Orleans Launches Rental Assistance Program

ORLEANS – Residents in need of help covering their rent could be eligible for a new program that can assist them in doing just that.

 Orleans is the latest Cape community to offer a rental assistance program to qualified residents who are struggling to keep up with the high cost of housing. Residents who make up to 100 percent of the area median income in Barnstable County can apply for assistance through the program, which offers $350 a month toward the cost of rent for up to three years.

 The program is being funded through $95,000 in Community Preservation Act money that was authorized at May’s annual town meeting and is being administered through the Housing Assistance Corporation’s THRIVE program.

 Neighboring towns including Brewster and Eastham have launched similar assistance programs in recent years. Brewster is now in the third year of running its program, which is also being administered through HAC.

 “After administering the town of Brewster program for the last three years with success and full enrollment, we are excited to partner with the town of Orleans to bring the same level of success and support to Orleans residents,” said Cassi Danzl, chief operating officer for HAC.

 As the cost of housing continues to increase regionally, Orleans and other towns across the Cape work on both short- and long-term solutions to the deepening housing crisis. Elizabeth Jenkins, the town’s assistant director of planning and community development, said the new program can provide some immediate relief for residents who are currently paying too much of their income for housing.

 “We can look at similar communities and see that there’s certainly a need, and then we can look at the numbers, the data that we get about our housing costs and how it affects people,” she said.

 One metric stands out to Jenkins specifically. She said more than half of renters in Orleans spend more than 30 percent of their overall income on rent.

 “That’s a huge impact, because if you’re paying too much for housing you’re making vital tradeoffs,” she said. “You’re spending less on food or healthcare or putting those basic needs in place.”

 Residents can apply online through HAC to receive funding through the program. If qualified and accepted, HAC will immediately begin sending monthly payments directly to landlords to help subsidize rent costs, Jenkins said.

 Income qualifications vary according to the number of people per household. Those include $88,600 for one person; $101,300 for two people; $113,900 for three; $126,600 for four; $136,800 for five; and $146,900 for six. 

 “A family of two at 100 percent AMI is making $101,000,” Jenkins said. “They might not necessarily think that they’re qualified for this type of program, but again, we also know that it’s very likely that that family if they’re renting here in Orleans is paying 36 percent of their income on rent.”

 Qualified applicants also must have a written lease or rental agreement and live in a rental unit that is not owned by a relative or already subsidized through another program. Applicants also must be willing to work with a financial counselor to help prepare them for after their participation in the program ends.

 Orleans is making headway on a number of housing projects, including some that have been in the pipeline for several years. HAC has broken ground on a 14-unit affordable housing development at the site of the former Masonic Lodge at 107 Main St., while Pennrose has also begun construction on its 62-unit housing development on  West Road. It is also anticipated that ground will soon be broken on a mixed-use housing and retail development at the former Underground Mall, which will include 29 units.

 “I’m a big believer in these direct assistance programs because building units takes time,” Jenkins said. “We know the runway on these projects is really long, and I think Orleans and all Cape towns should be commended for the energy they’re putting into it. But it takes a while to see some of the impacts of those programs, and this is one that can help people today.”

 Additional money could be sought through the trust, the Community Preservation Act or some other funding avenue to continue the program after the first three years, Jenkins said.