January or February. $0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $800,000 $900,000 January February March April May June July The 2022 housing market has been unpredictable Single Family Condo Commented [JK15]: UPDATE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 86 Median Gross Rent in Barnstable, 2010-2020. Source: ACS (A18009). Short-Term Rentals (STRs) Conversion of homes to seasonally-occupied units or to short-term (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) can have a significant impact on housing affordability due to units being removed from the long-term stock. The number of active short-term rentals in Barnstable can vary; There were 513 844 registered short-term rentals (less than 30 days) in Barnstable as of February 21, 2014in the 2024 calendar year. As of August 2023In 2024, there was a peak of 926 895 unique short-term rentals being advertised in Barnstable, although not every unit being advertised is being actively rented. (To be considered active, a unit must be advertised and meet the definition of a short-term rental.) Of those rental properties listed in 2023, 37 percent were in Hyannis, 24 percent were in Centerville, 12 percent were in Osterville, 9 percent were in Barnstable Village, 8 percent were in Cotuit, about 6 percent were in Marstons Mills, and about 3 percent were in West Barnstable. The most popular listing agencies for short-term rentals in Barnstable are Airbnb (38 percent), VRBO (27.5 percent), and HomeAway (20 percent). It is also worth noting that despite all 680 units meeting the short-term rental definition of being actively advertised, roughly 76 percent of these units last reported stays more than one year ago. 38 Out of 573 total $800.00 $900.00 $1,000.00 $1,100.00 $1,200.00 $1,300.00 $1,400.00 $1,500.00 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Year-Round Rent costs in Barnstable rose 28 percent between 2010-2020 Nightly Rate (USD) Number of STRs Percentage of STRs38 $0–$99 2 0.35 percent $100–$199 33 5.76 percent $200–$299 105 18.32 percent $300–$399 116 20.24 percent Commented [JK16]: update Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 87 Nightly Rate of Short-Term Rentals, August 2022. Source: Host Compliance. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY HOUSEHOLDS ELIGIBLE FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE One measure of affordable housing needs is the number of households that may be eligible for housing assistance based on estimated household income. Federal and state programs use Area Median Income (AMI), along with household size to identify qualification status. The table below shows the HUD 2023 income limits for extremely low (below 30 percent AMI), very low (30–50 percent AMI), and low income (50–80 percent AMI) households by household size for the Barnstable Town Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). 20253 AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCOME LIMITS BARNSTABLE TOWN, MA MSA Income Category Persons in Family 2 3 4 5 6 Extremely Low Income 27,65032,800 31,10036,900 34,55041,000 37,35044,300 40,10047,600 Very Low Income 46,50554,700 51,80061,550 57,55068,350 62,20073,850 66,80079,300 Low Income 73,65085,450 82,85096,150 92,050106,80 0 99,450115,35 0 106,800123,9 00 Barnstable Town, MA MSA FY 253 Income Limits. Source: HUD. CURRENT M.G.L. CHAPTER 40B SUBSIDIZED HOUSING INVENTORY Under M.G.L. Chapter 40B, affordable housing units are defined as housing that is developed or operated by a public or private entity and reserved by deed restriction for income-eligible households earning at or below 80 percent of the AMI. In addition, all marketing and placement efforts follow Affirmative Fair Housing marketing guidelines per the EOHLC.39 These units are also deed-restricted units. 39 See appendices for the full affirmative fair housing market guidelines $400–$499 83 14.49 percent $500–$599 78 13.61 percent $600–$699 43 7.50 percent $700–$799 27 4.71 percent $800–$899 15 2.62 percent $900–$999 10 1.75 percent $1000–$1999 50 8.73 percent $2000–$2999 7 1.22 percent $3000–$4999 4 0.70 percent Commented [JK17]: UPDATE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 88 Housing that meets these requirements, if approved by the EOHLC, is added to the subsidized housing inventory (SHI). Chapter 40B allows developers of low- to moderate- income housing to obtain a comprehensive permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals to override local zoning and other restrictions. A municipality’s SHI fluctuates with new development of both affordable and market-rate housing. The percentage is determined by dividing the number of affordable units by the total number of year-round housing units according to the decennial Census. As the denominator increases (or if affordable units are lost), more affordable units must be produced to reach, maintain, or exceed the 10 percent threshold. As of June 2023, Barnstable had 1,485 affordable housing units, totaling 6.78 percent of its Census 2020 Year-Round Housing Units.40 HOUSING COST BURDEN Evaluating household ability to pay housing costs compared with reported gross household income is one method to determine how affordable housing is in a certain community. HUD sets specific guidelines for which households qualify as cost-burdened (defined at right). Landlords and banks enforce these standards and will generally not sign a lease or qualify someone for a mortgage if they will be using more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing costs. • Thirty-seven percent of all households are cost- burdened (spending more than 30 percent of monthly income on housing costs); 72 percent of low-and-moderate income households are cost- burdened. 58 percent of renter households are spending more than 30% or more of their income on housing costs. 40 The Department of Housing and Community Development has yet to release its official determination of compliance with the 10 percent minimum for the 2020 Census. The SHI will continue to be based on 2010 Census Year-Round Housing unit figures until the Census Bureau releases such data from the 2020 Census. These future data sets are predicted to be released in May 2023. Cost Burdened: A household is considered cost burdened if they are spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. Moderately Cost Burdened: A household is considered moderately cost burdened if they are spending between 30 and 50 percent of their income on housing costs. Severely Cost Burdened: A household is considered severely cost burdened if they are spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 89 Number of Households in Barnstable by Cost Burden, 2014–2018. Source: HUD CHAS. AFFORDABILITY GAP An affordability gap refers to the difference between what households can afford for housing and the actual costs of renting or purchasing a home. The Massachusetts’ EOHLC provides a calculator to determine the income needed to afford the median sales price of a single-family home or condominium. Rental affordability levels are based on median renter household income assuming households spend 30 percent of income on rent. Ownership A Barnstable household earning the 2020 median household income of $77,227 would need to earn roughly $54,942 more to afford a single-family house at the 2020 median sales price of $479,000. However, a household earning 80 percent of the AMI would be $69,569 short of the amount they would need to buy a home at the median single-family home price. Median and 80 percent AMI income earners would need to make nearly double their 2020 income to achieve homeownership in Barnstable. Households making below these thresholds would have even more difficulty achieving homeownership, which suggests a need for subsidized homeownership opportunities for lower-income residents and to promote greater socio-economic population diversity. 350 685 1,200 1,610 1,480 990 380 360 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Extremely Low Income (below 30% AMI) Very Low Income (30-50% AMI) Moderate Income (50-80% AMI) > 80% AMI Moderately Cost-Burdened Severely Cost-Burdened THE LOWEST-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN BARNSTABLE BEAR THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF COST BURDEN, WITH ABOUT 1,480 EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING COSTS Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 90 Sales Price Affordability based on Household Income in Barnstable, 2020. Sources: EOHLC Sales Price Calculator, JM Goldson calculations using FY22 Barnstable tax rate, assumes 30-year fixed mortgage, 10 percent down payment, 5.22 percent interest rate, condo fees of $175/month. Rental There is also a significant affordability gap between what renters can afford and the median gross rent in Barnstable. Housing affordability assumes that households are spending not more than 30 percent of their household income on housing costs. Extremely low-income households in Barnstable can, on average, afford to pay $691/month for a two-person household, $777/month for a three-person household, and $863/month for a four-person household, according to 2023 HUD figures. According to market data, typical rent in Barnstable in 2024 was $1,924, with an expectation of that to rise by up to 4.7% in the coming years. $77,227 $69,600 $74,854 $132,169 $279,800 $227,000 $252,000 $479,000 $- $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 Barnstable 2020 Median Household Income 80% AMI Household of 2 Income Needed to Afford Median Condo Sales Price 2020 Income Needed to Afford Median SF Sales Price 2020 Household Income Sales Price BARNSTABLE HOUSEHOLDS NEEDED TO MAKE $54,942 MORE ON AVERAGE IN 2020 TO AFFORD THE MEDIAN SINGLE-FAMILY SALES PRICE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 91 CURRENT AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT For the purposes of this analysis, affordable housing is housing that is restricted to individuals and families with qualifying incomes and asset levels and receives some manner of assistance to bring down the cost of owning or renting the unit, usually in the form of a government subsidy, or results from zoning relief to a housing developer in exchange for the income-restricted unit(s). Affordable housing can be public or private. Public housing is managed by a public housing authority, established by state law to provide affordable housing for low-income households. Private income-restricted housing is owned and operated by for-profit and non-profit owners who receive subsidies in exchange for renting to low- and moderate-income households. The Massachusetts’ EOHLC maintains a Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) that lists all affordable housing units that are reserved for households with incomes at or below eighty percent of the area median income (AMI) under long-term legally binding agreements and are subject to affirmative marketing requirements. The SHI also includes group homes, which are residences licensed by or operated by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Developmental Services for persons with disabilities or mental health issues. The SHI is the state’s official list for tracking a municipality’s percentage of affordable housing under M.G.L. Chapter 40B. This state law enables developers to request waivers to local regulations, including the zoning bylaw, from the local Zoning Board of Appeals for affordable housing developments if less than ten percent of year-round housing units in the municipality is counted on the SHI. It was enacted in 1969 to address the shortage of affordable housing statewide by reducing barriers created by local building permit approval processes, local zoning, and other restrictions. BARNSTABLE AFFORDABLE UNITS As of June May 20253, there were 1,566485 units in Barnstable listed on the SHI. AFFORDABLE UNITS BY TYPE SHI Rental 1,2801,361 Ownership 183 Other (Mix) 22 Total 1,4851,566 Barnstable Subsidized Housing Inventory, June 2023. Commented [JK18]: update Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 92 PIPELINE The Planning and Development Department tracks multi-family residential and affordable housing development regularly. Future units in the pipeline can be seen in the table below. The Town has anticipated projects in development at 8 additional sites. A total of 52 units are anticipated to be added to Barnstable’s SHI because of the following projects. • 307 Main Street (4 units) • New England Development (0 and 35 Wilkens Lane) (35 units) • 1600 Falmouth Road (Bell Tower) (3 units) • Residences at 850 Falmouth Road (10 units) Commented [JK19]: UPDATE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 93 Commented [JK20]: REPLACE Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 94 Recent and Proposed Multifamily Developments. Source: Barnstable Planning and Development Department Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 95 CHAPTER 5: DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS Many factors can influence the feasibility of housing production, from physical limitations to regulations that shape development and land use. Note that this analysis relied heavily on the Town of Barnstable 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) and the 2010 Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan. The description of development constraints to follow includes direct excerpts from the OSRP and Comprehensive Plan. Other sources included the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan (2018), Barnstable’s Comprehensive Water Management Plan (2019), the Cape Cod Area Wide Water Quality Management Plan (2015), the Cape Cod Climate Action Plan (2021), the Downtown Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone Application (2018), the Housing Production Plan (2016), and the most recent Zoning Bylaws (2021). KEY FINDINGS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS Barnstable is primarily constrained by the critical need to protect water quality, the area's sensitive ecosystems, and culturally/historically significant resources. The Town's zoning regulations, local wetlands regulations, and local historic districts reflect the Town's concern to protect these resources. Many of the zoning overlay districts aim to provide additional protection for natural resources including the Resource Protection Overlay District, Open Space Residential Design Subdivision, Floodplain District, and Groundwater Protection Overlay districts. INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY The Town also encourages growth in locations that are less environmentally sensitive and have greater infrastructure capacity, particularly in the Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone. Additionally, the Town encourages the development of affordable housing through the Growth Incentive Zone, Downtown Hyannis Form Based Zoning and other village districts, Private-Initiated Affordable Housing Development overlay district, Multi-family Affordable Housing (MAH) Residential District, Residence Affordable Housing (RAH) district, lnclusionary Affordable Housing Ordinance, and the Accessory Affordable Apartment Program. The Town’s plans for wastewater treatment, including sewer expansion, are detailed in the recently updated Comprehensive Water Management Plan (CWMP). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 96 REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS AND BARRIERS The zoning provisions provide for multi-family and/or mixed-use development in nine districts by-right, consisting of roughly 990 acres or about 2 percent of the Town's total net land area (excluding water bodies). Roughly half of this land is in the Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone. In 2021, the Town allowed attached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a right in all districts, with certain requirements. Barnstable's Accessory Apartment program has been very successful since its beginning, despite challenges of administration and monitoring; however, it is now seeing a loss of units in this program since allowing ADUs as a right in all districts. Plans are underway to provide additional Incentives to homeowners to continue to participate in the Accessory Affordable Apartment Program. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS Specific environmental elements that impact housing development include landscape character, geology, soils, topography, groundwater, freshwater ponds and lakes, coastal and estuarine resources, plant and wildlife communities and wetlands, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designation, rare and endangered species, critical habitat, scenic views, and hazardous waste sites, as further described below. The following are excerpted from the 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan, unless otherwise noted. LANDSCAPE CHARACTER Barnstable's landscapes vary from wooded upland areas covered by oaks and pines to seashore habitats of salt marshes, beach grasses, and dunes, to highly developed commercial and residential areas. There are numerous wetlands throughout the Town because of low elevations and high groundwater levels. A significant amount of this land has been preserved in a natural state by purchase for open space or by conservation restrictions. To the south, the land levels off in topography and the fresh watercourses connect to the bays and inlets that lead to the Sound. Several of the older village centers are characterized by small commercial strip development and dense single-family residential development. Land north of the moraine and Route 6 slopes more abruptly toward Cape Cod Bay. This area is protected by the Old King's Highway Regional Historic District. The Old King’s Highway Commission is charged with protecting the visual and historic character of the land north of Route 6 and is responsible for maintaining much of the visual colonial era character along Route 6A (also known as Old King’s Highway). Farther to the north are the Great Marshes and the barrier beach. Sandy Neck has been designated as the Sandy Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 97 Neck/Barnstable Harbor Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). More detail is covered in later sections. GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND TOPOGRAPHY The geologic formations of the Town have been a determinant of land use patterns. The difficult topography of the “knob and kettle” landscape of the moraine, along with problems accessing groundwater and poor soils characterized by sand mixed with clays, cobbles, and boulders, have caused it to be developed slowly compared with the rest of the Town. Relatively large areas of the moraine, including the West Barnstable Conservation Area and Old Jail Lane Conservation Area, remain undeveloped. The comparatively level topography of the outwash plain, combined with readily available groundwater and the ease of on-site sewage disposal in the sandy soils, resulted in extensive development from the nineteenth century onward. This growth centered along the south shore and in the villages, but spread in recent decades to include Centerville, Hyannis, and Marstons Mills. Elevations within the Town of Barnstable range from sea level along the shores to approximately 230 feet above sea level near the Sandwich Town line. Coastal landforms are under threat due to encroachment by development, growth in the number of hard engineered coastal structures, increased storm activity, and relative sea level rise. As more coastal land is developed, it becomes more difficult for landforms to migrate inland in response to erosion. GROUNDWATER Barnstable’s public drinking water supply is its underground sole source aquifer. Public wells draw water from wide surface areas known as Zones of Contribution to Public Water Supply wells that occupy approximately 30 percent of the town’s area. Barnstable has three groundwater protection zones, which together cover 100 percent of the town: Wellhead Protection Overlay District, Groundwater Protection Overlay District, and Aquifer Protection Overlay District. The Town’s groundwater system, like the whole of Cape Cod, is replenished entirely by precipitation. The level of the water table fluctuates seasonally due to evaporation, precipitation, and water withdrawals. The major threat to the aquifer is from contamination due to land use impacts. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 98 FRESHWATER LAKES AND PONDS Freshwater lakes and ponds in the Town of Barnstable are significant scenic, recreational, and wildlife habitat resources. The town has 26 Great Ponds, as well as 61 ponds of at least two acres. Finally, Barnstable has ponds identified as having characteristics of Coastal Plain Ponds, a habitat community of global significance, supporting significant populations of very rare plant and animal species. COASTAL AND ESTUARINE RESOURCES Barnstable’s vast and varied coastal resources include expanses of exposed shoreline along Nantucket Sound, extensive tidal flats on Cape Cod Bay, and more protected estuarine areas in its numerous bays. The Town actively supports preserving the health and vitality of its coastal waters through focused management and planning. The Town recognizes that the future health of its estuaries is tied to its ability to address nutrient loading in its estuaries. Watershed sources of nitrogen include septic systems, road runoff, and use of fertilizer. While not the only contributors of nitrogen in estuaries— sediment regeneration and atmospheric deposition are two other sources—they are sources that can be effectively controlled by local action. WETLANDS AND VERNAL POOLS Wetlands in the town include extensive areas of salt marsh. Barrier beaches, coastal beaches, dunes, and bluffs are among the coastal landforms that make up the town’s 170 miles of coastal shoreline. Freshwater wetlands are also a large-scale resource. Open water surface area totals over 1,800 acres, or 17 percent of the town’s surface area. In addition, there are associated bordering vegetated wetlands, swales, creeks, and bogs. These vast and varied wetland resource areas provide several important ecosystem services. The provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals, they filter pollutants before they enter water bodies or groundwater, and in many cases, they provide a buffer against storm damage. Vernal pools are a particularly vulnerable wetland resource, as they are often overlooked. According to the NHESP there are 31 certified vernal pools in the Town of Barnstable, one more than reported in the 2010 OSRP and 14 more than were reported in the 2005 OSRP. The locations of the wetlands and certified vernal pools in Barnstable are shown on the Water Resources map (next page). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 99 FLOODING AND CLIMATE CHANGE Barnstable’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report finds that the Town of Barnstable has the potential to be impacted by a wide range of natural hazards, with each presenting certain risks to life and property. With its 170 miles of shoreline and natural resource areas, Barnstable’s most notable risks are increased flooding due to rising sea levels, more intense coastal storms, and more extreme precipitation events. The MVP process identified Routes 6A and 28, Ocean Street, Squaw Island, Main Street Cotuit, Bridge Street, and Duck Pond as being particularly vulnerable. Many homes and businesses located within the floodplain, as well as harbors (Hyannis and Millway), are vulnerable to storm-related and sea level rise flooding. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Hurricane Inundation Areas, also known as Sea Lake Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) zones, are shown on the Water Resources map (next page). While few developed parcels in Barnstable reside in coastal velocity zones, many homes and businesses are still within the floodplain. Long Beach and Craigville Beach have benefited from the placement of sediment from dredging of East Bay, Centerville River, and an offshore borrow site, which has helped absorb storm surge. Long Beach Road is a low-lying, barrier beach residential area subject to still water flooding. The Craigville Beach area, along with the Centerville Village Center, is designated as a District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC). According to the Cape Cod Climate Action Plan (2021), the Center for Coastal Studies has been working to identify storm tide pathways, which are low-lying locations determined by GIS analysis and fieldwork to be the path of least resistance for the flow of elevated water levels during coastal storm events into developed and vulnerable areas. In partnership with the Cape Cod Commission and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, the Center has identified pathways in the coastal villages along the entire Cape Cod Bay shoreline and is now working to map the storm tide pathways along sections of Nantucket Sound, including those located in the Towns of Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, and Chatham. These analyses are critical to future planning. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 100 Map of Barnstable Water Resources Source: MassGIS, MassDEP, MAPC Trailmap Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 101 RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES Vegetation The Town of Barnstable contains several diverse vegetative communities which are ecologically significant, and which help to define the visual character of the town. Trees, shrubs, and groundcover have aesthetic value, and are a major component of Barnstable’s visual quality. NHESP maintains a list of all MESA-listed species observed and documented in each town. These specifies are listed because they are threatened (T), Endangered (E), or of Special Concern (SC). In total, Barnstable has 26 MESA-listed plant species, eight of which are threatened species and seven that are endangered. Wildlife The spread of roadways and subdivisions has reduced and greatly fragmented the habitat of many native wildlife species. Cape Cod is considered a birder’s paradise because of its location along the Atlantic Flyway, one of the most important corridors for mi gratory birds. As a coastal community, Fisheries are an element of Barnstable’s local economy and community way of life. A variety of commercially and recreationally significant shellfish resources are also abundantly located in the town. There are more than 6,000 acres of shell fishing area within the Town, as reported in the 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan. There are 29 MESA-listed animal species in Barnstable, ten of which are threatened species and four that are endangered. CRITICAL HABITATS Critical habitats in Barnstable have been identified by the NHESP Core Biomap and Cape Cod Wildlife Conservation Project. The NHESP developed a Biomap to identify the areas most in need of protection to protect the native biodiversity of the Commonwealth. The resource combines information on rare and endangered species from NHESP with spatial data on wildlife species and habitats from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and an assessment of intact landscapes and ecosystems generated by The Nature Conservancy. Core Habitats represent habitat for the most viable rare plant and animal populations and include exemplary natural communities and aquatic habitats. The BioMap2 produced for Barnstable indicates 81 Core Habitat areas, including seven exemplary or Priority Natural Community Cores, four Wetland Cores, 29 Aquatic Cores, and 41 Species of Special Concern Cores. These areas encompass 10,149 acres of which 75 percent, or 7,585 acres, are protected (see Water Resource map on the previous page). Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 102 Three major NHESP Core Habitat areas that include and surround the Town’s three largest conservation areas are West Barnstable Conservation Area, Sandy Neck Barrier Beach, and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Land. SCENIC AND HISTORIC RESOURCES The variety and depth of the Town’s historic and cultural resources are compelling. Historic resources include 16 National Register of Historic Places districts, one local historic district, one regional historic district, and numerous historic structures and scenic roadways located in villages throughout Barnstable. Community stewardship of Barnstable’s historic resources is addressed in the Town’s Historic Preservation Plan. Barnstable’s cultural resources encompass a vibrant arts scene and numerous activities and festivals that celebrate and enhance the Town’s maritime and historic traditions. Scenic Landscapes and Roads Barnstable offers beautiful views of several landscape types including marsh, woodland, beach, dune, open water, and sky. The Massachusetts Landscape Inventory identifies Barnstable’s Sandy Neck as a notable area with the seaward sections of the barrier beach designated as Distinctive and the more inland section shown as Noteworthy. Most of the interior of Barnstable is considered by the inventory as a common scenic landscape. Scenic views are enhanced by the cultural landscape, which includes views of shell fishermen, fishing and sailboats, beachgoers, people walking the shore, and wharves punctuating the horizon. These cultural landscapes add to the visual experience of those who visit Barnstable. The combination of natural and cultural scenery is the sort of beauty people want to experience when they come to Cape Cod, and the sort of beauty this open space plan seeks to preserve. Scenic roadways are listed by village in the table below. The resources are distributed throughout town and are clustered around coastal areas and water bodies. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 103 SCENIC ROADS BY VILLAGE Village District Barnstable Aunt Hatch’s Lane, Mill Way, Pine Lane, Bone Hill Rd., Old Neck Rd., Hyannis Rd. Commerce Rd., Freezer Rd., Scudder Lane, Rendezvous Lane, Keveney Lane, Phinney’s Lane, Route 6A/Old King’s Highway Centerville Bay Lane, Old Post Rd., Main St., Bumps River Rd., Old Stage Rd., Pine St., Craigville Beach Rd., Shootflying Hill Rd., Fuller Rd., Great Marsh Rd., South Main St. Cotuit Main St., Putnam Ave., Old Kings Rd., Santuit/Newtown Rd., Old Shore Rd., School St. West Barnstable Cedar St., Parker Rd., Church St., Pine St., Maple St., Plum St., High St., Service Rd., Oak St., Meetinghouse Way/Route 149, Willow St., Route 6A/Old King’s Highway Hyannis Craigville Beach Rd., Lewis Bay Rd., Sea St., Mary Dunn Rd., Pine St., Scudder Ave. Marstons Mills Farmersville Rd., Race La, Barnstable Rd., Old Barnstable–Falmouth Rd., River Rd., Old Mill Rd, Route 149 Old Post Rd., School St. Osterville Bridge St., Old Mill Rd., Bumps River Rd., Seaview Ave., East Bay Rd., South County Rd., Eel River Rd., Wianno Ave., Main St., West Bay Rd., Osterville–West Barnstable Rd. Scenic Roads by Village Source: Source: 2010 Historic Preservation Plan Update Historic Resources Formally established in 1639, Barnstable has a rich colonial heritage that is extant in many buildings, cemeteries, homesteads, and neighborhoods throughout the town. Every village has unique historical assets that reflect its history and development. Some of the most notable are the Town’s historic cemeteries, the Hyannis Main Street/Waterfront Historic District, National Register Historic Districts, and the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District. Other historic sites in town include: • Barnstable, Centerville, Hyannis, Santuit and Cotuit, Marstons Mills, Osterville, and West Barnstable all have historical societies and, except for West Barnstable and Marstons Mills, have historical museums. The museums maintain collections of maritime artifacts, textiles, period decorative arts, and regional artifacts, reflective of each village’s unique history. • The Olde Colonial Courthouse, which was built sometime between 1763 and 1772 and renovated in 1974, serves as a meeting place and cultural and historical repository. It also serves as home to Tales of Cape Cod, an organization dedicated to recording the Cape’s oral history. • The Sturgis Library, established in 1867, is of special interest to those seeking genealogical information. The oldest part of the library, built in 1644 by Rev. John Lothrop, contains his Bible. The second oldest part houses a room named for local historian Henry Kittredge and holds his maritime collection and other memorabilia. • The United States Custom House was constructed in 1856 as a U.S. Customs House and is now home to the Coast Guard Heritage Museum. The Old Jail (c.1690), which is Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 104 also located on the Trayser Museum grounds, is the oldest wooden jail in the United States. • The 2010 Historic Preservation Plan Update for the Town of Barnstable provides a comprehensive inventory of the Town’s historic resources as well as an assessment of threats and management issues and an action plan for safeguarding historic resources. The tables below list National Register districts and local historic districts by village. NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS Village District Barnstable • Old King’s Highway Historic District (Route 6A) • Mill Way National Register District • Hyannis Road National Register District • Sandy Neck National Register Historic District • Yarmouth Camp Ground Historic District (Regional district with Yarmouth) Centerville • Centerville National Register Historic District • Craigville National Register Historic District Cotuit • Cotuit National Register Historic District, Main St. • Santuit Historic National Register District, Route 28 West Barnstable • Meetinghouse Way Historic District on Route 149 • West Barnstable Village Historic District Hyannis • Hyannis Port National Register Historic District • Kennedy Compound National Register District • Municipal Group National Register Historic District • Pleasant/School Street National Register Historic District Osterville • Wianno National Register Historic District National Register Districts Source: 2010 Historic Preservation Plan Update Local & Regional Historic Districts Barnstable has one local historic district and one regional historic district. In a local historic district, before any exterior architectural feature that is visible from a public way is altered, the plans to carry out that alteration must first be approved by a local historic district commission. In Barnstable, the two historic districts are the Hyannis Main Street/Waterfront Local Historic District and the Old King's Highway Regional Historic District, as described in more detail below. Hyannis Main Street/Waterfront Local Historic District The Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Historic District (HHDC) was created in 1996 as part of ongoing efforts to address revitalization and historic preservation in downtown Hyannis. The HHDC promotes the preservation of the unique historic character of downtown Hyannis and Hyannis Inner Harbor. The Commission strives to create a Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 105 desirable place to live, work and enjoy through the preservation, maintenance, and improvement of historic vernacular. Old King's Highway Regional Local Historic District Established in 1973, the Old King's Highway Regional Historic District is the largest historic district in the nation. The district is designated as the area north of Route 6 (the Mid Cape Highway) from Sandwich to Orleans. Each town has its own Historic District Committee. The Town of Barnstable's Old King's Highway Historic District Committee reviews applications for any change in the exterior of buildings and structures, fences , and signs, as well as applications for new construction or demolition. The Town of Barnstable OKH Committee considers the historical value and significance of existing buildings, and all applications are reviewed for general design, proportion of building elements, texture, materials, and color. Settings, site design, layout, and relative size of buildings are also taken into consideration. HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES According to monitoring data from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Town of Barnstable has 24 confirmed active sites that handle hazardous materials. Additionally, there are 30 sites or release locations that continue to be monitored or investigated by the MassDEP. There are 194 sites (Response Action Outcome sites) where a hazardous material release may have occurred, but response actions were sufficient to establish that no significant risk of hazardous materials rele ase is present or no substantial hazard exists. The Town’s three groundwater protection overlay districts restrict the establishment or expansion of uses connected with the generation, treatment, or storage of hazardous materials. See the Groundwater Section for a discussion of the overlay districts. The Town has adopted two additional ordinances regulating hazardous materials: Chapter 108: Hazardous Materials and Chapter 326: Fuel and Chemical Storage Tanks. The ordinances’ function is to educate private sector employees and business owners about proper storing, handling, and disposal methods for hazardous materials where permitted. The Health Department conducts unannounced site inspections at businesses that handle hazardous materials at least once per year with follow-up inspections to ensure that any violations of these ordinances are corrected. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 106 Map of Barnstable Historic Resources Source: MassGIS, MassDEP, MAPC Trail Map Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 107 INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY This section reviews the Town’s infrastructure capacity including drinking water, wastewater and storm water, transportation, and schools. Unless otherwise noted, the information included here is based on excerpts from the 2010 Comprehensive Plan. The Town is currently in the process of updating its comprehensive plan, but at the time of this report it was not yet completed. WATER AND SEWER Drinking Water In Barnstable, four water companies provide water to approximately 49,571 customers via localized distribution systems. The providers are: • Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire District (COMM): serves the villages of Centerville, Osterville, and Marstons Mills. • Cotuit Fire District (CT): serves the village of Cotuit. • Barnstable Fire District (BFD): serves the village of Barnstable. • Hyannis Water System: Town department, which has 12 wells. Collectively, the water suppliers own and maintain 443 miles of mains, 16 interconnections with water suppliers in Barnstable and abutting towns, 41 wells, and 10 storage tanks. They pump more than 2 billion gallons of water per year and own approximately 1,233 acres of watershed property. Water suppliers maintain their own infrastructure and plan their own capital expenditures to improve the supply and distribution system, increase pumping capacity, and respond to other supply or quality control issues. One-third of the town is within a Zone II area of contribution, and some of these areas overlap with intense development. Incidences of contamination have occurred in the wells on the eastern portions of the Town, which are more susceptible to contamination from nearby industrial and commercial land uses. Wells particularly vulnerable to potential sources of contamination are in the following areas: • Independence Park and the Hyannis Ponds Complex, where there are industrial uses within the Zone II; • Wells located to the east of Yarmouth Road, close to the airport, industrial uses, and gas stations along Route 28; Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 108 • Wells to the south of downtown area, which are down gradient of the most densely, developed areas of the Town, in Hyannis and the adjacent village of Centerville. The Town has identified a need for an evaluation of the hydrologic impacts of potential wells on the property’s ponds and other resources. The US Geological Survey has been identified as a partner in providing this evaluation. The Town will continue to coordinate with the Water and Fire districts on the purchase and management of open space for water supply protection. Stormwater Another threat to water quality is posed by stormwater runoff. Stormwater carries bacteria and petrochemicals that can degrade water quality and aquatic habitat; bacterial pollution has resulted in the closure of some shellfish areas. The Town has an aggressive Coastal Discharge Mitigation Program that seeks an annual appropriation for the installation and maintenance of stormwater management improvements. Despite the progress resulting from this program, it is believed that not all stormwater management problems have been identified and annual funding is not able to address the number of new and maintenance projects. Wastewater Most of Barnstable’s residential and commercial areas depend on on-site Title V septic systems for wastewater disposal. There is municipal sewer service available in a small area of Barnstable Village, portions of Hyannis, and Independence Park. The service area in Barnstable Village includes the County complex and areas near the harbor basin. This system is a force main with a low capacity, which is difficult to tap into for system expansion. The Town’s existing wastewater infrastructure includes the Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility (BWPCF) located in Hyannis, a smaller wastewater plant in Marstons Mills referred to as the Marstons Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant (MMWWTP), the Red Lily Pond cluster septic system, and their associated collection systems. The Town’s plans for wastewater treatment, including sewering (wastewater treatment), are detailed in the Comprehensive Water Management Plan (CWMP). The CWMP identifies how the Town’s wastewater management needs can be addressed through centralized treatment and identifies the phases of infrastructure development that would occur over a 30-year planning horizon. Phase one of the sewer expansion plan is occurring between Fiscal Year 2019 and Fiscal Year 2032. Managing the effects of nutrients from land uses is a major priority of the Town. To analyze and quantify the extent of nutrient loading in its estuaries, which was a first step Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 109 in the subsequent development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Total Nitrogen, the Town participated in the Massachusetts Estuaries Project. TMDLs have been approved by MassDEP and the US EPA for Three Bays, Popponesset Bay, Centerville River, and Lewis Bay. The TMDLs represent the maximum amount of nutrients the estuarine waters can receive and remain healthy, and they provide the target for reducing nitrogen loading from watershed sources through sewering and non-structural nutrient management alternatives. TRANSPORTATION Roads Historically, the harbors at Barnstable, Cotuit, Osterville, Centerville, and Hyannis, along with Route 6A on the northside and Route 28 on the southside, had much to do with the settlement patterns of the town. As with many historic New England towns, many roadways developed along historic routes, the oldest and best known of which is Route 6A, the Old Kings Highway. Many of these historic routes now function as major roads but were not laid out or designed for the purposes they now serve. Routes 6A and 28 continue to serve as major east-west connectors along a network of north-south roadways. Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, has two interchanges in Barnstable: Exit 68 in West Barnstable and Exit 6 at Route 132. Exit 72 at Willow Street in Yarmouth connects to Yarmouth Road, a major connector into Hyannis. The Town’s continuing challenge is to improve the capacity of the major roadways while also improving the streetscape of these roadways and the character of development along them. Barnstable has experienced an increase in traffic volumes resulting from decades of development. However, the Town’s ability to expand the roadway network has been limited. As a result, many major roadways operate at poor levels of service. Public Transit The Town’s transportation infrastructure also includes the following regional facilities: • Barnstable Municipal Airport, which provides scheduled air service to the islands, Boston, and other locations. • Hyannis Harbor, which is the terminus for the Hyannis and Nantucket Steamship Authority and other regional boat lines connecting Cape Cod and the Islands. • Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Hyannis Transportation Center, which provides bus and regional transit services and connecting. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 110 Complete Streets The Town of Barnstable is seeking to improve the travel experience for all users of its streets – motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists – through the development of a Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. In January 2022, the Town of Barnstable was officially recognized as a Complete Streets community with an approved policy. With funding provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Town of Barnstable retained the services of the Cape Cod Commission transportation staff to develop a Prioritization Plan. This plan includes a priority list of ranked multi-modal projects to improve safety for all users, including motorists, pedestrians, transit users, and bicyclists for people of all ages and abilities, while making streets safer, sustainable, and more accessible to promote a more livable community. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 111 REGULATORY BARRIERS AND CONSIDERATIONS Local zoning and permitting processes are the two primary regulatory tools that can affect housing production. This section describes the land use and environmental regulations that impact residential development including the local zoning ordinance, Inclusionary Affordable Housing provisions, Accessory Apartment provisions, state and local wetlands regulations, and local historic district designations. SELECTED CHANGES IN ZONING ORDINANCES SINCE 2016 INCLUDE: • Multifamily dwellings for active adults or assisted living were allowed in the Industrial District under specific conditions (2016); • MAH dimensional standards were amended; the total number of residential units allowable within a Multifamily Affordable Housing Development (MAHD) shall not exceed 16 per acre of upland; and affordable unit requirements were amended to at least 18 percent of dwelling units (2018–2021). • The Town Council affirmatively voted to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) for town-wide, with the stipulation that either the principal dwelling or ADU, but not both, may be rented at any given time. These are allowed by-right up to 900 square feet, and relief can be sought for ADUs greater than that size (2021); • The Town Council allowed a mixed-use subzone of the Medical Services Overlay District to permit the development and relocation of medical and health care services, together with commercial, retail, and residential uses, on a site with convenient regional access. Multifamily dwelling units are allowed by right, with 90 percent leased for not less than 12 months, and the remaining 10 percent a minimum of 6 months. Senior living facilities are also allowed. Affordable housing is required for 13 percent of multi-family dwelling units (2021–2022). • The Shopping Center Redevelopment Overlay District (SCROD) was amended to allow multi-family dwellings, hotel and office uses as of right. Multi-family development was required to comply with the Town of Barnstable Code, Chapter 9, Inclusionary Housing Requirements in effect at the time multi-family development is proposed or provide 10% of the units restricted to individuals or families at 65% of AMI and an additional 3% restricted to individuals or families at 80% AMI, whichever calculation method results in more restricted units. (2022) • The Downtown Hyannis Zoning was adopted in February 2023. The provisions defined for each district address the relationship between building facades and the public realm as well as the size, shape, and scale of buildings in relation to one another, while regulating land uses through broader, more permissive categories as compared Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 112 to conventional zoning techniques supporting a more pedestrian focused Main Street. (2023) OTHER NOTABLE PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROJECTS INCLUDE: • Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan update (in progress) • Complete Streets Policy (2021) and Complete Streets Prioritization Plan creation • Downtown Hyannis Wayfinding Plan • Downtown Hyannis Unified Design Regulations and Guidelines • Hyannis Harbor Master Plan • Town of Barnstable Digital Equity Plan (in-progress) • Barnstable Open Space and Recreation Plan update (in-progress) ZONING REGULATIONS Zoning regulates which uses are permitted on the parcel, where a structure can be placed on a parcel, how tall a structure can be, how much parking is required, how much open space or must be provided, and signage. These regulations shape the built environment and the mixture of uses across the community. Commented [JK21]: update Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 113 Residential Districts • RB Residence B District • RC Residence C District • RC-1 Residence C-1 District • RC-2 Residence C-2 District • RC-2C Residence 2-C (Pond Village District) • RD Residence D District • RD-1 Residence D-1 District • RF Residence F District • RF-1 Residence F-1 District • RF-2 Residence F-2 District • RG Residence G District • RAH Residence AH District • MAH Multi-Family Affordable Housing MAH District Office Districts • HO Highway Office District Commercial Districts • Business District • BA Business A District • MB-A1 Marine Business A1 District • MB-A2 Marine Business A2 District • MB-B Marine Business B District • VB-A Village Business A District • HB Highway Business District • UB Urban Business District • S&D Service and Distribution District • SD-1 Service and Distribution District • MMV Marston Mills Village District • WBVBD West Barnstable Village Business District Downtown Hyannis Zoning Districts • DMS Downtown Main Street • DV Downtown Village • DN Downtown Neighborhood • HH Hyannis Harbor • TC Transportation Center • DH Downtown Hospital • HC Highway Commercial Industrial Districts • IND LIMITED Industrial Limited District • IND Industrial District Overlay Districts • WP Wellhead Protection Overlay District • GP Groundwater Protection Overlay District • AP Aquifer Protection Overlay District • RPOD Resource Protection Overlay District • DOD Dock and Pier Overlay District • Adult Use Overly District • Medical Services Overlay District • Mixed-Use Subzone of the Medical Services Overlay District • Former Grade 5 School Planned Unit Development Overlay District • Shopping Center Redevelopment Overlay District • Senior Continuing Care Retirement Community (SCCRCOD) • Recreational Shellfish Area and Shellfish Relay Area Dock & Pier Overlay District • Medical Marijuana Overlay District • Registered Recreational Marijuana Cultivators, Research Facilities, and Testing Laboratories Overlay District Additional Overlay Districts on Zoning Map • Drive Through Restaurant Sub Zone of the Shopping Center Redevelopment Overlay District • Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Overlay District • Craigville Village Neighborhood Overlay • Long/Short Beach Neighborhood Overlay • Craigville Beach Neighborhood Overlay • Centerville River North Bank Neighborhood Overlay Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 114 RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS Single-Family on Two-Acre Lots The Town adopted two-acre zoning in 2001 for single-family uses in the Town’s Resource Protection Overlay District (RPOD) which encompasses 31,294 total acres or 26,817 acres excluding surface and marine water bodies. The result is a build-out capacity of at least 3,432 single-family houses. The Pond Village (Barnstable) District of Critical Planning Concern, also referred to as the R-2C district, permits single-family houses by-right with two-acre minimum lot area. In addition, the district permits the renting of rooms in a single-family home for not more than three non-family members, as well as family apartments as accessory uses. Single-Family on One-and-a-Half Acre Lots The RG District permits single-family houses by-right with one-and-a-half-acre minimum lot area. Single-Family on One-Acre Lots The following Districts permit single-family houses by right with one-acre minimum lot area and permit the renting of rooms for not more than three nonfamily members by the family residing in a single-family dwelling as an accessory use: RB, RC-1, RD-1, RF, and RF-2. A minimum lot area of two acres is required for parcels located within the Resource Protection Overlay District (RPOD). The following Districts also permit single-family houses by-right with one-acre minimum lot area but do not permit renting of rooms: RC, RD, RC-2 and RF-1. A minimum lot area of two acres is required for parcels located within the Resource Protection Overlay District (RPOD). Single-Family & Affordable on One-Acre or 10,000-Square-Foot Lots The RAH District permits single-family houses by-right with one-acre minimum lot area or 10,000 square-foot minimum area if connected to municipal sewer if the site is located in a Groundwater Protection Overlay District. The district also permits affordable single- family houses that must be sold or leased to a nonprofit corporation or governmental agency to provide housing to eligible tenants or buyers. The district also permits more than one single-family dwelling constructed on a lot if the area of the lot is no less than 10,000 square feet per unit. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 115 Multi-Family Affordable Housing District (MAH) The purpose of the Multi-Family Affordable Housing District is to authorize by special permit privately initiated affordable housing by for-profit or not-for-profit organizations. The District permits single-family houses by-right on two-acre minimum lots. By special permit, the District permits multifamily affordable housing developments that are connected to the municipal sewer system. The District allows multifamily affordable housing development of up to 16 units per acre of upland. At least 18% of the dwelling units shall be affordable units at 50% of the area median income. DOWNTOWN HYANNIS ZONING DISTRICTS Downtown Main Street District (DMS) The Downtown Main Street District allows multi-family dwellings as of right. The maximum number of dwelling units permitted for any multi-unit dwelling residential use is determined by the permitted dimensions of the building and by providing the minimum required parking spaces. Downtown Village District (DV) The Downtown Village District allows multi-family dwellings as of right. The maximum number of dwelling units permitted for any multi-unit dwelling residential use is determined by the permitted dimensions of the building and by providing the minimum required parking spaces. Downtown Neighborhood District (DN) The Downtown Neighborhood District allows multi-family dwellings as of right with a maximum of four dwelling units permitted in one building per lot. Multi-unit dwellings are prohibited for lots fronting on Brookshire Road and King's Way. Hyannis Harbor District (HH) The Hyannis Harbor District allows multi-family dwellings as of right. The maximum number of dwelling units permitted for any multi-unit dwelling residential use is determined by the permitted dimensions of the building and by providing the minimum required parking spaces. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 116 Transportation Center District (TC) The Transportation Center District allows multi-family dwellings as of right. The maximum number of dwelling units permitted for any multi-unit dwelling residential use is determined by the permitted dimensions of the building and by providing the minimum required parking spaces. VILLAGE DISTRICTS West Barnstable Village Business District (WBVBD) The West Barnstable Village Business District permits single-family houses on minimum one-acre lots. The dwelling unit can be attached to nonresidential building. Marston Mills Village District (MMV) The Marston Mills Village District permits mixed-use development by-right where the building footprint does not exceed 5,000 square feet and total gross floor area does not exceed 10,000 square feet, with retail or office use on the first floor and residential apartment units above not to exceed four apartment units. The District also permits up to seven apartment units in a mixed-use building as well as artist lofts by special permit. In addition, an apartment incidental to a nonresidential use is permitted as an accessory use. BUSINESS DISTRICTS B, BA, UB, and VB-A Business Districts The B and UB Business Districts allow multifamily dwellings as of right with minimum lot area of 5,000 square feet per unit. Single-family residential structures (detached) are allowed as of right strictly within the BA and UB Districts. The VB-A Business District permits single-family houses (detached) by right and apartments (multifamily dwellings) located above the first floor as an accessory use t. Highway Business District (HB) The Highway Business District allows for artists' lofts, single-, two-, and multi-family dwellings, and mixed use development as of right. MB-A1, MB-A2, and MB-B Business Districts The MB-A1, MB-A2 and MB-B Business Districts permit not more than one apartment for occupancy by the marina owner or by staff employed at the marina as an accessory use to commercial marina. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 117 INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS The Industrial District (IND) allows any use that is permitted within the B District and therefore allows multi-family dwellings as of right with minimum lot area of 5,000 square feet per unit. Additionally, the Industrial District allows multifamily dwellings (apartments) for active adults or assisted living as of right when the project includes a total land area of 24 acres or more and is subject to a Senior Continuing Care Retirement Community Overlay District. Each dwelling unit must provide a minimum lot area of 3,000 square feet. To the extent a project is also subject to the Groundwater Protection Overlay District regulations, the lot coverage and site clearing requirements shall be calculated using the entire project land area as described in this section. All allowed impervious area may be located on an individual lot within the project land area, provided the impervious area requirements are met over the entire project land area. OVERLAY DISTRICTS The Town has undertaken measures to protect natural resources and significant habitats, including adopting the Resource Protection Overlay District with a minimum lot size of two acres in most areas of Town; promoting Open Space Residential Design subdivisions; and mapping sensitive habitat areas to use as a guide for permitting development. Resource Protection Overlay District (RPOD) The Resource Protection Overlay District includes the recharge areas to the Centerville River, Popponessett and Shoestring Bays, and Three Bays area of Cotuit and Osterville, and provides greater resource protection than underlying zoning with a minimum two- acre lot area. The RPOD encompasses 31,294 total acres or 26,817 acres excluding surface and marine water bodies which results is a build-out capacity of at least 3,432 single-family houses. Open Space Residential Development The purpose of the Open Space Residential Development is to permit a variation in development styles with efficient provision of roads and utilities; and to provide for the public interest by the preservation of open space in perpetuity, for protection of both natural resources and visual character of the land. An Open Space Residential Development is permitted in all residential districts by special permit from the Planning Board. The Open Space Residential Design provisions allow clustering of single-family houses. The Planning Board may grant a reduction of the bulk regulations, provided that in no instance shall any lot contain less 15,000 square feet. The minimum lot size may be further decreased by the Planning Board for a development which is 100% affordable. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 118 Private-Initiated Affordable Housing Development (PI-AHD) The Private-Initiated Affordable Housing Development provisions permit privately initiated affordable housing by special permit from the Planning Board. The site shall be located entirely within the RC-1 Zoning District and shall contain at least seven contiguous upland acres. At least 20 percent of the dwelling units must be affordable and eligible for inclusion on the Subsidized Housing Inventory. The minimum lot area requirement is 10,000 square feet. An affordable unit is defined as being reserved in perpetuity for ownership by a household earning less than 80% of the area median family income. Senior Continuing Care Retirement Community Overlay District (SCCRCOD) The purpose of the Senior Continuing Care Retirement Community Overlay District is to encourage the development of residential communities designed to offer shelter, convenience, services, and personal medical care, including nursing facility services, to senior persons. This District allows independent living, assisted living, and nursing home care by special permit from the Planning Board on a parcel of five acres or more of contiguous upland. Floodplain District The Floodplain District includes all special flood hazard areas within the Town of Barnstable designated as Zone A, AE, AO, or VE on the Barnstable County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) as defined by the 100-year base flood elevations. New construction or substantial improvements of residential structures must have lowest floor elevation not less than the base flood elevations, among other requirements to protect properties in the floodplain. Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts The purpose of the Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by encouraging nonhazardous, compatible land uses within groundwater recharge areas. The overlay districts consist of three districts, which together cover all the town: Aquifer Protection Overlay District (AP); Groundwater Protection Overlay District (GP), and Well Protection Overlay District (WP). The GP and WP districts restrict lot coverage to no more than 15 percent or 2,500 square feet of impervious surface. If all recharge is disposed of on-site, then up to 50 percent of total upland is permitted to be impervious. In addition, a minimum of 30 percent of the total upland area shall be retained in its natural state. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 119 Shopping Center Redevelopment Overlay District (SCROD) The Shopping Center Redevelopment Overlay District allows multifamily dwellings as of right. Ten percent of the multifamily dwelling units shall be deed restricted as affordable units for individuals and families earning up to 65% of the area median income and an additional 3% of the multifamily dwelling units shall be deed restricted as affordable housing units for individuals and families earning up to 80% of the median income for the Town of Barnstable, as determined annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, the provisions of the Town of Barnstable Code, Chapter 9, Inclusionary Affordable Housing Requirements, as amended, shall apply if they require a greater number of restricted units. Former Grade 5 School Planned Unit Development Overlay District The purpose of the Former Grade 5 School Planned Unit Development Overlay District is to promote flexibility in the design and development of land within the district. Permitted uses include garden apartments, townhouses, multifamily housing, assisted living developments, and mixed-use developments by special permit from the Planning Board on a parcel of five or more acres. Barnstable District of Critical Planning Concern for Growth Management In 2001, the Town of Barnstable became the first town on Cape Cod to nominate a town-wide District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC), per the Cape Cod Commission Act, to address issues arising from rapid growth in the community. This designation was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court, and the resulting town-wide growth cap limited the number of residential building permits issued per year. Beginning in 2005, residential building permits were limited to 96 market rate permits and 36 affordable permits per year. In 2005, the Town nominated the Pond Village DCPC, which consisted of 125 acres in Barnstable Village, to adopt two-acre zoning. The Town estimated that single-family residential development potential was reduced from 30 lots to 13 lots. Inclusionary Affordable Housing Ordinance The Town adopted an lnclusionary Affordable Housing ordinance in 1999 to ensure that “an appropriate share of the remaining undeveloped land in the town is used to meet the town’s critical need for affordable housing, and to promote inclusion of a fair share of the costs of construction of affordable housing in all residential and nonresidential land development activity within the town.” The ordinance requires that developments of 10 or more units include at least 10 percent deed restricted affordable units. A developer Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 120 may apply to the Town for an alternative development agreement if it provides at least as much benefit as the lnclusionary Ordinance provisions. Shared Elderly Housing The Zoning Board of Appeals may grant special permits to allow for the use of structures as shared housing to provide care and shelter for persons with special needs due to age or disability. Said special permits shall be issued only with respect to owner -occupied single- family residences to be occupied by not more than six persons 65 years of age or older (and in approved instances, persons of lesser age) in need of special care, in addition to the family residents in the dwelling, and shall be conditioned upon the maintenance of proper licensed status as a shared residence under the laws of the Commonwealth, and upon such other requirements as the Zoning Board of Appeals deems appropriate with respect to safety, parking, screening and other amenities designed to mitigate the impact of the use upon the neighborhood, and may be conditioned as to time and ownership in the discretion of the Board. GROWTH INCENTIVE ZONE Barnstable created the Downtown Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone in 2006, and it was reauthorized in 2018. The Town applied to the Cape Cod Commission for this designation to allow more local control by raising the Development of Regional Impact thresholds. This streamlines the regulatory approach to provide an incentive for investment in Downtown Hyannis. The GIZ includes multiple zoning districts (the Downtown Hyannis Zoning Districts) as described in this report. ACCESSORY AFFORDABLE APARTMENT PROGRAM The Accessory Affordable Apartment Program (Section 9, Article II of the Code of the Town of Barnstable) implements part of Barnstable's Affordable Housing Plan. Since its beginning in 2000, the program's main objective has been to provide affordable housing using existing housing stock. The program allows creation of new accessory affordable units for single-family properties and multi-family properties. Single-Family Properties The single-family property must be owner-occupied on a year-round basis and either: 1. Contain a pre-existing un-permitted apartment unit; or 2. Create a new apartment unit within a new or existing attached structure; or 3. Create a new apartment unit within an existing detached structure. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 121 Multi-Family Properties The property must be legally permitted as a multi-family dwelling, but one or more units are currently unpermitted. Permitting and Funding These affordable apartment units are subject to a Comprehensive Permit issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing Officer. Planning & Development staff assists the property owner throughout the permitting process by: • Working with the property owner to determine if their property is eligible for the program; and • Assisting property owners, if they are eligible, with funding application for eligible costs associated with creating an accessory affordable department. DEMOLITION DELAY ORDINANCE The Historical Commission has the authority to issue applications for demolitions and partial demolitions of properties more than 75 years old. These properties must be located outside the town's two historic districts, the Old King's Highway Historic District, and the Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Historic District. When the Commission finds that a building is significant, demolition can be postponed for 18 months. This process allows the property owner time to incorporate the present building into new plans or find other individuals who would be interested in purchasing the building and preserving it. Through the years, significant buildings have been preserved through the joint efforts of the Commission and the property owners. WETLAND REGULATIONS State Laws Barnstable's wetlands are protected through Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) c.131 s.40, the Wetlands Protection Act, and MGL c.258, the Rivers Protection Act. The Wetlands Protection Act regulates many types of work in resource areas, including vegetation removal, re-grading, construction of houses, additions, decks, driveways, and commercial or industrial buildings in a wetland and in the buffer zone (within 100 feet of a wetland). The Rivers Protection Act, which is a 1996 amendment to the Wetland Protection Act, protects rivers by regulating activities within 200 feet of the mean annual high-water line on each side of a river. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 122 The MA Department of Environmental Protection has permanent restriction orders on selected wetlands in more than 50 communities under the Inland and Coastal Wetlands Restriction Acts, which provided added protection for selected wetlands. DEP registered some of Barnstable’s wetlands in 1981. Local Ordinance Barnstable's local wetlands ordinance provides additional protection per Chapter 237 of the Barnstable Town Code. The local ordinance states that no person shall “remove, fill, dredge, or alter in or within 100 feet of the following resource areas: surface water body; vegetated wetland or un-vegetated wetland; any land under said waters; any land subject to flooding or inundation by groundwater, surface water, tidal action or coastal storm flowage” except as permitted by the Conservation Commission. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 123 Map of Zoning in Barnstable Source: Town of Barnstable Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 124 CHAPTER 6: IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY AND RESOURCES This section describes Barnstable's capacity and resources for implementation of affordable housing initiatives including Barnstable Growth Management Department, Barnstable Housing Authority, Barnstable Council on Aging, and multiple nonprofit organizations. Barnstable has access to a wide range of affordable housing advocates and experts working with the homeless, seniors, victims of domestic abuse, and the disabled, as well as families and other individuals in need of affordable housing. KEY FINDINGS • Barnstable has a specific Housing and Community Development program within its Planning and Development Department that focuses mainly on affordable housing preservation and production. • Currently, the waiting list for elderly/disabled Housing Authority units includes more than 2,000 people. The family wait list has 4,084 families waiting for two-bedroom homes, 2,077 families waiting for three-bedroom homes, and 501 families waiting for four-bedroom homes. In addition to Local Action Unit work, the Housing Committee is currently exploring a tax exemption for those who participate in the Affordable Accessory Apartment program. • The Trust has more than $4.68 million in grants available and is working to update its Notice of Funding Availability to developers interested in creating affordable housing and explore options for direct assistance to reidents. • Since 2006, Barnstable has supported 30 community housing projects (19 percent of total), appropriating a total of $8.9 million (33 percent of total funds). • The Cape Cod Commission facilitates the advancement of regional efforts to create affordable housing and support housing where appropriate by drafting model zoning. The commission has assisted Barnstable with the Hyannis Growth Incentive Zoning, Local Comprehensive Planning support, and homeowner surveys. • The Housing Assistance Corporation remains one of the largest developers of affordable housing in the region, serving more than 5,000 households each year in three main areas: homeless prevention, housing stabilization, and empowerment. LOCAL CAPACITY AND RESOURCES BARNSTABLE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT The Planning & Development Department is composed of six programs: Comprehensive Planning, Conservation, Economic Development, Housing & Community Development, Parking Management, and Regulatory Planning. The programs work together, as well as with community Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 125 partners and other Town departments, to promote comprehensive, sustainable land use and economic development strategies to preserve the character of the Barnstable's seven villages and improve residents' quality of life. Housing and Community Development program: The goal of the Housing and Community Development program is to renew and strengthen neighborhoods by facilitating livability and diversity and by encouraging affordable and workforce housing opportunities throughout the Town. Specific initiatives of the Housing & Community Development program include affordable housing preservation and production, Community Development Block Grant Administration, promoting home ownership opportunities, and the Housing Development Incentive Program in the Growth Incentive Zone. Accessory Affordable Apartment program: Since its inception in 2000, the Accessory Affordable Apartment Program's main objective has been to use existing housing stock to provide affordable housing. The program allows the creation of new accessory affordable units, either in the dwelling or within an existing detached structure on owner-occupied properties. These affordable apartment units are subject to a Comprehensive Permit issued by a Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing Officer. Planning and Development staff assists property owners throughout the permitting process by working with them to determine if their property is eligible for the program; if so, they assist property owners with funding applications for eligible costs associated with creating an accessory affordable department. Now that the Town allows ADUs by-right, this has led to a drop in apartments in this program, and the Town is working on incentives to improve that and entice owners to participate. BARNSTABLE HOUSING AUTHORITY Established in 1948, the Barnstable Housing Authority produces and manages low-income subsidized housing in Barnstable. The Housing Authority is an important partner not only in developing new units of affordable housing for individuals and families (including special needs individuals), but also managing such units and administering important rental subsidies that enable lower-income families and individuals to remain in the community by renting units in the private housing stock. The Housing Authority currently manages public housing units as well as subsidy programs as follows: • Owns a total of 376 units: o 103 affordable family units, ranging from single-room occupancy to four bedrooms o 221 affordable elderly/young disabled units, ranging from studios to two bedrooms Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 126 o 52 units of special needs housing in five locations throughout town (but these are populated by service providers) • Manages nine affordable family units for Cape Ministry (on Winter Street) • Holds 650 to 700 housing subsidies for various state and federal programs Currently, more than 2,000 people are on the waiting list for elderly/disabled Housing Authority units. The family wait list contains 4,084 families waiting for two-bedroom homes, 2,077 families waiting for three-bedroom homes, and 501 families waiting for four-bedroom homes. Due to the state's centralized waiting list, there isn't a way to determine exactly how many people on the waiting lists are current residents of the Cape or the Town of Barnstable or how long they may have to wait. BARNSTABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE The Housing Committee's purpose is to promote the production and preservation of balanced housing resources that address the unmet needs of the Town of Barnstable. The Committee facilitates the development of, and equal access to, affordable housing and serves as the Town's Local Housing Partnership. In this role, and in conjunction with the Town Manager, the Committee reviews and makes recommendations on housing proposals that are seeking local support under the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Local Initiative Program. The Committee advises the Town Manager and Town Council regarding policies and programs aimed at reaching the Town's goal of making a minimum of 10 percent of its housing stock affordable in perpetuity. In addition to Local Action Unit work, the Housing Committee is currently working on an Inclusionary Zoning Feasibility Analysis, partnering on updating the Housing Production Plan, and exploring a tax exemption for those who participate in the Affordable Accessory Apartment program. BARNSTABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND The Trust provides for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in the Town of Barnstable for the benefit of low- and moderate-income households. Trust fund projects are in the following categories: • Predevelopment Activities. Funds are available for pre-development work to determine the viability residential development on a vacant or developed site. Maximum funding per project is $50,000. • Development Funds are available to provide for gap funding to support the development of affordable/community housing rental or homeownership units. Development activities include redevelopment of existing structures or buildings, land acquisition, new construction, Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 127 or conversion of market units to affordable housing units. Potential funding per affordable unit is up to $100,000 and up to $50,000 per community housing unit. Total potential maximum funding for an affordable housing project is $1M and $260,000 for a community housing project. The Trust has more than $4.68million in grants available and is working to market a Notice of Funding Availability to developers who are interested in creating affordable housing. The Trust also puts out Requests for Proposals for the development of affordable housing on available land and may consider acquisition of properties for affordable housing purposes. The Trust is contemplating pursuing local option legislation for a high-value real estate transfer tax to fund affordable housing. COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is charged with recommending the expenditure of funds generated from the Community Preservation Act that was approved by the residents of the Town of Barnstable in 2005. This Act is a tool to help communities acquire and preserve open space; rehabilitate, restore, and preserve historic resources, structures, and landscapes; and create and support community housing, all of which address core community concerns. A minimum of 10 percent of the fund’s annual revenues must be allocated for each of the three categories: Historic, Housing, and Open Space. The remaining 70 percent can be allocated for any combination of the allowed uses, or for the acquisition of land for recreational use. The CPC recommend potential projects to the Town Manager and Town Council for funding based on eligible criteria. Priorities for the CPC include: • Affordable rental projects in areas outside of Hyannis. • Rental units that are affordable to households at or below 50 percent Area Median Income (AMI). • Projects that propose the creation of affordable and community housing homeownership units in Hyannis. • Projects that provide housing to vulnerable populations and offer supportive services. • Projects that are on public land. • Projects that convert existing buildings and structures into new affordable/community housing units. BARNSTABLE COUNCIL ON AGING The Barnstable Council on Aging is a Town department that supports the quality of life of the community's elderly through a wide variety of services. These activities include an information Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 128 and referral service on a wide range of issues, community-based services to promote independent living such as a free shuttle van to local stores and services, and in-home support services. The Council relies heavily on local volunteers to support its activities and operates a senior center. The Council on Aging also works with the Town on a program that abates taxes for qualifying seniors in exchange for services to the Town. In addition to this work program, the Town also operates a variety of tax exemption programs for income-eligible seniors, veterans, surviving spouses, etc., that reduce property tax bills. REGIONAL CAPACITY AND RESOURCES CAPE COD COMMISSION The Cape Cod Commission supports the 15 towns of Barnstable County, regional and sub- regional housing agencies, and other partners seeking to improve the availability and diversity of affordable housing in the community. This role includes the development of information to support local decision making, including presentations, coordination with state and other regional agencies, meeting facilitation, zoning analysis and support, and specific project development upon request of the community. The Commission also supports the advancement of regional efforts to create affordable housing and support housing where appropriate by drafting model zoning (such as the model bylaw for ADUs, the facilitation of the Regional Housing Market Analysis, and drafting a framework for Form-Based Code. The Commission is near completion of Regional Housing Strategy to “address the housing supply, affordability, and availability issues facing the region by identifying appropriate areas for housing development and crafting policies and strategies to further its goals.” Components of the strategy include data and baseline information; strategies and recommendations based on research on what works in similar regions across the country; and tools and resources for implementation. The draft Regional Housing Strategy can be accessed here: https://capecodcommission.org/our-work/regional-housing-strategy Previously, Commission staff maintained the HOME Consortium, a block grant program designed to create affordable housing for low-income households. This program is now managed by Barnstable County. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 129 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP The Community Development Partnership builds a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work, and thrive on Cape Cod. The Community Development Partnership promotes, develops, and manages affordable housing, nurtures the launch and growth of small businesses, and facilitates collaboration with business, nonprofit, and government partners. While the Community Development Partnership focuses its efforts on the Lower Cape, they provide opportunities across Cape Cod. BARNSTABLE COUNTY HOME CONSORTIUM The Barnstable County HOME Consortium is composed of the 15 communities on Cape Cod and was formed to be a Participating Jurisdiction to receive and disburse federal HOME funds, which are federal formula grant funds provided to state and local governments exclusively for the creation and preservation of affordable housing for low-income households. The Program Year 2022 allocation from HUD is $450,000 plus $170,000 in repurposed program income. 41 BARNSTABLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES The mission of the Barnstable County Department of Human Services is to plan, develop, and implement programs that enhance the overall delivery of human services in Barnstable County, to promote the health and social well-being of County residents through regional efforts designed to improve coordination and efficiency of human services, and to strengthen the fabric of community care available to all. The group coordinates regional work on homelessness and administers grant-funded programs of regional impact. This County Department has recently taken over administration and oversight of the HOME Program funds on behalf of the Barnstable County HOME Consortium. Funds are available to any of the 15 Cape Cod towns for a variety of affordable housing programs, on a competitive basis. The Barnstable County Department of Human Services has been working to establish a Shared Regional Housing Services Program. Established by County Ordinance 23-03 and funded with an appropriation from the Barnstable County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) award, the Shared Regional Housing Services Program will be organized by a contracted consultant. Program Development work during year one is anticipated to include tasks such as updating and enhancing the County’s existing municipal and affordable housing stakeholders contact list; establishing a Regional Affordable Housing database; develop or adopt universal templates for affordable housing documents such as deed restrictions, monitoring checklist, local preference 41 Barnstable County Department of Human Services. “HOME Investment Partnership Program.” https://www.bchumanservices.net/initiatives/home-program/ Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 130 documentation checklist, eligible purchaser certificates, etc. During year two, it is anticipated the County will expand programming by engaging in municipal support activities by providing experienced technical assistance on a broad range of affordable housing tasks that align with each community’s unique needs. HOUSING ASSISTANCE CORPORATION Headquartered in Hyannis, the Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) was founded in 1974 to provide rental vouchers to year-round workers on Cape Cod; it expanded over the years, and now assists more than 175,000 low- and middle-income households on the Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Today, the HAC is one of the largest developers of affordable housing in the region. HAC serves more than 5,000 households each year in three main areas: homeless prevention, housing stabilization, and empowerment. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF CAPE COD Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical, nonprofit Christian ministry dedicated to building simple, decent homes in partnership with families in need. The organization has grown over the past two decades into one of the largest private homebuilders in the world. Habitat has a Cape affiliate that has been able to build more than 155 new homes across 15 towns on the Cape since 1988, including four homes in Barnstable, most recently Marstons Mills (Dickinson Drive in 2018). CAPE AND ISLANDS REGIONAL NETWORK ON HOMELESSNESS The Regional Network is a collaborative effort of State, County, and local government, social service providers, housing agencies, faith-based organizations, the business community, and individuals working together to prevent and end homelessness. The Regional Network is the entity that carries out the responsibilities of the HUD Continuum of Care Program. COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE OF CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS, INC. Founded in 1965 as one of the state's Community Action Agencies, the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc. (CACCI), is a private, nonprofit organization that helps low- and moderate-income people improve their quality of life through a wide range of programs and services. The agency's efforts are focused primarily in the areas of access to health Insurance and care, immigration resources, coordinating subsidized food (SNAP) assistance, income tax preparation, emergency assistance, seasonal assistance, and an emergency shelter for women and children. In FY20, CACCI served nearly 9,000 individuals through state, federal, and private foundation contracts. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 131 HOMELESS PREVENTION COUNCIL The mission of the Homeless Prevention Council (HPC) is to provide personalized case management solutions to promote stability for all those who live in our community. Since its founding in 1991, the HPC has been a critical resource for our neighbors in need, helping more than 42,000 Lower Cape residents throughout its 30-year history. LIFE, INC. Since 1993, Living Independently Forever (LIFE), Inc. has served adults with learning disabilities through a model program created within its condominium communities on Cape Cod. Located in Hyannis, LIFE, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides support and resources in the areas of vocation, education, social and community involvement, and daily living, encouraging each resident's aspirations, strengths, and abilities. The organization has built several projects and residential homes in the Town of Barnstable, and in 2018, a new group home was established in Centerville. CAPEABILITIES CapeAbilities (formerly Nauset, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization that has provided housing, jobs, and therapeutic services for individuals with developmental disabilities on Cape Cod for more than 35 years. The organization's mission is to “serve individuals with disabilities by educating, counseling, and providing residential therapeutic, social, and employment supports so as to empower them to achieve meaningful and valued roles in society.” CapeAbilities has sponsored housing in Barnstable using CDBG funds to purchase a group home. CHIPS HOUSE The Cape Head Injured Persons' (CHIP) Housing and Education Group is a private, nonprofit organization that was established in 1992 to provide support and assistance for head-injured residents of Cape Cod and has been committed to providing community-based housing for these individuals. The housing includes support services so the disabled residents can maximize their functional potential and achieve their highest level of independence in the community. The organization has developed CHIP's House and CHIP's House II in Barnstable, each with ten units. CHAMP HOMES Champ Homes provides multi-generational housing for individuals who are physically disabled, in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse, mentally ill, or have other assorted needs. A major component of Champ Homes' community-based housing program is to form a close-knit family in the housing based on mutual love and spirituality. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 132 OTHERS In addition to the above nonprofit organizations and agencies, the Town of Barnstable has worked cooperatively with private developers including McShane Construction, Chatham Real Properties, and Williams Construction, among others. LOCAL & REGIONAL HOUSING FUNDS & INCENTIVES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS Barnstable is an entitlement community that receives Community Development Block Grant Funds on an annual basis from the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Town's program prioritizes affordable housing projects and projects that provides low- and moderate-income persons with access to job training and opportunities. The Town of Barnstable expects to receive $338,282 for the 2023–24 funding year. COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUNDS The Committee works collaboratively with the Affordable Housing Growth and Development Trust Fund Board to contribute to the goal of 10 percent affordability of the Town's housing stock. In FY2021, Community Preservation Act revenue was $5 million, of which $2M was spent; $300,000 (15 percent) was allocated toward community housing (CapeBuilt Development at 255 Main Street, Hyannis). In FY21, FY22 and again in FY24, the Community Preservation Committee voted to allocate $2.5 million dollars in Community Preservation Funds to the Affordable Housing Growth and Development Trust. Since 2006, Barnstable has supported 30 community housing projects (19 percent of total), appropriating $8.9 million (33 percent of total funds). AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND Barnstable's Affordable Housing and Economic Development Trust Fund was established in 2007 to help preserve the affordability of existing housing units that would otherwise be lost because the resale formula in the existing deed rider would make them unaffordable. Therefore, the Fund would also help preserve the character of the Town and its socioeconomically diverse population. Both Community Preservation funding and affordable housing mitigation funds, including proceeds from the inclusionary zoning ordinance, have helped capitalize the Fund and help also leverage CDBG funds. Currently, the Fund has $4.68M available in grants toward pre- development work and subsidizing affordable housing developments, or programs for direct assistance. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 133 HOME FUNDS The Barnstable County HOME Consortium includes all municipalities in Barnstable County and provides federal HOME Program funding to support the financing of a wide variety of housing activities. These funds are available to all towns participating in the Consortium, including Barnstable, and are administered by the Barnstable County Human Services Department. HOME funds awarded to local projects have resulted in the creation of more than 1,200 affordable housing units in Barnstable County. In program year 2020, 15 HOME units were completed with the developments of Cape Code Village and Little Pond Place in Falmouth. Additionally, three affordable rental developments consisting of a total of 33 HOME units are under construction, and two additional projects have filed applications for HOME funds and are under project review42. The Barnstable County HOME Consortium Five Year Consolidated Plan 2020-2024 can be viewed on their website43. SENIOR CITIZEN AND VETERANS TAX WORK-OFF ABATEMENT PROGRAMS To be eligible for the Town of Barnstable Senior Citizen Tax Work-Off Abatement, a property owner must meet the following criteria: • Has reached 60 years of age by July 1st of the fiscal tax year in which the tax credit will be given, is a veteran, or is a spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran with a service-connected disability or who is deceased. • Own and occupy a residential property in the town in the immediate fiscal year preceding the fiscal year applying to volunteer services. • Cannot be a compensated employee of the Town during the fiscal year in which the tax credit is sought. • There are no income limitations. The programs were amended in 2023 to remove the income limitations that were originally in place. DISTRICT LOCAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (DLTA) PROGRAM GRANTS The Cape Cod Commission provides grant funding for Cape communities to access technical assistance in promoting affordable housing. Since 2018, DLTA grants received include: • Design & Infrastructure Plan for Hyannis GIZ (2019): The Town requested assistance with an update to its Design and Infrastructure Plan for the Downtown Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone. This zone is a fundamental component of the Town's housing and economic development strategy. • Local Comprehensive Planning (2020): The Town requested technical assistance in support of its efforts to update the Town's Local Comprehensive Plan and address its pressing need 42 “Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report Program Year 2020 (July 202-June 30, 2921)”, Barnstable County Program, https://www.capecod.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FINAL-CAPER-PY2020.pdf. 43 “Five Year Consolidated Plan 2020-2024”, Barnstable Home Consortium, April 10, 2020, https://www.capecod.gov/wp- content/uploads/2022/03/2020-2024-CONSOLIDATE-PLAN-AS-AMENDED-12-20201.pdf. Barnstable Housing Production Plan DRAFT 03/14/2024June 2025 134 to increase housing supply, diversity, affordability, and economic and climate resiliency. The Commission worked with the Town to develop local comprehensive maps and an online web map viewer. • Second Homeowner Survey (2021): The Town of Barnstable requested funding to support two surveys, one for new homeowners and another for second homeowners, to better understand how the region's population is changing due to the effects of COVID-19. • LCP Support/Data Dashboard (2021): The Town of Barnstable requested assistance with data collection, analysis, presentations, maps, dashboards, and other graphics to support its Local Comprehensive Plan development. The Town intends to use the LCP process as an opportunity to educate and engage in conversations on the economic, housing, and environmental processes occurring in town. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM The Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), which was established by M.G.L., Chapter 40V, provides Gateway Cities with a tool to develop market rate housing while increasing residential growth, expanding diversity of housing stock, supporting economic development, and promoting neighborhood stabilization in designated areas. Eligible development costs include both hard and soft construction costs associated with the development of the market rate units. Acquisition costs are ineligible expenses.