HomeMy Public PortalAboutHousing Partnership Packet with Housing Plan Community Meeting 6.16.22Housing
Partnership
Jillian Douglass
Chair
Lisa Forhan
Clerk
Vanessa Greene
Ralph Marotti
Diane Pansire
Sara Robinson
Steve Seaver
Assistant Town
Administrator
Donna Kalinick
Housing
Coordinator
Jill Scalise
Town of Brewster
Housing Partnership
2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
(508) 896-3701
MEETING AGENDA
Including
Housing Production Plan Community Meeting
Remote Participation Only
Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 6:00 PM
This meeting will be conducted by remote participation pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021,. No in -person meeting
attendance will be permitted. If the Town is unable to live broadcast this meeting, a record of the proceedings will be provided on
the Town website as soon as possible.
The meeting may be viewed by: Live broadcast (Brewster Government TV Channel 18), Livestream (livestream.brewster-
ma gov), or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma.00v).
Meetings may be joined by:
1. Phone: Call (929) 436-2866 or (301) 715-8592. Webinar ID: 853 9402 2099 Passcode: 301097
To request to speak: Press *9 and wait to be recognized.
2. Zoom Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/i/85394022099?owd=M2JSaDJWYlZPK113eVZPVnVmaTdiUTO9
Passcode: 301097
To request to speak: Tap Zoom "Raise Hand", then wait to be recognized.
1. Call to Order
2. Declaration of a Quorum
3. Virtual Meeting Remote Participation Statement
4. Recording Statement
5. Housing Production Plan Community Meeting
a. Welcome and Introductions -Jill Scalise, Housing Coordinator
b. Presentation of Draft Housing Production Plan Including Key Findings,
Goals, and Strategies: Barrett Planning Group -Alexis Lanzillotta & Judi
Barrett
c. Question & Answer Session
d. Next Steps
6. or Your Information & Dates/Events of Interest
7. Next Meeting Schedule
8. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
9. Housing Partnership Regular Business
a. Minutes - BHP 4/21/22 BHP. Community Forum 4/28/22, BHP
5/19/22
10. Adjournment
Date Posted:
06.08.22
Date Revised: Received by Town Clerk:
�F:rtj'-rt ERK
DRAFT
Housing Production Plan 2022-2027
In Compliance with 760 CMR 56.03(4)
Draft prepared for:
The Town of Brewster
by:
Barrett Planning Group LLC
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
2
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
BREWSTER HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Jillian Douglass, Chair
Lisa Forhan
Vanessa Greene
Ralph Marotti
Diane Pansire
Sarah Robinson
Steve Seaver
TOWN STAFF
Jill Scalise, Housing Coordinator
Donna Kalinick, Assistant Town Administrator
Jon Idman, Town Planner
Peter Lombardi, Town Administrator
CONSULTANT TEAM
Barrett Planning Group LLC
Judi Barrett, Principal-in-Charge
Alexis Lanzillotta, Project Manager
BREWSTER SELECT BOARD
David Whitney, Chair
Cynthia Bingham
Mary Chaffee
Ned Chatelain
Kari Hoffman
BREWSTER PLANNING BOARD
Madalyn Hillis-Dineen, Chair
Amanda Bebrin
Charlotte Degen
Tony Freitas
Rob Michaels
Elizabeth Taylor
Alex Wentworth
Past Members
Paul Wallace, Chair
Mark Koch
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Why Prepare This Plan? ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Defining “Affordable Housing” ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Components of a Housing Production Plan ............................................................................................................................. 3
Community Engagement Process ................................................................................................................................................ 4
A Note on Data Sources ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................. 7
Key Findings .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Demographic Profile ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Housing Characteristics ................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Housing Market ................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Housing Affordability ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Barriers to Development .............................................................................................................................................................. 40
HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN GOALS ................................................................................................................. 55
Brewster’s Housing Goals ............................................................................................................................................................ 55
Alignment with Regional Goals .................................................................................................................................................. 57
HOUSING STRATEGIES ................................................................................................................................................ 58
Progress Since 2017 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Looking Forward: 2022-2027 Strategies ............................................................................................................................... 59
APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................................... 70
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1
Introduction
The Town of Brewster consists of about 22.5
square miles of land, over 2,000 acres of
freshwater ponds, and miles of both coastal
and freshwater shorelines. Along with the
Towns of Orleans, Chatham, and Harwich,
Brewster is part of the Lower Cape region (see
Map 1) and is also bordered by the Town of
Dennis to the west. Brewster is defined by its
identity as a small coastal community,
primarily from its northern border along Cape
Cod Bay, although the Town also has forty feet
of frontage along Pleasant Bay to the south.
Both the Town’s 2021 Open Space and
Recreation Plan and 2018 Vision Plan highlight
the Town’s rural character and notable assets
including its rich scenic and historic heritage,
beaches, Cape Cod Bay, ponds, and open space
resources.
Many of the conditions that existed when
Brewster prepared its last Housing Production
Plan (HPP) in 2017 remain true today,
particularly in terms of infrastructure capacity,
environmental considerations influenced by
Brewster’s significant marine and freshwater
water resources, and the Zoning Bylaw’s
limitations on the types and density of housing
that can be built. Nonetheless, the Town has made significant strides implementing its last HPP, most
notably:
ü Hiring a Housing Coordinator in 2017;
ü Establishing the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust in 2018;
ü Adopting the Town’s current Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Accessory Commercial
Dwelling Unit (ACDU) bylaws in 2018; and
ü Issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of over sixteen acres of Town-
owned land off Millstone Road.1
1 The “Housing Strategies” section of this plan provides a more complete list of accomplishments since the 2017 HPP.
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Other major factors influencing — or influenced by — Brewster’s housing needs include:
The Seasonal Housing Market. As of 2020, an estimated 42 percent of Brewster’s housing stock was
used for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use compared to 38 percent for Barnstable County as a
whole.2 This marks an increase of over 6 percent since 2010 for the Town, which continues to
exacerbate the challenge of finding year-round rental housing. Together, year-round residents,
seasonal workers, and vacationers compete for the inadequate supply of affordable housing that exists
in Brewster.
Older Population. Brewster’s population is older, with a median age of 56.5 years as opposed to 53.7
years for Barnstable County and 39.6 years for the state.3 Accordingly, a larger share of Brewster
householders are retired than at county and state levels, and have higher retirement incomes on
average, as well.4
Increasing Household Wealth. Both American Community Survey (ACS) data and Comprehensive
Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data indicate a decrease in households with low and
moderate incomes, and a corresponding increase in households with higher incomes. Specifically,
between 2010 and 2018, the percentage of households earning at or below the Household Area Median
Family Income (HAMFI) decreased by 4.5 percent, and households earning above the HAMFI
increased by 4.8 percent.5
Preserved Open Space. About one third of Brewster’s land is considered protected open space. The
achievements of the Town and open space organizations have contributed to Brewster’s beauty and
environmental quality, while also limiting where housing can be developed.
WHY PREPARE THIS PLAN?
This Housing Production Plan has been prepared to meet all the requirements of a Housing
Production Plan under state regulations and the guidelines of the Massachusetts Department of
Housing and Community Development (DHCD).6 The main purpose of a Housing Production Plan is
to help a community make steady progress toward the 10 percent statutory minimum under Chapter
40B, i.e., that 10 percent of total year-round housing units will be deed-restricted to be affordable for
low- or moderate-income households. Whether a community has reached the 10 percent minimum is
determined by the Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), a periodically updated list of all
affordable units recognized by DHCD. To be included on the SHI, a unit must be:
• Affordable to households with incomes at or below 80 percent of the HAMFI, also commonly
referred to as the Area Median Income, or AMI. For Brewster, this designated area defining
2 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table 25004.
3 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B01002.
4 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Tables B19059 and B19069.
5 Comprehensive Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 2010 and 2018. (2018 is the most recent year for which this dataset is
available).
6 G.L. c. 40B, §§ 20-23 and 760 CMR 56.00.
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the AMI is the Barnstable County Fair Market Rent (FMR) Area, determined by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
• Approved by a housing subsidy agency as eligible for a comprehensive permit or as “Local
Action Units” (i.e., developed without a comprehensive permit);
• Protected by a long-term affordable housing restriction; and
• Marketed and sold or rented under a DHCD-compliant Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing
Plan (AFHMP).
A completed Housing Production Plan requires approval by DHCD for a town to rely on it as a later
basis seeking plan certification. While many types of housing needs may be considered, the primary
purpose of the Housing Production Plan is to help communities reach the 10 percent statutory
minimum under Chapter 40B.
DEFINING “AFFORDABLE HOUSING”
In this Housing Production Plan, the term “affordable housing” means housing that low- or moderate-
income individuals and families can afford while also meeting their other basic needs: food, health
care, transportation, utilities, and essential goods and services. Of course, households with higher
incomes have trouble finding housing in Brewster and elsewhere in the Lower Cape and Barnstable
County, too — a strong indicator that the region’s housing supply is out of balance with demand.
Housing affordability in a general sense refers to macrolevel relationships between the cost of housing
and household incomes. Affordable housing, by contrast, has a specific regulatory meaning and is
customarily used in reference to households with low or moderate incomes. For Brewster and all its
neighbors, “low- or moderate-income” refers to income limits set annually by HUD. The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts uses HUD’s income limits to determine eligibility for income-
restricted housing developed under Chapter 40B. As a result, most housing called “affordable
housing” in federal, state, or local laws, ordinances, and bylaws is based on this consistent framework.
Since Brewster’s Housing Production Plan is required to conform with the Department of Housing
and Community Development’s (DHCD) Chapter 40B regulations, the primary (but not exclusive)
focus is low- and moderate-income housing.
COMPONENTS OF A HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
A Housing Production Plan begins with a housing needs assessment, which describes a community’s
housing needs using data from sources such as the Town, the U.S. Census Bureau, housing market
reports, municipal records, and community interviews. In addition, the needs assessment will explore
constraints to development and plans to mitigate these constraints where possible. Building upon this
analysis of housing needs and potential barriers to further housing development, the Housing
Production Plan sets a series of qualitative and quantitative affordable housing goals. Based on these
goals, the plan lays out implementation strategies. State regulations (760 CMR 56.03[4]) and DHCD
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Comprehensive Permit guidelines describe the specific requirements for each component of an HPP,
outlined in Figure 1 below.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
The Town provided multiple opportunities for participation by local officials and the community at
large. The planning process was guided by a Community Engagement Plan that consisted of the
following components:
Regular Housing Partnership Meetings. The Housing Partnership met monthly from February 2022
through June 2022 to discuss the development of this plan with Town staff and the consultant team.
Small Group Interviews. During the month of March 2022, the consultant team conducted small group
interviews with a total of thirty-five individuals familiar with Brewster’s housing needs to get a sense
of what has changed since the last HPP and what needs still remain. Participants included Town staff,
members of Town bodies, representation from housing advocacy groups and social service providers,
members of the business community, realtors, and residents.
Community Survey. A community survey was available online and in paper form from March 10
through April 8, 2022. This survey asked questions about the respondent’s own housing needs as well
as their perspectives on the needs of the community. A total of 881 individuals participated in this
survey, the results of which are included in Appendix E.
Community Meeting. The Housing Partnership hosted a virtual community meeting on April 28, 2022
to share key findings from the Needs Assessment and invite participants to join breakout groups
focused on the following topics: housing needs; development constraints; mapping housing solutions;
Figure 1. Components of a Housing Production Plan
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housing goals and strategies; and regional context. A summary of findings from this event is also
included in Appendix E.
Focus Groups. Between May 10 and May 19, 2022, the consultant team conducted eight focus groups
with Town staff, nonprofit and for-profit developers, representation from regional housing partners,
and members from Town bodies. Participants were asked to review and provide comments on draft
strategies for the HPP.
Initial Presentation of Needs, Goals, and Strategies to the Select Board and Planning Board. On June 6,
2022, the consultant team presented the Needs Assessment, Goals, and Implementation Strategies to
the Select Board and Planning Board for their review. Both boards were invited to provide comments
through the Housing Office on the presentation.
Second Community Meeting on Draft Plan. [PLANNED FOR JUNE 16, 2022; SECTION WILL BE
UPDATED]
Public Comment Period. [TO BE OPEN THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022; SECTION WILL BE UPDATED]
Final Public Hearing and Plan Adoption. [PLANNED FOR JULY 11, 2022; SECTION WILL BE
UPDATED]
A NOTE ON DATA SOURCES
Information for the Brewster Housing Production Plan comes from a variety of sources, including the
Town, the community engagement process described above, previous plans and studies, the Cape
Cod Commission, state agencies, proprietary data, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The most frequently used sources of data
are as follows:
• The Census of Population and Housing (Decennial Densus). This plan draws from Census 2020
where appropriate, but historical census tables were also used as needed. When this planning
process ended, information available from Census 2020 was still limited and only included
total housing unit counts, general vacancy information (but not vacancies by type, an
important factor for seasonal communities), total population counts, and information about
population race and ethnicity for redistricting purposes. The full release of Census 2020 will
also include an official year-round housing count, as well as data regarding tenure, household
types, population by age, and more.
• The American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS provides demographic and housing estimates
for large and small geographic areas every year. Although the estimates are based on a small
population sample, a new survey is collected each month, and the results are aggregated to
provide a similar, “rolling” dataset on a wide variety of topics. In most cases, data labeled
“ACS” in this plan are taken from the most recent five-year tabulation: 2016-2020 inclusive.
• HUD Consolidated Planning/Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) Data.
Created through a combined effort of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
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6
Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau, this dataset is a “special tabulation” of ACS
According to the HUD guidance, “these special tabulation data provide counts of the numbers
of households that fit certain combinations of HUD-specified criteria such as housing needs,
HUD-defined income limits (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income) and
household types of particular interest to planners and policy-makers.” The most recent CHAS
Data are based on the ACS 2014-2018 estimates.
• Housing Market Sources. The consultants tapped the Warren Group’s extensive real estate
transaction databases to sample sales volume and sale prices, as well as Rentometer for rental
market data.
• Town Data. Information provided by the Building Department, Planning Department, and
Deputy Assessor supported a review of local development patterns and market trends, and
Assessor’s records were used to analyze Brewster’s housing stock.
• Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Socio-Economic Projections for 2020
Regional Transportation Plans. This source was relied upon for population projections and
trends.
In addition, many local and regional publications were reviewed during the development of this
Housing Production Plan and are referenced throughout this document.
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Housing Needs Assessment
KEY FINDINGS
• Brewster’s population increased by 5 percent between 2010 and 2020 Census, despite recent
projections forecasting a potential decline. The number of households also increased by 9
percent.
• The share of older residents and older householders living alone have both increased since the
2010 Census. Conversely, the percentages of residents under 18 and households with children
under 18 have declined.
• Brewster’s population lacks racial and ethnic diversity, although the percentage of minority
residents has slightly increased since the 2010 Census.
• The Town- and county-wide the percentage of older adults with a disability is markedly lower
than the state. Nonetheless, older Brewster residents are much more likely to have a disability
than residents under age 65.
• Household wealth is increasing, with a significant jump in higher-income households from
2010 and a decrease in lower-income households. Regionally, the HUD area median family
income (HAMFI) has also increased sharply since 2021.
• In addition to the percentage of low-to-moderate income (LMI) households decreasing, the
percentage of households earning between 80 and 100 percent HAMFI has decreased, likely
because they cannot find housing; these households are ineligible for the limited subsidized
units currently available in Brewster and are also likely to be priced out of an increasingly
competitive housing market.
• Older adults living alone are the most likely household type to be low-to-moderate income
(LMI), and female householders living alone are more likely to be living in poverty than any
other household type.
• Brewster’s housing stock is predominantly detached single family homes, although Brewster
has a higher share of attached single-family homes (i.e., condominiums) than the Lower Cape,
county, and state. There is very limited multi-unit residential development, and most rental
units in multi-unit structures are deed-restricted affordable units.
• Older single-family homes build before 1960 hold more land value than building value and
accordingly may be at greater risk of teardown.
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• Rental opportunities are limited, particularly for market-rate rental units. Other than the
recent ADU/ACDU bylaw amendment, the Town’s zoning does not facilitate the production
of multi-unit or mixed-use residential development that would provide more rental units.
• The share of housing units for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use has increased while the
share of year-round renter households has decreased. Market projections indicate that the gap
between year-round and second homes will continue to narrow if housing trends are not
altered.
• Housing sale prices have jumped significantly since 2020 and continue to rise, a trend more
pronounced in Brewster and the Lower Cape than county- or statewide.
• Households earning the area median income are unlikely to be able to afford a home at
Brewster’s median sales price, and renters earning the median renter income for Brewster are
unlikely to be able to afford market rental units.
• The majority of LMI households (an estimated 58 percent) are unaffordably housed (“housing
cost-burdened”), paying more than 30 percent of their income toward housing costs.
Seventeen percent of non-LMI households are cost-burdened.
• Among both owners and renters, households earning below 50 percent of the area median
income are most likely to be cost-burdened, although there is also significant need at the 80-
100 percent level.
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Population Trends
Brewster experienced tremendous growth between 1970 and 2000, increasing more than five-fold from
1,790 to 10,094 residents. This trend occurred across the Cape and Islands compared to the rest of
Massachusetts, which made the population dip most Cape communities experienced by 2010
somewhat striking. While projections by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
in 2018 anticipated a continued population decline through 2040, the Town’s population in fact
increased by nearly 500 between 2010 and 2020.7 The Cape Cod Commission also published
population projections through 2025 as part of their 2017 Regional Housing Market Analysis, which
anticipated a 2020 population of 9,833.8
7 In 2018, MassDOT — in conjunction with an advisory team of experts from regional and state agencies, the Massachusetts
Donohoe Institute (UMDI) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) — projected regional increases in population
and housing demand through the year 2040. This project was intended to inform 2020 Regional Transportation Plans and analyzed
demographic trends, labor force participation, commuting pattens, and other data to estimate population and household growth.
8 Cape Cod Commission, Regional Housing Market Analysis and 10-Year Forecast of Housing Supply and Demand for Barnstable County,
Massachusetts, 2017. Prepared by Crane Associates, Inc. and Economic Policy Resources.
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
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POPULATION AGE
An estimated 14 percent of Brewster
residents are under 18, which is in line with
the county (15 percent), but significantly
lower than the state (20 percent). Conversely,
Brewster has a markedly larger percentage of
older adults over age 55 than the state (53
percent and 30 percent, respectively). This
trend applies to the Lower Cape and county
to different degrees, as shown in Table 1.
Figure 3 breaks down Brewster’s population by age, and Figure 4 highlights changes in different age
groups between 2010 and 2020. All benchmark geographies saw a decrease in the share of their
populations under 55 and an increase for the 55+ populations. Both population shifts were more
pronounced in Brewster than in the Lower Cape, County, or state to varying degrees.
Table 1. Percent of Population Under 18 and Over 55
% Population
Under 18
% Population
Over 55
Brewster 13.8% 52.9%
Lower Cape 12.5% 56.9%
Barnstable County 15.2% 48.2%
MA 19.9% 30.1%
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B01001
1,790
5,226
8,440
10,094 9,820 10,318
9,786 9,266
7,863
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
Year
Figure 2. Total Population: Past Trends and Future Projections
Sources: US Decennial Census, 1970-2020, MassDOT Population Projections, 2018
Population (Actual)Population (Projected)
13.8%
14.7%
18.8%
39.1%
13.8%
Figure 3. Population by Age
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020,
Table B01001
Under 18 Years (13.8%)
18 to 34 Years (14.7%)
35 to 54 Years (18.8%)
55 to 74 Years (39.1%)
75 Years and Over (13.8%)
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10
RACE, ETHNICITY, AND CULTURE
While the Cape continues to have
less racial and ethnic diversity than
the state, Brewster’s population did
see a slight increase in its non-
minority population between 2010
and 2020, as did the Lower Cape and
county. In Brewster, the largest
increase during this time was among
of residents identifying as two or
more races (see Table 2). Map 2
displays the minority population
across the Lower Cape region by
census block group.
Table 2. Brewster Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2020
2010 2020
White 96.7% 91.4%
Black 0.7% 1.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2% 0.2%
Asian 0.9% 1.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0% 0.1%
Other 0.5% 1.0%
Two or More Races 1.0% 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino (All Races) 1.7% 3.0%
Source: US Decennial Census, 2010 and 2020
-3%
-4%
-7%
8%
2%
-3%
-1%
-7%
8%
2%
-3%
-1%
-7%
7%
1%
-2%
-1%
-4%
5%
0%
-8%
-6%
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Figure 4. Percent Change in Population by Age, 2010-2020
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2006-2010 and 2016-2020, Table B01001
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County MA
Under 18 Years 18 to 34 Years. 35 to 54 Years
55 to 74 Years Over 75 Years
A N Town of Brewster
Map 1. Minority Population, Lower Cape
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, U.S. Census 2020,
MassGIS, and MassDOT
134
DENNIS
YARMOUTH '-..._L
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Percent Minority
D 4%-6%
D 6.1%-8%
D 8.1%-11%
-I I.I%-13%
-13.1%-17%
r -'-
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Miles
MassDOT Major Roads
U.S. Highway
State Route
-Non-numbered Road
D Town of Brewster
r _ 1 Other Lower Cape Towns
L _:1 Surrounding Towns
(" EASTHAM
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12
EDUCATION
Nearly half (48 percent) of Brewster’s population over age 25 holds a bachelor’s degree or higher,
exceeding Barnstable County and Massachusetts (both an estimated 45 percent), although behind the
Lower Cape’s estimated 52 percent. Nearly a quarter of the adults over 25 living in Brewster and the
Lower Cape have advanced degrees — master’s, professional, or doctoral — which sets the region
apart from the County as a whole and state.
LABOR FORCE
A community’s labor force includes all civilian residents over the age of 16 who are either currently
employed or are actively seeking employment. Brewster has an estimated civilian labor force of 4,976,
with 4,641 employed in a variety of industries.9 ACS estimates indicate that over one fifth of Brewster’s
labor force is employed in educational services, health care, or social assistance, as shown in Table 3.
Additionally, an estimated 23 percent of working Brewster residents work in Brewster, which is a
significantly lower share of individuals working in their municipality of residence than in the Lower
Cape (35 percent), County (41 percent), and state (33 percent). The difference is not surprising
considering Brewster’s small local economic base, although it also reinforces feedback from the
community engagement process that people who work in Brewster may struggle to afford to live in
the community.
9 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table C24030.
2.9%2.2%
4.2%
8.9%
19.6%18.9%
22.7%23.5%
30.3%
27.0%28.1%
23.0%23.7%
27.5%
24.9%24.5%23.6%24.4%
20.1%20.0%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County MA
Figure 5. Educational Attainment for the Population 25 and Over
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B15003
Less than High School
High School Graduate (Includes Equivalency)
Some College
Bachelor's Degree
Advanced Degree (Master's, Professional, or Doctorate Degree)
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Table 3. Top Five Industries for Brewster’s Labor Force
Industry % Resident
Labor Force
Educational Services; Health Care and Social Assistance 22.3%
Professional, Scientific, Management; Administrative and Waste Management Services 16.8%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; Accommodation and Food Services 13.8%
Construction 12.8%
Other Services (Except Public Administration) 8.3%
All Other Industries Combined 26.0%
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table C24030
DISABILITY
Twelve percent of Brewster residents live
with a disability, a figure in line with the
Lower Cape and County (both 13 percent),
and state (12 percent).10 Over half of Brewster
residents over 65 have some sort of disability,
which is relatively low compared to the state.
This trend applies county-wide, as the Cape’s
share of this age cohort with a disability is 52
percent, significantly lower than the state’s 67
percent. Table 4 breaks down disabilities by
type, both among Brewster residents with a
disability and among all non-institutionalized
residents. Overall, cognitive difficulties are
the most common challenge, closely followed by independent living difficulties.
Household Type
In federal census terms, a family household includes two or more related people living together in the
same housing unit, and a non-family household can be a single person living alone or two or more
unrelated people living together. Brewster’s percentage of family and non-family households is
similar to the county and state levels, but the breakdown is significantly different; only 19 percent of
Brewster households have children under 18 (a decrease since 2010, as Table 5 shows), compared to
the state at 29 percent. This trend is consistent across the Cape, with some Outer Cape communities
even falling below 10 percent. For nonfamily households, the percentage of householders living alone
increased in Brewster by about 5 percent. Among this household type, the biggest increase was among
those 65 or older, representing 41 percent of householders living alone in 2010 versus 63 percent in
10 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B18101. Note that ACS disability status is calculated using the non-institutionalized
population, which means those living in institutionalized “group quarters” settings such as nursing homes are not included. ACS
estimates indicate that Brewster’s non-institutionalized population is 9,530 compared to the total population estimate of 9,811.
Table 4. Type of Disability
Type of Disability % Disabled
Pop
% Total
Pop
Hearing Difficulty 34.0% 3.9%
Vision Difficulty 5.6% 0.7%
Cognitive Difficulty 49.7% 5.8%
Ambulatory Difficulty 31.3% 3.6%
Self Care Difficulty 13.7% 1.6%
Independent Living Difficulty 47.6% 5.5%
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table S1810.
Because some residents may have multiple disabilities,
percentages do not equal 100 percent.
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2020.11 Map 3 displays families with children under 18 by census block group and Map 4 shows
households with someone over 65.
11 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25011.
Table 5. Changes in Household Type, 2010-2020
2010 2020 Difference
Number Percent Number Percent Percent
Family Households 2,851 64.0% 2,812 62.3% -1.7%
With Children Under 18 938 21.1% 849 18.8% -2.3%
With No Children Under 18 1,913 43.0% 1,963 43.5% 0.5%
Nonfamily Households 1,602 36.0% 1,703 37.7% 1.7%
Householder Living Alone 1,201 27.0% 1,428 31.6% 4.6%
Householder Not Living Alone 401 9.0% 275 6.1% -2.9%
Total Households 4,453 100.0% 4,515 100.0%
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2006-2010 and 2016-2020, Table B11001
3.
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Household Size
The estimated average household size in Brewster is 2.11, below the county at 2.20 and more
significantly below the state at 2.50.12 This trend toward smaller household sizes in Brewster is also
demonstrated by 2010 and 2020 population and household counts; while the 2020 Census average
household size is not available at the time of this plan, Table 6 displays the ratio between total
population and total households to estimate changes in household size. For additional context, Maps
5 and 6 show the concentration of one-person households and households of four or more persons by
census block group.
Table 6. Ratio Population and Household Counts, 2010 and 2020
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County MA
2010 2020 2010 2020 2010 2020 2010 2020
Ratio of Pop
to Household 2.24 2.16 2.12 2.11 2.25 2.22 2.57 2.56
Source: US Decennial Census, 2010 and 2020
12 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25010
4.
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5.
6.
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17
Household Income
In 2020 the estimated median household income for Brewster households was $81,625, slightly over
the Lower Cape median of $78,985 and the County at $76,863.13 However, median income is not the
only indicator of household wealth in a community, particularly when a significant number of
householders are retired; thirty-eight percent of Brewster households had retirement income
compared to 36 percent for the Lower Cape and 32 percent for the county, setting the Cape
significantly apart from the state’s 19 percent of households with retirement income.14 For this reason,
viewing income levels across households provides additional insight regarding distribution of wealth.
Between 2010 and 2020, the share of Brewster households earning over $125,000 increased
considerably, while households earning below this level decreased across most income subcategories,
as Figure 6 demonstrates. The greatest shift was in households earning over $200,000, which jumped
over 9 percent in a ten-year period. This may indicate that wealthier households have moved into the
community over the last decade, a finding also demonstrated by the housing market analysis later in
this plan.
This trend is also confirmed by Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, which
provides estimates of households at 30, 50, 80, and 100 percent or greater of HUD’s Area Median Family
Income (HAMFI).15 These income levels are determined by HUD for Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(MSAs), which are large geographies designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to
represent a larger regional market.16 Between 2010 and 2018 (the most recent year for which CHAS
13 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B19013. For regional context, Map 7 displays median household incomes by block
group across the Lower Cape.
14 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B19059
15 The area median income is used by HUD to determine income limits for eligibility for assisted housing programs.
16 Brewster is part of the “Barnstable Town, MA MSA,” which includes all fifteen Cape Cod communities.
15.8%
23.1%
21.1%
10.8%
15.1%
5.1%4.7%4.3%
13.3%
16.8%
15.5%16.3%
7.9%7.3%
9.3%
13.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Les
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Figure 6. Household Income for Brewster Households, 2010-2020
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2006-2010 and 2016-2020
2010 2020
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18
data is available), the percentage of low-income households earning 80 percent HAMFI or lower
slightly decreased while the percentage of households earning over 100 percent HAMFI increased by
nearly 5 percent (see Table 7). Also notable is the decrease in households earning over 80 percent and
up to 100 percent HAMFI, likely due to these households being priced out of an increasingly
competitive housing market yet also being ineligible for an affordable unit.
Table 7. Estimated Households by Income Level, 2010-2018
2010 2014 2018 Difference,
2010-2018
Percent of Households Earning 80% HAMFI or Lower 36.7% 37.8% 34.3% -2.4%
Percent of Households Earning 81-100% HAMFI 14.9% 11.6% 12.7% -2.2%
Percent of Households Earning More Than 100 % HAMFI 48.1% 50.6% 52.9% 4.8%
Source: Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 2014-2018
Regionally, the median family median income as determined by HUD has increased sharply, jumping
$26,3000 from FY2021 to FY2022, as shown in Figure 7.
In terms of income and age, Brewster householders 45 to 64 have the highest median household
incomes of local and county households, as shown in Table 8. This trend is common for this age group,
as they tend to be more advanced in their careers than their peers in younger age brackets. However,
Brewster’s median income for householders 25 to 44 is nearly $22,000 lower than the state level, which
means that younger Brewster households may have more difficulty with housing and other expenses.
Conversely, the median income for householders 65 and over is considerably higher than the state, a
trend that makes sense considering the percentage of wealthier households has increased along with
the percentage of older adults.
$75,300 $79,000
$80,000
$74,900
$74,900
$80,300
$77,100
$90,200
$86,200
$91,300
$96,600
$89,300
$115,600
$50,000
$70,000
$90,000
$110,000
$130,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 7. HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) for
Barnstable County Metropolitan Statistical Area
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Table 8. Median Household Income by Age of Householder
Brewster Barnstable County Massachusetts
Householder Under 25 Years No Data $54,975 $44,222
Householder 25 To 44 Years $74,597 $82,045 $96,311
Householder 45 To 64 Years $101,852 $95,374 $103,973
Householder 65 Years And Over $67,288 $65,297 $52,973
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table 19049
Despite the relatively higher median income for older adults, “elderly non-family” households (adults
over age 62 living alone) are nonetheless the most likely to be considered “low to moderate income,”
or LMI. This refers to households earning at or below 80 percent HAMFI. The “Poverty Level” section
below explores this topic further and looks at household types most likely to experience poverty.
Table 9. Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Households by Household Type
HUD-Defined Household Types Total
Households LMI Households % LMI
Households
Elderly family (2 persons, with either or both age
62 and over) 1205 385 32.0%
Elderly non-family 870 530 60.9%
Large family (5 or more persons) 215 30 14.0%
Small family (2 persons, neither person 62 years
or over, or 3 or 4 persons) 1425 250 17.5%
Other (non-elderly non-family) 575 280 48.7%
Source: Detailed CHAS Tables, 2014-2018, Table 7
Poverty Level
An estimated 6.9 percent of Brewster households live below the poverty level, which is slightly lower
than the county (7.1 percent) and significantly lower than the state (10.6 percent). Of those households
living in poverty, the highest percentage is among female householders living alone between the ages
of 25 and 44 (30.5 percent) and over 65 (30.2 percent). This trend of female householders living alone
being more likely to experience poverty is also seen at the county and state levels.17
17 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B17017
N Town of Brewster
Map 6. Median Household Income, Lower Cape
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, U.S. Census 2020,
MassGIS, and MassDOT
YARMOUTH
(
134
r -'-
Median Household Income
D $40 .833 -$47 .083
D $47 .083 -$68. 182
D $68. 1 82 -$81 .02 9
-$81,02 9 -$ I 00 ,250
-$100 ,2 5 0 -$147 ,177
D No Data
0 1 2
Miles
MassDOT Major Roads
U.S. Highway
State Route
-Non-numbered Road
D Town of Brewster
r _ 1 Other Lower Cape Towns
L _:1 Surrounding Towns
(" EASTHAM
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HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
As of the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, there were 8,234 housing units located in Brewster, up from
7,953 in 2010. Of the housing units in Brewster, an estimated 75 percent are detached single-family
homes compared to 52 percent of the housing across Massachusetts. Because Brewster experienced
significant growth between 1970 and 1990, the number of housing units likewise increased, growing
more than four-fold.18 Figure 8 highlights this growth pattern, which largely coincides with the age of
the Town’s housing stock described below.
Housing Age
Brewster has a significantly larger share of homes built between 1980 and 1999 than the Lower Cape,
county, and state, with an estimated 51 percent of Brewster’s housing units built during this time.
While Figure 9 displays the age of housing stock by intervals of twenty years, housing units built
during the 1980s make up the largest share by decade at an estimated 36 percent (2,878 housing units),
the largest jump in five decades. Also of note is the much smaller share of housing units built before
1940 in Brewster compared to the Lower Cape, Barnstable County, and the state.
18 Minnesota Population Center. National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 2.0. Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota 2011.
1,494
3,489
6,367
7,339
7,953 8,234
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
To
t
a
l
H
o
u
s
i
n
g
U
n
i
t
s
Year
Figure 8. Brewster Total Housing Units, 1970-2020
Source: U.S. Decennial Census and Minnesota Population Center
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Housing Types
While Brewster’s estimated share of total share of single-family homes is on par with the County’s
share (each 87 percent), Brewster has a significantly higher percentage of “single family attached”
homes (such as condominiums), estimated at 11 percent compared to the Lower Cape and county’s 5
percent. The Villages at Ocean Edge is the largest contributor to this category of housing, although
there are other smaller attached condominium developments off Snow Road and along Cape Cod Bay.
Table 10. Units in Structure
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County Massachusetts
Single Family, Detached 75.4% 84.9% 81.6% 52.1%
Single Family, Attached 11.1% 5.2% 5.1% 5.5%
2 Units 1.8% 1.7% 2.3% 9.7%
3 or 4 Units 3.4% 2.5% 3.6% 10.7%
5 to 9 Units 4.1% 2.8% 2.8% 5.8%
10 to 19 Units 2.0% 1.0% 1.4% 4.3%
20 to 49 Units 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 4.4%
50 or More Units 0.8% 0.4% 1.2% 6.9%
Other 0.0% 0.1% 0.5% 0.8%
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25024
4.2%
10.3%10.5%
31.6%
4.4%
9.4%10.9%
17.0%
29.5%
31.4%31.8%
21.7%
51.6%37.3%35.4%18.8%
10.3%11.6%11.5%10.9%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County Massachusetts
Figure 9. Year Structure Built
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table 25034
Built 2000 or later
Built 1980 to 1999
Built 1960 to 1979
Built 1940 to 1959
Built 1939 or Earlier
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SINGLE-FAMILY (DETACHED) HOMES
Cape-style homes are most common among Brewster’s detached single family homes (45 percent),
followed by ranches (28 percent) and colonials (14 percent).19 The remaining 13 percent of detached
single-family homes consist of a mix including contemporary, conventional, cottage/bungalow,
raised ranch, and other home styles. Table 11 below indicates the most common style for homes built
during different periods, as well as other notable features including the average residential floor area,
lot sizes, and number of rooms. Homes built since 2000 tend to be larger and hold more building value
compared to the land, as shown by the ratio of average land values to average building values. A ratio
under 1.0 indicates that the buildings on average are more valuable than the land, in large part due to
the trend toward larger homes. Conversely, ratios over 1.0 indicate that the land on average is more
valuable than the buildings. This is more common for older homes, potentially putting them at greater
risk of teardown, as a new or existing owner of an older home may choose to demolish and rebuild
rather than repair, renovate, or maintain a home in poor condition. The Town may wish to monitor
teardown activity to see whether this trend increases in Brewster, potentially leading to changes in
overall housing affordability.
Table 11. Change in Size and Value in Brewster's Single-Family Home Inventory
Year Built
No. of
Records
Most
Common
Housing Style
Average
Residential Floor
Area (Sq. Ft.)
Average
Lot (Sq. Ft.)
Average
No.
Rooms
Ratio of Average Land
Value to Average
Building Value
2000 to Present 760 Cape 2,561 50,809 7 0.583
1980 to 1999 2,343 Cape 1,913 37,529 6 0.688
1960 to 1979 1,930 Cape 1,608 27,844 6 0.950
1940 to 1959 298 Ranch 1,445 36,406 6 2.435
1939 or Earlier 295 Conven/Old 1,773 50,103 7 1.499
Source: Brewster's Assessor's Parcel Database (2022) and Barrett Planning Group LLC
CONDOMINIUMS
Assessor’s records indicate that Brewster has 1,518 condominium units, which accounts for the
relatively large share of attached single-family homes noted above. However, there are also a number
of detached condos (124), such as those in the recently developed Brewster Landing on Sachemus
Trail.20 Brewster’s condominium stock predominantly consists of townhouses and garden style
buildings, although there are also some duplexes and triplexes.
TWO-UNIT HOMES
Assessed differently from a duplex condominium where each unit has its own owner, a two-unit home
has one owner but two residential units. Assessor’s records indicate that Brewster has 47 two-unit
homes, nearly half of which are owner-occupied and most of which were built prior to 1980.
19 Town of Brewster Assessor’s Records, FY 2022.
20 Brewster Landing has 28 condominiums total, with 24 detached and 4 in duplex structures.
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LARGER MULTI-UNIT PROPERTIES
Brewster’s multi-unit housing portfolio includes a very limited number of smaller, 4–8-unit structures
(four, according to Assessor’s records). Additionally, there are several larger multi-unit rental
properties, all of which contribute or are expected to contribute to the Town’s Subsidized Housing
Inventory (SHI) and are described below.
• King’s Landing. Constructed in 1975, King’s Landing is Brewster’s oldest multi-unit
development and provides 108 rental units in a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom
apartments. King’s Landing was acquired and renovated by Preservation of Affordable
Housing (POAH) in 2013.
• Huckleberry Lane. One of two Brewster Housing Authority (BHA) properties, Huckleberry
Lane was built in 1989 to provide family housing and includes 24 two- and three-bedroom
rental units.
• Frederick Court. BHA’s second property was built in 1990 and consists of 32 one-bedroom
rental units for older adults and disabled persons.
• Wells Court. Built in 2004 on land provided by the BHA, Wells Court consists of one building
housing 24 one-bedroom rental units for older adults.
• Serenity at Brewster. The former Wingate property has been redeveloped into 132 studio and
one-bedroom rental units for older adults over age 55. Phase 1 opened in July 2021 and
included 41 studios; Phase 2 is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2022 and will include 91
studios and one-bedroom units. Of the project’s 132 total units, 27 are expected to be added to
the Town’s SHI in 2022.
• Brewster Woods. Currently in development and built on land leased from the BHA, Brewster
Woods will provide 30 one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units in two buildings.
MIXED USE
Assessor’s records indicate 79 mixed use properties with some degree of residential use alongside
commercial activity. This includes properties that are primarily residential with a secondary
commercial use (e.g., an antique shop or art gallery), as well as properties that are primarily
commercial with a secondary residential use such as a second-floor apartment.
NURSING HOMES & ASSISTED LIVING
Brewster has two assisted living facilities that provide a combined 191 units. Both Maplewood and
Pleasant Bay Woodlands Assisted Living include ten percent affordable units, although these are not
included on the Town’s SHI.
Vacancy & Tenure
CHANGE IN VACANCY
From 2010 to 2020, the percentage of vacant units decreased in Brewster, as was the trend at the Lower
Cape, county, and state levels, although to a greater degree than Brewster experienced (see Figure 10,
which displays the percent change in housing occupancy from 2010 to 2020). While the percent of
occupied units increased, this figure should not be considered a metric for the availability of year-
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
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round housing because it does not account for the vacancy type. For census purposes, “vacant” units
include those used for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, so much of Brewster’s vacant housing
units are used as second homes or short-term rentals. Because Census 2020 data has only been partially
released, the official year-round housing count (which subtracts these seasonal homes) is not yet
available. However, ACS estimates indicate an increase in housing units used for this purpose, as
shown in in Figure 11. Thus, while the percentage of vacant units has decreased, these units
considered “vacant” are increasingly used for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use – a trend
described during the community engagement process. Map 8 shows the percentage of vacant housing
units by block group.
6.1%
5.0%
3.0%
0.3%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable County MA
Figure 11. Percent Change in Total Housing Units Used For Seasonal, Recreational,
or Occasional Use, 2010-2020
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Table B25004
8.8%8.4%8.0%7.9%
-2.6%
-4.7%-4.7%-4.5%
-6%
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Figure 10. Percent Change in Housing Occupancy, 2010-2020
Source: US Decennial Census, 2010 and 2020
Occupied Units: % Change from 2010-2020 Vacant Units: % Change from 2010-2020
Brewster Lower Cape Barnstable
County MA
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IMPACT ON YEAR-ROUND TENURE
Housing tenure refers to whether a householder owns or rents their home. Feedback from the
community engagement process indicates an observation that year-round rentals are being replaced
by short-term rentals, leading to displacement of renter households. Brewster does not currently track
whether a housing unit is an owner’s primary or secondary residence (or whether it used for short-
term rentals), nor is detailed Census 2020 vacancy status available as of the date of this plan. While it
is difficult to determine the precise impact of short-term rentals on year-round tenure, the limited data
available corroborates this feedback from residents: ACS estimates indicate a decline in the share of
year-round renter households between 2010 and 2020, both in Brewster and the Lower Cape (and to
a lesser degree, the county) with a corresponding increase in the share of vacant units, as Figure 12
demonstrates. In addition, a market analysis of advertised rental units in Brewster over the last 48
months indicates a very limited inventory, with an average of twelve units advertised per year.21 Map
9 shows the percentage of renter households by census block group based on the most recent ACS 5-
year estimates.
21 See attached report in Appendix A. This does not include units in Brewster’s larger multi-unit residential developments; these
properties (described on page 17) have very long waitlists of several years because they are all affordable units.
42.3%45.5%45.9%50.9%
38.2%41.6%
9.8%9.1%
9.9%8.2%10.3%7.5%
12.1%11.9%
32.4%34.1%
47.8%46.3%43.8%41.6%49.7%46.5%
57.8%56.8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Figure 12. Housing Occupancy and Tenure
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2006-2010 and 2016-2020, Tables B25002 and B25003
Vacant Renter-Occupied Owner-Occupied
2010 2020
Brewster Lower Cape
2010 2020
Barnstable
County
2010 2020
MA
2010 2020
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8.
9.
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TENURE BY AGE & INCOME
Homeowners in Brewster tend to be older and wealthier, with the strong majority of householders
over the age of 45 owning their homes. The breakdown by tenure shifts somewhat for older adults
over age 75 who are more likely to rent than householders between the ages of 45 to 74.22 Younger
householders between 25 and 34 are much more likely to rent than own a home in Brewster.
22 For census purposes, “householder” refers to the person or one of the people in whose name a housing unit is owned or
rented; thus, because the number of householders for a geography equals the number of households, the data discussed in this
section does not refer to all members of a household.
22%
65%
90%
100%
91%
94%
82%
88%
78%
35%
10%
9%
6%
18%
12%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
25 To 34 Years
35 To 44 Years
45 To 54 Years
55 To 59 Years
60 To 64 Years
65 To 74 Years
75 To 84 Years
85 Years And Over
Figure 13. Tenure by Age of Householder
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25007
Note that a true 100% value is unlikey; ACS estimates are based on a rolling
5-year dataset and include a margin of error.
Owner Renter
34%
76%
85%
82%
98%
100%
66%
24%
15%
18%
2%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Less than $25,000
$25,000-$49,000
$50,000-$74,999
$75,000-$99,999
$100,000 to $149,999
$150,000 or more
Figure 14. Tenure by Household Income
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25118
Owner Renter
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HOUSING MARKET
Development Trends
Building permits are a good indicator of
housing activity within a town because they
show the predominant types of development
activity in a given year. Table 12 provides a
snapshot of residential building permit
activity from 2017-2021 and indicates that
residential development continues to favor
single-family homes, with teardown activity
more prevalent in 2017 and 2018 than in
recent years. Additionally, since the Town
adopted its 2018 ADU/ACDU bylaw, over 20
building permits for ADUs have been issued.24
The most recently permitted affordable housing developments have been multi-unit projects,
including Serenity at Brewster and Brewster Woods. Looking forward, the Town recently accepted a
proposal to develop 45 one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units on 16.1 acres of Town-owned Land
on Millstone Road. All other affordable developments over the last ten years have provided affordable
ownership opportunities, including fourteen Habitat for Humanity homes on Paul Hush Way
(permitted in 2017), seven homes at Brewster Landing (out of twenty-eight total homes; permitted in
2014), and three homes at White Rock Commons (out of twelve total homes; permitted in 2014). Apart
from Brewster’s two existing assisted living facilities, all larger multi-unit residential development in
Brewster has been tied to the development of affordable housing — and all except Serenity at Brewster
have been 100 percent affordable. While this is commendable and serves to meet the needs of the most
vulnerable households, it also points to a lack of market rate rental available to households ineligible
for an affordable unit but who want or need to rent for a variety of reasons, as well as the lack of
regulatory mechanisms for creating this housing.
Housing Sale Prices
Housing prices have soared in Brewster, with a current 2022 median sale price (through April 2022)
of $753,500 for a single-family compared to $602,000 for Barnstable County.25 As shown in Figure 15,
from 2020 to 2021, median sales prices in Brewster jumped $135,500 for single-family homes and
$92,250 for condominiums, representing the largest one-year increase in over ten years. While this
increase in median sales price is not unique to Brewster, Figure 16 shows that Brewster and the Lower
Cape are experiencing this decrease in affordability to a greater extent than the county and state.26
23 2018: seven multi-unit permits issued for modular dormitory-style buildings at Ocean Edge used to house J-1 visa workers.
2021: two multi-unit permits issued for each phase of Serenity at Brewster; two multi-unit permits issued for Brewster Woods.
24 Brewster Housing Office, “2022 Housing Summary Update Paper,” February 2022.
25 Median Sales Price for Brewster and Barnstable County, Calendar Year, Banker & Tradesman via The Warren Group. Median
sales price is based upon twenty-four sales in Brewster between January and April 2022 and 1,052 sales for Barnstable County.
26 Lower Cape median sale prices based on average of median sale prices for Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans.
Table 12. Residential Building Permit Data, 2017-2021
Single Family
Permits
Multi-Unit
Permits23
Demolition
Permits
2017 36 14
2018 41 7 22
2019 14 7
2020 22 4
2021 17 4 1
Source: Brewster Building Department, March 2022.
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
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$763,953
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Figure 16. Median Single Family Sales Prices for Brewster and Comparison
Geographies, 2010—2021
Source: Banker & Tradesman via The Warren Group
Adjusted for Inflation to 2020
BREWSTER Lower Cape
Barnstable County MA
Linear Trend (Brewster)Linear Trend (Lower Cape)
Linear Trend (Barnstable County)Linear Trend (MA)
$365,000 $369,000 $397,500 $380,000 $374,900 $389,750 $415,000 $425,000 $450,000 $465,000
$519,500
$655,000
$251,487
$222,638
$241,029
$226,444
$241,744 $223,165
$255,925
$238,248
$275,744 $282,529 $285,000
$377,250
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Figure 15. Brewster Median Sales Prices, 2010-2021
Source: Banker & Tradesman via The Warren Group
Adjusted for Inflation to 2020 by Barrett Planning Group
Single Family Condo
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
31
Property Taxes
Property taxes are often an important consideration for perspective residents when deciding where to
purchase a home and are often cited as a concern for many retired adults who must account for
increasing property tax bills against a fixed income. Residential property invariably accounts for the
largest percentage total assessed value in cities and towns, particularly for communities with a limited
commercial base. In Brewster’s case, residential assessed values make up 94.5 percent of the total
assessed value for FY2022, a higher share than all Cape communities except Truro, Wellfleet, and
Eastham.27 While this speaks to the more rural character of Brewster that many residents cherish, it
also means that property taxes may be more of a concern for residents.
That said, despite Brewster’s limited commercial tax base, the average single family tax bill is
consistently less than that of other Lower Cape communities, as shown in Figure 17.28 However, just
because the average tax bill is lower in Brewster does not mean that the tax rate is lower. In fact, the
residential tax rate for Brewster in 2022 is $7.85 per $1,000 in assessed value, higher than Chatham
($4.62) and Orleans ($7.20), although lower than Harwich ($8.11).29
Communities can adopt a “residential exemption” which results in an increased tax rate but allows
owners of primary residences to deduct a predetermined amount from their property assessments
before figuring taxes. This ultimately shifts the residential tax burden from year-round owners of
moderately priced homes to owners of rental properties, vacation homes, and higher valued
properties.30 Although this practice is more common among seasonal communities, only a few Cape
communities have done so (most recently, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown, with Barnstable having
27 “Assessed Values by Class,” FY 2022. Division of Local Services, Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
28 “Average Single Family Tax Bill,” FY2017-2022. Division of Local Services, Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
29 “Tax Rates by Class,” FY 2022. Division of Local Services, Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
30 Residential exemptions are authorized under MGL c. 59, §5C.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
BREWSTER $4,073 $4,219 $4,499 $4,736 $4,838 $5,091
Chatham $4,389 $4,462 $4,651 $4,842 $5,030 $5,164
Harwich $4,261 $4,456 $4,698 $4,960 $5,029 $5,162
Orleans $4,799 $5,200 $5,992 $6,265 $6,593 $6,703
$4,000
$4,500
$5,000
$5,500
$6,000
$6,500
$7,000
Figure 17. Average Single Family Tax Bill for Lower Cape Communities, FY2017-2022
Source: Average Single Family Tax Bill, Division of Local Services, MA Department of Revenue
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
32
adopted the residential exemption in 2005). There is also a tipping point for primary owners of higher-
value properties where they may end up with higher property tax bills despite the residence being
their primary home; this would only occur if the amount subtracted from assessed value was not
enough to counteract the increased tax rate, but this tradeoff is an important consideration as home
values continue to rise.
Market Rents
Determining a true “market rent” range for Brewster is
difficult because of the limited inventory of market rate rentals
from which to draw data. Additionally, ACS data for gross
rent includes subsidized units, which lowers the median. For
understanding market rent, this section uses HUD’s 2022 Fair
Market Rents (FMRs) for the Barnstable County Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA). FMRs are “housing market-wide
estimates of rents that provide opportunities to rent standard
quality housing throughout the geographic area in which
rental housing units are in competition.”31 Table 13 displays
the FMRs by bedroom for Brewster’s MSA.
Housing Market Projections
According to the Cape Cod Commission’s 2017 Regional Housing Market Analysis, housing demand is
expected to increase most dramatically in the over-65 age group through the year 2025, which
corresponds with the continued population increase for this cohort.32 Additionally, while the total
number of year-round housing units in Brewster is expected to continue to exceed the number second
homes through 2025, the gap is anticipated to narrow; of the net 413 total housing units anticipated
between 2015 and 2025, it is forecasted that 292 will be second homes compared to 131 year-round
homes.
31 Code of Federal Regulations, § 888.113: “Fair market rents for existing housing: Methodology.”
32 Cape Cod Commission, Cape Cod Commission, Regional Housing Market Analysis and 10-Year Forecast of Housing Supply and
Demand for Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 2017, Table 3.8, Page 60. Prepared by Crane Associates, Inc. and Economic Policy
Resources.
Table 13. 2022 Fair Market Rent
(FMR), Barnstable County MSA
Bedrooms Monthly FMR
1 br $1,428
2 br $1,879
3 br $2,323
4 br $2,548
Source: 2022 FMR for Barnstable
Metropolitan MSA, HUD
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33
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
Housing Cost Burden
One metric for understanding housing affordability is housing cost burden. The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines cost-burdened households as those paying more
than 30 percent of their income toward housing costs, and severely cost-burdened households as those
paying more than 50 percent. Cost-burdened households have fewer funds left over for other expenses
such as food, transportation, clothing, childcare, and medical care. This strain makes it difficult for
these households to “get ahead” financially as they struggle to meet these necessities, let alone
establish savings. In Brewster, an estimated 31 percent of all households are cost-burdened compared
to 35 percent for Barnstable County.33 Figure 18 displays the level of cost burden for households at
different income levels using the Household Area Median Family Income (HAMFI, also abbreviated
AMI for Area Median Income). While there is need at all levels, the lower income households are
much more likely to be cost-burdened than households earning the median or higher. That said, there
is still substantial need at levels over 80 percent AMI, and these households are not eligible for
subsidized housing designated for households earning 80 percent AMI or less. In addition, the dataset
used to analyze cost burden (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy [CHAS] data) lags by
several years and likely underrepresents cost burden in today’s housing market. Housing affordability
gaps (discussed further below) use more current data and provide another metric of housing
attainability.
33 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 2014-2018. Note that these figures include severely cost-burdened
households. Breaking it down further, an estimated 20 percent of Brewster households are cost-burdened at 31-50 percent and
11 percent are severely cost-burdened at over 50 percent. At the County level, 19 percent of households are cost-burdened at
31-50 percent and 16 percent are severely cost-burdened at over 50 percent.
21%20%
75%
70%
87%
26%
49%
17%21%
13%53%31%8%9%
1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Extremely Low Income
(Up to 30% HAMFI)
Very Low Income
(31-50% HAMFI)
Low Income
(51-80% HAMFI)
Moderate Income
(81-100% HAMFI)
Median Income or Higher
(≥100% HAMFI)
Figure 18. Housing Cost Burden by Income Level -All Households
Source: CHAS, 2014-2018
No Cost Burden Cost Burden 31%-50%Cost Burden > 50%
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34
HOUSEHOLD TYPES MOST AFFECTED BY COST BURDEN
Among low-to-moderate (LMI) households, 58 percent of households experience some degree of cost
burden compared to 17 percent of non-LMI households. Tables 14A and 14B highlight the household
types most affected by housing cost burden, with “somewhat cost-burdened” defined as paying more
than 30 percent but less than or equal to 50 percent of household income on housing costs, and
“severely cost-burdened” as paying more than 50 percent. Large families are most likely to be
somewhat cost-burdened, whereas “other” LMI household types such as single householders under
62 or living in nonfamily housing situations are most likely to be severely cost-burdened.
Table 14A. Estimated Percentage of Cost-Burdened Households by Household Type, LMI Households
LMI
Households
Somewhat Cost-
Burdened LMI
Households
% Of
Household
Type
Severely Cost-
Burdened LMI
Households
% Of
Household
Type
Elderly family (2 persons, with either or
both age 62 or over) 385 115 29.9% 90 23.4%
Elderly non-family 530 125 23.6% 135 25.5%
Large family (5 or more persons) 30 15 50.0% 0 0.0%
Small family (2 persons, neither person
62 years or over, or 3 or 4 persons) 250 120 48.0% 40 16.0%
Other 280 60 21.4% 155 55.4%
Total LMI Households 1,475 435 29.5% 28.5% 28.5%
Table 14B. Estimated Percentage of Cost-Burdened Households by Household Type, Non-LMI Households
Non-LMI
Households
Somewhat Cost-
Burdened Non-
LMI Households
% Of
Household
Type
Severely Cost-
Burdened LMI
Households
% Of
Household
Type
Elderly family (2 persons, with either or
both age 62 or over) 820 165 20.1% 10 1.2%
Elderly non-family 340 50 14.7% 30 3.7%
Large family (5 or more persons) 185 60 32.4% 0 0.0%
Small family (2 persons, neither person
62 years or over, or 3 or 4 persons) 1175 120 10.2% 15 1.8%
Other (non-elderly non-family) 295 10 3.4% 10 1.2%
Total Non-LMI Households 2,815 405 14.4% 65 2.3%
Source: Detailed CHAS Tables, 2014-2018, Table 7
Table 15 below shows maximum monthly housing costs that would prevent cost burden at different
income levels. This table uses HUD’s FY 2022 income limits, which are used to determine eligibility
for certain assisted housing programs and are calculated up to 80 percent AMI, and income limits up
to 100 percent AMI as determined by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP). For additional
reference, Appendix B correlates income levels to different jobs to provide context.
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35
Housing Affordability Mismatch: Owners
An estimated 29 percent of homeowner households in Brewster experience some degree of cost
burden, with 17 percent considered cost-burdened and 12 percent severely cost-burdened. Table 16
breaks cost burden for owner households by income level, with the highest value in each cost-
burdened category emphasized. Very low- and extremely low-income owner households are the most
likely to experience cost burden, although a significant amount of households earning over 80 percent
of the HAMFI are also cost-burdened. These households would not be eligible for any current
subsidized units in Brewster at this income level.
Table 15. FY 2022 Income Limits and Maximum Affordable Housing Payments Extremely Low Income
(Up to 30% AMI)
Very Low Income
(Up to 50% AMI)
Low Income
(Up to 80% AMI)
Moderate Income
(Up to 100% AMI)
HUD
Income
Limit
Max.
Affordable
Housing
Payment
HUD
Income
Limit
Max.
Affordable
Housing
Payment
HUD
Income
Limit
Max.
Affordable
Housing
Payment
MHP
Income
Limit
Max.
Affordable
Housing
Payment
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
S
i
z
e
1 $22,850 $571 $38,050 $951 $60,900 $2,284 $76,100 $1,903
2 $26,100 $653 $43,500 $1,088 $69,600 $2,610 $87,000 $2,175
3 $29,350 $734 $48,950 $1,224 $78,300 $2,936 $97,850 $2,446
4 $32,600 $815 $54,350 $1,359 $86,950 $3,261 $108,700 $2,718
5 $35,250 $881 $58,700 $1,468 $93,950 $3,523 $117,400 $2,935
6 $37,850 $946 $63,050 $1,576 $100,900 $3,784 $126,100 $3,153
7 $41,910 $1,048 $67,400 $1,685 $107,850 $4,044 $134,800 $3,370
8 $46,630 $1,166 $71,750 $1,794 $114,800 $4,305 $143,500 $3,588
Source: HUD Income Limits, 2022; Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) ONE Mortgage Program 2022 Income Limits,
and Barrett Planning Group. MHP Income Limits are extrapolated from HUD Income Limits. Maximum affordable housing
payment calculation based on 30% of the annual income level divided by twelve.
Table 16. Income by Cost Burden (Owners Only)
Income Level No Cost Burden Cost burden 30%-49% Cost burden > 50%
Extremely Low Income
(Up to 30% HAMFI) 6% 10% 84%
Very Low Income
(31-50% HAMFI) 19% 47% 34%
Low Income
(51-80% HAMFI) 75% 16% 9%
Moderate Income
(81-100% HAMFI) 70% 20% 10%
Median Income or Higher
(≥ 100% HAMFI) 86% 13% 1%
All Incomes 71% 17% 12%
Source: Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 2014-2018
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36
Another method for understanding housing affordability is the
affordability gap, which is the difference between a purchase
price (or rent) and what a household can afford. Based on
Brewster’s current property tax rate and industry standards for
housing affordability, mortgage terms, insurance rates, and
other factors, households earning the HUD-defined Area
Median Family Income (HAMFI, $115,600) likely could not
currently afford to purchase a single-family home in Brewster
at the current median sale price, as shown in Table 17.
Housing Affordability Mismatch: Renters
Brewster renters are more likely to experience cost burden than homeowners, with an estimated 41%
of renter households experiencing some degree of cost burden. Table 1 below breaks cost burden for
renter households by income level, with the highest value in each cost-burdened category
emphasized. The limitations of CHAS data become apparent in the table below, as the sample size
shrinks when looking at Brewster’s limited number of renter households (an estimated 535 total for
the most recent year CHAS data is available). Just as for homeowners, there is a substantial number
of cost-burdened households earning over 80 percent area median income who would be ineligible
for a traditional subsidized income but are nonetheless financially strained due to housing costs.
In Brewster’s case, very low levels of cost burden in higher income levels (equal to or greater than 100
percent of the HAMFI) can also indicate another issue facing households: an insufficient supply of
market rate rental units. There may be households who could afford market rate rentals, but the
supply is not there. Thus, the sample size remains very small (an estimated 110 renter households at
this income level), making the margin of error more substantial. While any true 0- or 100-percent
figure is unlikely, this data still highlights the general trend that renter households earning at least
100 percent of the area median income are much less likely to experience cost burden — and that the
very limited supply of market rate rentals accordingly limits the number of renter households at this
income level.
Table 18. Income by Cost Burden (Renters Only)*
Income Level Not Cost Burdened Cost burden 30%-49% Cost burden > 50%
Extremely Low Income
(Up to 30% HAMFI) 46% 49% 6%
Very Low Income
(31-50% HAMFI) 22% 57% 22%
Low Income
(51-80% HAMFI) 78% 22% 0%
Moderate Income
(81-100% HAMFI) 63% 38% 0%
Median Income or Higher
(≥ 100% HAMFI) 100% 0% 0%
All Incomes 59% 35% 7%
Source: Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 2014-2018.
*Any 0- or 100-percent figure is unlikely due to margin of error and small sample size.
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
37
In terms of the rental affordability gap, a household renting a 2-bedroom unit at the FMR ($1,879)
should have a household income of approximately $75,000 to avoid housing cost burden, yet the
estimated median household income of renter households in Brewster is $35,000.34
Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory
Also known as the Comprehensive Permit Law, Chapter 40B of Massachusetts General Law was
enacted to provide for a regionally fair distribution of affordable housing for people with low or
moderate incomes. Units created under Chapter 40B remain affordable over time because a deed
restriction limits resale prices and rents for many years, if not in perpetuity. The law establishes a
statewide goal that at least 10 percent of the housing units in every municipality will be deed restricted
affordable housing to ensure that all communities meet the “regional fair share” of low- or moderate-
income housing. Other options for measuring “fair share” include a general land area minimum and
an annual land disturbance standard.35
Chapter 40B authorizes the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to grant a comprehensive permit to pre-
qualified developers to build affordable housing.36 A comprehensive permit covers all the approvals
required under local bylaws and regulations, streamlining the application process. Under Chapter
40B, the ZBA can waive local requirements and (a) approve, (b) conditionally approve, or (c) deny a
comprehensive permit; however, developers may appeal to the state Housing Appeals Committee
(HAC) if their application has been denied in a community that does not meet one of the three
statutory determinants of “consistent with local needs.” During its deliberations, the ZBA must
balance the regional need for affordable housing against valid local concerns such as public health
and safety, environmental resources, traffic, or design. Nonetheless, Chapter 40B tips the balance in
favor of housing needs in towns that do not meet one the three statutory tests. In addition, ZBAs
cannot subject a comprehensive permit project to requirements that “by right” developments do not
have to meet.
The 10 percent statutory minimum is based on the total number of year-round housing units in the
most recent decennial census. In seasonal communities the number of year-round housing units is
significantly lower than the total housing unit count. In Brewster the 10 percent minimum is currently
480 units and is based upon the 2010 Census year-round housing count for Brewster (4,803). At 5.58
percent, Brewster currently falls short of the 10 percent minimum; to meet that standard, the Town
would need an additional 212 units based on its current SHI, although this will change when the 2020
Census year-round housing count is released. Three projects have recently been permitted and are
expected to add a total of fifty-nine units to the SHI in 2022. These projects include Serenity at Brewster
(twenty-seven rental units for adults 55+ or older), Brewster Woods (thirty rental units), and Red Top
(two ownership units developed by Habitat for Humanity). Map 10 and Table 19 provide an overview
of the Town’s current SHI profile. Of the eighteen total projects either currently on the SHI or
anticipated to be added to the SHI, nine were developed under Chapter 40B. Appendix C provides
34 ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-2020, Table B25119.
35 The general land area minimum applies if SHI-eligible units have been developed on sites comprising 1.5 percent or more of
the total land area zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use; the annual land disturbance threshold applies if a
comprehensive permit application would lead to the construction of SHI-eligible units on sites comprising more than 0.3 percent
of the total land area zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use or ten acres – whichever is greater – in one calendar
year.
36 A “pre-qualified developer” has obtained a “Project Eligibility” letter from a state housing agency.
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
38
additional information about the Town’s SHI units including funding sources, number of bedrooms,
and other details.
Table 19. Current Subsidized Housing Inventory and Anticipated Future Units
Current SHI Units
Name Location Type Units Affordability
Expires
40B Comprehensive
Permit?
N/A Frederick Court Rental 32 Perp No
Huckleberry Lane Huckleberry Lane Rental 12 Perp No
Huckleberry Lane Huckleberry Lane Rental 12 Perp No
Belmont Park Belmont Park Drive Ownership 20 Perp Yes
Great Fields Affordable
Housing Great Fields Road Ownership 2 Perp No
King's Landing Underpass Road Rental 108 2033 No
Yankee Village Signal Hill Circle Ownership 12 2045 Yes
Frederick Court Expansion Wells Court Rental 24 Perp Yes
Yankee Drive II Yankee Drive Ownership 3 2102 Yes
Eagle Point Turning Mill Rd Rental 3 2040 No
DDS Group Homes Confidential Rental 12 N/A No
Habitat for Humanity James Burr Road Ownership 4 Perp Yes
Tubman Road/Hush Way -
Habitat for Humanity
Tubman Road, Hush
Way Ownership 14 Perp No
Brewster Landing Sachemus Path Ownership 7 Perp Yes
White Rock South Orleans Rd Ownership 3 Perp Yes
Total SHI Current Units 268
Anticipated Future Units
Name Location Type Units Affordability
Expires
40B Comprehensive
Permit?
Brewster Woods Brewster Road Rental 30 Perp Yes
Serenity at Brewster Harwich Road Rental 27 Perp No
Red Top - Habitat for
Humanity Red Top Road Ownership 2 Perp Yes
Total Anticipated Units 59
Anticipated Total, 2022 327
Town of Brewster
Map 10. Subsidized Housing Inventory
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, MassGIS, and MassDOT
I
I
I
I
<J> 0
'.'.; (1) (1) -0 (1) 0 -...
0 0.5
N
1
Miles
long
2 - 7 0 8 -14 0 15 -24 0 25 - 32
033-108
0 Ownership
• Rental
(
ORLEANS " "' 0
o'
::, 0 Vl
f
I
MassDOT Major Roads
U.S. Highway
State Route
-Millstone Road Community Housing Parcel* Non-numbered Road
OpenSpace: Level of Protection D Town of Brewster
In Perpetuity Water
Limited
-7
L -
Wetlands
Surrounding Towns
*Designated for community housing: application for 45
rental units current� under consideration
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
40
BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT
The following section discusses the most significant constraints that may affect Brewster’s ability to
address affordable housing and year-round housing needs. In Housing Production Plans, terms such
as “barriers” or “constraints” are typically used as a value-neutral way to describe factors that
objectively limit housing development. While some “barriers” such as sensitive environmental areas
or historic resources can be considered constraints on development, they are also valuable community
assets — moreover, these barriers are unlikely to change if under special protections. Other “barriers”
can be remedied or improved upon, particularly those stemming from local regulations and policies
under the community’s direct control.
Environmental Constraints
Information for this section is summarized from 2021 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP), unless
otherwise noted.37
TOPOGRAPHY
Brewster and the Cape were first formed when ice withdrew from the area of Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket at the end of the last ice age. This glacier movement deposited hundreds of feet of
unconsolidated material in the area where the Cape is now located. Most of Brewster is comprised of
the Harwich Outwash Plain, a relatively flat are area caused by meltwater streams flowing off the
front of a receding glacier. Large blocks of ice left by the retreating glacier settled and were surrounded
by sediments deposited in outwash streams. These buried ice blocks finished melting long after the
outwash plains were formed, resulting in kettle-hole ponds where the ice blocks left holes large
enough to intersect the water table. In contrast to the relatively flat outwash plain areas making up
much of Brewster, areas of higher elevation in the northwestern part of town are characterized by less
well sorted sediments of varying particle sizes, including many boulders. Ultimately, this glacial
history explains why most of Brewster is composed of sandy glacial deposits, with limited areas of
more varied topography and pockets of wetlands, bogs, and clay.
SOILS
Soil types are broken into four categories (Groups A, B, C, D) depending on their level of permeability,
with Group A soils having the highest rate of water transmission and Group D soils having a very
slow infiltration rate. “Carver Association,” a Group A soil, comprises more than 75 percent of the
town's soils and has coarse lower layers that act as a reservoir for underground water replenished by
precipitation. However, the downside of a highly permeable soil is that it also allows septage,
contaminated road runoff, and other pollutants to quickly flow through the soil into the drinking
water supply. The remaining 25 percent of soils in the Town are wet soils, low-permeability soils,
wetlands, and surface waters.38
37 Town of Brewster, Open Space & Recreation Plan. Prepared by the Town of Brewster, Horsley Witten Group, and The Cape
Cod Commission. Conditionally approved January 2021; updated January 2022.
38 Ibid., Page 35.
Brewster Housing Production Plan, 2022-2027
June 2022 DRAFT
41
WATER RESOURCES
Watersheds. Located within the Cape Cod Watershed, the Town of Brewster encompasses six
embayment watersheds that it shares with neighboring jurisdictions. These include the Cape Cod Bay,
Herring River, Namskaket Creek, Pleasant Bay, Quivett Creek, and Stony Brook watersheds. Brewster
also contains a very small portion of the Bass River watershed. In Brewster, much of the focus has
been on the Pleasant Bay watershed, as Brewster’s nitrogen contribution is far greater to Pleasant Bay
than it is to Herring River or Bass River. As such, the Pleasant Bay Watershed has been included in
Brewster’s Water Resources bylaw, while the Herring River and Bass River Watersheds have not.
Surface Waters: Freshwater Lakes and Ponds. Freshwater ponds are a major defining feature of
Brewster. Over ten percent (or over 2,000 acres) of the Town's surface area is covered by approximately
eighty freshwater ponds, providing Brewster with the largest pond area on the Cape. The 743-acre
Long Pond shared with Harwich is the Cape's largest, while Cliff Pond with a depth of 84 feet is the
deepest. At least eleven of Brewster’s ponds are suitable for public swimming.
Marine Surface Waters. Brewster’s marine resources exist primarily on the north shore along Cape Cod
Bay. A small section of Brewster borders Pleasant Bay to the south, although there is no landing. While
there are no large estuaries in Brewster, there are some substantial creeks including Paine's, Quivett
and Namskaket. Nine of the ten saltwater beaches along Cape Cod Bay are accessible from a street
connecting to Main Street (Route 6A), and one is accessible by trail. At low tide, Brewster’s beaches
become a part of expansive tidal flats that extend ¾ of a mile out into Cape Cod Bay.
Aquifer Recharge Areas. The town’s groundwater system, like the whole of Cape Cod, is replenished
entirely by precipitation. Brewster’s drinking water supply source is its underground sole source
aquifer, the Cape Cod Aquifer. This resource is comprised of six lenses, including the Monomoy Lens,
which provides water to the Towns of Brewster, Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans. The Town
of Brewster owns the land of the “Zone I” areas for all of the town’s drinking water wells. Zone I is the
protective radius required around a public water supply well or wellfield, which is 400 feet for
drinking water wells with approved yields of over 100,000 gallons per day. A Zone II is the area of an
aquifer which contributes water to a well under the most severe pumping and recharge conditions
that can be realistically anticipated (i.e., 180 days of pumping at approved yield with no recharge from
precipitation). Any contamination of groundwater in a Zone II could impact drinking water quality
at the public well drawing water from that area. Land acquisition in the Zone II areas to public
drinking water wells is a proactive approach to protecting drinking water quality. Of the 4,360 acres
(excluding surface water ponds) of Zone II areas in Brewster, 40 percent is protected as conservation
land in the form of Town- and state-owned properties, conservation restrictions, and other
conservation mechanisms. Brewster’s Zone I and II areas are displayed in Map 12.
FLOOD HAZARD AREAS
As a participant in the Federal Flood Insurance Program, Brewster is required to ensure that new
shorefront development meets engineering standards for flood proofing; however, development in
these areas is not outright prohibited. Map 11 displays Brewster’s flood zones, and Brewster’s
Floodplain District (Section 179-7 of the Zoning Bylaw) is further described in the Regulatory
Considerations section of this document.
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WETLANDS AND WILDLIFE HABITAT
Wetlands cover more than 20 percent of Brewster’s land area, with a total of 12,840 saltwater wetlands
and 553 acres of freshwater wetlands. Brewster’s saltwater wetlands consist of salt marshes, tidal flats
and barrier beaches, while its freshwater wetlands include sensitive Atlantic White Cedar, Red Maple
and shrub swamps, bogs, vernal pools and other wetlands. The Town’s Wetlands Protection Bylaw is
included in Section 172 of the Town’s General Bylaws, and Section 179-6 of the Zoning Bylaw
established the Town’s Wetlands Conservancy District. Map 11 shows Brewster’s wetlands by type,
in addition to the two Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) within Brewster — the Inner
Cape Cod Bay ACEC and the Pleasant Bay ACEC. Designated by the Secretary of Energy and
Environmental Affairs, ACECs first receive initial nomination at the community level for the quality,
uniqueness, and significance of their natural and cultural resources. Upon designation, ACECs require
stricter environmental review of certain kinds of proposed development under state jurisdiction
within the ACEC boundaries.
Brewster’s abundant natural resources make it home to a variety of wildlife, with the Massachusetts
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) identifying much of the Town’s land cover
as “Critical Natural Landscape,” defined as intact landscapes better able to support ecological
processes and a wide array of species and habitats over long timeframes. While this designation does
not carry any regulatory restrictions along with it, for planning purposes, it helps frame which areas
to target for development versus preservation of contiguous natural habitat. In Brewster’s case, much
of the Critical Natural Landscape areas are already protected to varying degrees under conservation
restrictions or as part of the DCPC.
PROTECTED OPEN SPACE
Protected open space or permanently restricted lands include those acquired by conservation
restrictions, trust and gifts, town purchases, and tax takings. According to the 2021 Open Space and
Recreation Plan, Brewster has over 2,200 acres of large State and non-profit open space and
recreational holdings, such as Nickerson State Park, Camp Monomoy land acquired by the state,
Brewster Conservation Trust lands, Orenda Wildlife Trust, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Additionally,
lands associated with public buildings (e.g., Elementary Schools, Old Town Hall, Fire/Police Station,
Town Hall) and privately-held lands currently under Chapter 61, 61A, and 61B enhance the Town’s
open space and rural character.
Town of Brewster
Map 11. Environmental Concerns
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, MassGIS, and MassDOT
I
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� Inner Cape Cod Bay
� Pleasant Bay
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Flood Zone Designations
A: I% Annual Chance of Flooding, no BFE
AE: I% Annual Chance of Flooding, with BFE
-VE: High Risk Coastal Area
X: 0.2% Annual Chance of Flooding
/
Wetland Types
Marsh/Bog
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Open Water
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Water
Town of Brewster
Map 12. Water Resources & Protection
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, MassGIS, and MassDOT
0 0.5 1
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- 7
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Infrastructure Considerations
Information for this section is summarized from 2021 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP), unless
otherwise noted.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
Drinking Water. As described in the previous “Water Resources” section, drinking water in Brewster
originates from the Cape Cod Aquifer, a sole source aquifer. Drinking water comes through public
wells owned and operated by the Brewster Water Department, as well as a number of private wells
owned and operated by individual homeowners and businesses. The Town has five groundwater
wells pumping water from the Monomoy Lens, with each well site having large Town-owned tracts
of land surrounding them for water quality protection. Activity is restricted to passive recreation on
Town wellfield acreage.39
In addition to acquisition of lands for the protection of drinking water supplies, the town has also
developed regulations that further the protection of these lands. Most notable is Brewster’s Water
Quality Protection zoning bylaw (Article XI), which restricts development within Zone I and Zone II
areas and imposes performance standards on development within the District of Critical Planning
Concern (DCPC). The DCPC is a powerful planning tool that allows a town to adopt special rules and
regulations to protect natural resources in defined areas, with the Cape Cod Commission responsible
for recommending nominated DCPCs for official designation by the Barnstable County Assembly of
Delegates. Brewster’s DCPC, designated by the Cape Cod Commission in 2008, includes the Town’s
Zone I and Zone II areas as well as the Pleasant Bay Watershed. The Town’s wells and the protective
areas surrounding them are displayed on Map 11.
Wastewater. Because Brewster is not served with public sewers or private sewage treatment facilities,
wastewater discharges in Brewster are mostly from individual onsite septic systems. To address these
impacts of wastewater-associated pollutants and lawn fertilizers on groundwater and surface water
resources, the town has been involved in a multi-phase Integrated Water Resource Management Plan
(IWRMP). This project is currently in Phase III, which will include an examination and prioritization
of wastewater management alternatives identified in Phase II of the project.
TRANSPORTATION
Public Transit. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) provides public transportation
services for all fifteen Cape Cod communities. The CCRTA Harwich-Provincetown Flex Bus provides
daily bus service along Routes 137 and 6A in Brewster, with fixed stops at Snow Road/Underpass
Road and the Senior Center. Riders can flag the bus down along its route and can also schedule the
bus “flex” stops up to three-quarters of a mile (by reservation) to serve people who have difficulty
getting to a regular bus stop. The Flex Bus route runs from Harwich up to Provincetown and connects
with other CCRTA routes, as well as the Plymouth & Brockton bus service to Boston.
39 Town of Brewster Water Department, “2020 Annual Water Quality Report.”
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DART Service (Dial-A-Ride, a demand response service) is a fare-based door-to-door, ride by
appointment transportation service offered by the CCRTA in all fifteen Cape communities Monday
through Saturday, with limited service on Sunday.
Roadways. Brewster is located midway on Cape Cod and is accessible by major highways (Route 6,
6A, 124 and 137). Route 6A extends the length of Brewster and is Brewster's Main Street. It is a
designated scenic road and also registered as the Old King's Highway National Register District,
which protects it from pressure to accommodate increased traffic that would diminish the roadway's
historically valuable character. According to the 2021 Open Space and Recreation Plan, “Pressure
increases each year to expand the roadway to accommodate bike traffic and reconfigure some
intersections where left hand turns cause back-ups in traffic. Attempts to expand the paved width of
roads to accommodate pedestrian, bike, and skate traffic have been met with strong opposition from
abutters to the road.”40
Sidewalks & Pedestrian Paths. As noted in the 2017 HPP, Brewster does not many public sidewalks,
and the sidewalks that exist are incomplete. While many pedestrian paths run along portions of these
roads, shoulders tend to be narrow and somewhat steep, with utility poles, trees, and smaller
vegetation interrupting the pathways and sidewalks. The 2021 OSRP notes that while Brewster many
walking trails and informal walkways throughout its conservation land, these pathways currently do
not provide alternative means of transportation without connecting to destination points, other links,
or modes of transportation. Linking these recreational resources and facilities with safe pedestrian or
bike paths could eliminate a significant amount of vehicular traffic in the future.
In 2015, Town Meeting approved a $10M road bond to undertake several road reconstruction projects.
After completing upgrades to Underpass and Snow Roads, the Town began to plan for similar
upgrades to Millstone Road. As of February 2022, this project as planned will include ADA-compliant
sidewalk along Millstone Road.
Bikeways. The 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) provides passage through the Town from Dennis
to South Wellfleet. The CCRT is about six miles long in Brewster and is the only designated bike path
in town. It is heavily used and serves as a primary corridor, with thousands of bicyclists, hikers, and
riders using the trail each year. Nickerson State Park also has an eight-mile bike path, which connects
to the CCRT. While cyclists also ride along local roads, this is dangerous and illustrates the need for
local and roadside bike lanes.
SCHOOLS
The Town of Brewster’s public schools consist of two elementary schools: Eddy Elementary School
(grades 3-5) and Stony Brook Elementary School (grades PK-2). Located off Underpass Road,
Stonybrook Elementary was built in 1973. In 1999, the town constructed Eddy Elementary on Main
Street to meet increased student enrollment and projections. The Town is now considering a
40 Town of Brewster, Open Space & Recreation Plan. Prepared by the Town of Brewster, Horsley Witten Group, and The Cape
Cod Commission. Conditionally approved January 2021; updated January 2022. Page 25.
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consolidation of its elementary schools due to declining enrollment (see Figure 19), and future
projections anticipating similar trends.41, 42
Special Needs. The Brewster Elementary Schools do not appear to have disproportionate over-
representation of special needs populations. Approximately 18.9 percent of the elementary student
population in Brewster has disabilities, compared with 19.1 percent statewide. The percentage of
English Language Learners is significantly lower for Brewster’s schools (4.1 percent) than the state
(11.0 percent).43
Nauset Regional Public School System. Brewster is part of the Nauset Regional Public School System for
middle school and high school, with both schools located in other towns; Nauset Regional Middle
School (grades 6-8) is located in Orleans, and Nauset Regional High School (grades 9-12) is located in
Eastham. The district consists of students from the four towns that comprise the region (Brewster,
Eastham, Orleans, and Wellfleet), together with tuition agreement students from Provincetown and
Truro and school choice students from other towns on the Cape. According to data provided by the
district, the total enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year was 1,390 for both schools, with 36 percent
of students coming from Brewster.
41 While enrollment increased from 2021 to 2022, it is possible that the significant drop in 2021 was due to the COVID-19
pandemic and resulting increase in the number of homeschooling families. As such, it is also important to look at the overall
trendline (dotted in Figure 19).
42 Town of Brewster, Elementary Schools Master Plan. Prepared by Habeeb & Associates Architects for the Town of Brewster,
December 31, 2021.
43 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Brewster Schools Profile.
350
400
450
500
550
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 19. School Enrollment for Brewster's Elementary Schools, 2010-2022
Source: MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, District Profile
Total Enrollment Linear (Total Enrollment)
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Regulatory Considerations
ZONING
As noted in the 2017 HPP, The Brewster
Zoning Bylaw includes minimal provisions to
encourage the creation of affordable housing
or multifamily housing. Most land is zoned
for lower density residential development
(see Table 20 and Map 13), requiring
minimum lot sizes of at least 60,000 square
feet (RL and RM) or 100,000 square feet (see
Table 22).
The CH and VB districts allow residential and
commercial uses, and the I districts allow
residential, wholesale, manufacturing, and
industrial uses. Table 21 below shows the residential uses allowed in each district, with “P” indicating
that a use is allowed by right and “P” indicating uses that require a special permit.
Table 21. Uses Regulations for Residential Uses
P = Permitted Use, S = Special Permit Use
Type of Residential Use RR RL RM CH VB I
Accessory residential building P P P P P -
Accessory commercial dwelling unit (ACDU) - - - S S -
Accessory single-family dwelling unit (ADU) on 30,000+ sq ft lot P P P S S -
Accessory single-family dwelling unit (ADU) on < 30,000 sq ft lot S S S S S -
Affordable multifamily dwelling units (AMFDU) - - - P - -
Cluster residential development S S S - - -
Construction trailer P P P P P P
Major residential development S S S S - -
Multifamily dwelling - - - S - -
One-family detached dwelling unit P P P - P -
One-family security dwelling - - - P P P
Planned residential development - S S - - -
Row or town houses - - - S - -
Subsidized elderly housing S S S S - -
Source: Town of Brewster Zoning Bylaw, Section 179: Attachment 1 Use Regulations.
Table 20. Brewster Zoning Districts
% Land
by Parcel
% Area
Zoned
Residential Rural (RR) 53.3% 48.4%
Residential Low Density (RL) 7.0% 12.8%
Residential Medium Density (RM) 33.1% 34.6%
Commercial High Density (CH) 2.5% 1.8%
Village Business (VB) 4.0% 0.6%
Industrial (I) 0.1% 1.5%
Municipal Refuse District (MRD) 0.0% 0.3%
TOTAL 100.0% 100.0%
Sources: Town of Brewster GIS and Assessor’s Records
Town of Brewster
Map 13. Zoning Map (Unofficial)
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, MassGIS, and MassDOT
I
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D Residential Low Density -RL
D Residential Medium Density -RM
D Commercial High Density -CH
D Village Business -VB
Industrial - I
D Municipal Refuse District -MRD
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Accessory Residential Uses. Town’s current ADU bylaw (Section 179-42.2) was passed in 2018 an allows
homeowners in the Town’s residential districts to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right on
lots over 30,000 square feet, and by special permit on smaller lots, lots within the CH or VB districts,
or within certain water protection areas.44 Additionally, the ACDU bylaw (Section 179-42.3) allows
property owners to add an accessory dwelling unit to a commercial property by special permit in the
CH and VB zoning districts. The current bylaws requires that ADUs and ACDUs not be more than 40
percent of the habitable area of the primary building, or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller.
Despite passing these bylaws in 2018, the Town retained an older special permit provision for
“accessory residential buildings” as a residential use in the Use Regulations and “accessory
apartments” as a footnote in the zoning bylaw’s Area Regulations. Dwelling units created under this
provision are allowed by special permit in all residential districts, as well as the CH and VB districts,
with a lower maximum unit size of 600 square feet.
Other Residential Uses Permitted. Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes are allowed in all
three residential districts through a special permit, and they are permitted by right in the CH district.
Assisted Living Facilities are defined in the Brewster Zoning Bylaw as a “combination of housing,
supportive services, personalized assistance, and health care designed to respond to the individual
needs of those who need help with activities of daily living….” Nursing Homes are defined as a “home
for the aged, chronically ill, persons requiring care or incurable persons in which three or more
persons, not of the immediate family, are received, kept or provided with food and shelter or care for
compensation….”
Lodging Houses are allowed in all three of the residential zoning districts through a special permit,
and they are permitted by right in the CH and VB districts. Lodging Houses are defined in the
Brewster Zoning Bylaw as a “structure originally designed for single-family use which may be
converted to provide rooms (not more than twelve) for the use of one or more individuals not living
as a single housekeeping unit and may provide a common dining facility. It shall include boarding
house, tourist homes, and rooming houses but does not include motels or hotels.”
Area, Height, and Bulk Regulations. As noted above, Brewster has large lot size requirements, with the
three residential districts from about one and a third acre to two and a third acres. Different lot
coverage requirements distinguish the RL and RM districts, with the former having a maximum of 20
percent building coverage and the latter 25 percent.
Multifamily Dwellings. The Town’s Zoning Bylaw defines multifamily dwellings as “a building
containing three or more dwelling units,” without distinguishing further between smaller multi-unit
residential buildings (e.g., 4-8 units) and larger developments. Multifamily dwellings are only allowed
by special permit in the CH districts and have a stricter lot coverage limits than other uses allowed in
the district (25 percent of buildable uplands within a lot for multifamily compared to 40 percent for
other uses in the CH).45 Multifamily dwellings are also allowed by special permit in a Planned
44 Sections 179-42.2, Paragraph B: “An ADU may be located within a Zone II (Zone of Contribution to a Public Drinking Water
Well), in the watershed of the Herring River, or the watershed to Pleasant Bay, subject to approval of a Special Permit by the
Zoning Board of Appeals. All ADUs within these areas shall be required to install advanced nitrogen treatment septic systems, if
deemed necessary.”
45
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Residential Development (PRD) under Section 179-36 of the Zoning Bylaw. PRDs, which require
twenty-five acres of contiguous buildable area, and are described further in the “Alternative
Development Patterns” section below.
Table 21. Area, Height, and Bulk Regulations
District Use
Min. Lot Size
(Square Feet)
*Max.
Building
Coverage of
Lot Area
Lot
Frontage
(Feet)
Front
(Feet)
Side
(Feet)
Rear
(Feet)
RR
Any permitted
structure or
principal use
100,000 plus 100,000
for second unit of duplex 15% 200 40 25 25
RL
Any permitted
structure or
principal use
60,000 plus 60,000
for second unit of duplex 20% 150 40 25 25
RM
Any permitted
structure or
principal use
60,000 plus 60,000
for second unit of duplex 25% 150 40 25 25
CH Row Commercial 40,000 40% 150 30 20 20
CH Multifamily
dwellings
130,000 plus
10,000 per bedroom 25% 200 100 30 30
CH Hotel and motel 130,000 plus
2,000 per bedroom 40% 200 100 30 30
CH Row house or
townhouse
130,000 plus
10,000 per bedroom 40% 200 100 30 30
CH
Any other
permitted
structure or
principal use
15,000 40% 80 30 15 15
VB
Any permitted
structure or
principal use
15,000 30% 80 30 15 15
I
Any permitted
structure or use,
other than those
listed for CH Zone
20,000 50% 100 30 15 40
Source: Town of Brewster Zoning Bylaw, Section 179: Attachment 2, Area Regulations and Attachment 3, Height and
Bulk Regulations
*For CH and I districts, the lot coverage is based upon buildable uplands within a lot; for all other districts, lot coverage is
based upon total lot area. For all districts, maximum building height is 30 feet.
ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
Cluster Development. Section 179-35 under Article IX provides for cluster residential development,
which is intended to allow flexibility in lot sizes and building arrangements while maintaining the
existing character of the town. Cluster residential development, however, is only permitted by special
use permit granted by the Planning Board. Any parcel of at least ten acres in size in the RR, RL, and
RM districts may be used for a cluster development and divided into lots for a single-family residential
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52
use, and the basic number of dwelling units may not exceed the number of units which could be
developed with a conventional plan for land in the RR, RL, or RM districts.
Major Residential Development. Also under Article IX, Section 179-35.2 allows for major residential
development, permitted by special use permit from the Planning Board. The Planning Board may
authorize flexible development within a major residential development, including the provision that
each lot shall have an area of at least half that required under Table 2.2 of Section 179-16 – Area
Regulations. The Planning Board may also approve a density bonus for major residential
developments for up to 15 percent more units than the basic number of maximum dwelling units to
encourage development of affordable units. Such an approval must be satisfactory to the Brewster
Housing Authority and include long-term income eligibility restrictions that meet the guidelines of
state or federal housing programs. Subsidized elderly housing is also allowed in a major residential
development. As a condition of the special permit, the Planning Board may require a development
schedule limiting the rate of development. In no event can a development be limited to fewer than six
lots or dwelling units per year or be obliged to spread development out over more than eight years.
Planned Residential Development. Section 179-36 under Article IX allows for Planned Residential
Development (PRD), which is intended to provide an alternate pattern of land development to that
permitted in the RM and RL residential zones while encouraging a greater mixture of housing types.
Planned residential development is only permitted by special permit in the RM and RL residential
districts and requires a minimum of twenty-five contiguous acres of buildable upland. Single-family
attached or detached dwellings, two-family, and multifamily dwellings are permitted within a
planned residential development; there is no minimum lot size for individual lots, no minimum
percentage of lot coverage, and no minimum lot width in a planned residential development, thus
allowing for greater density.
Natural Resource Protection Design. Lastly, under Article XIII, Section 179-69, Natural Resource
Protection Design (NRPD) is intended to protect water resources and preserve the open space in the
District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC, described below in the “Special Districts” section).
Similar to the alternative development patterns described above, the NRPD bylaw uses flexible
regulations for density and lot dimensions to promote and encourage creativity in neighborhood
design, protect water resources, and preserve contiguous open space and environmental resources.
The primary difference is that NRPD not involving other uses requiring a special permit is allowed
by right in the DCPC in areas with an underlying residential designation, subject to the requirements
regulating the subdivision of land (if applicable) and subject to endorsement by the Planning Board.
To enable the Planning Board to determine whether a proposed NRPD satisfies the purposes and
standards of the bylaw, an applicant must present sufficient information on the environmental and
open space resources for the Board to make such determination. Each underlying residential district
has a minimum requirement for preserved open space, and there is no minimum lot size or maximum
number or units; rather, a net acreage calculation described in Section 179-72.1 is applied to the plan,
and the allowable number of residential units is determined by this net acreage calculation and an
allowed density that varies by district (Section 179-72.2)
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SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Floodplain District. The purpose of this overlay district is to regulate development in areas subject to
coastal storm flowage, particularly high hazard velocity zones, in order to minimize threats to public
safety, potential loss of life, personal injury, destruction of property, and environmental damage
inevitably resulting from storms, flooding, erosion and relative sea level rise. All uses otherwise
permitted in the underlying district are allowed; however, where the Floodplain District Bylaw
imposes additional or conflicting regulations, the more stringent local regulations prevail. All
development in the Floodplain District must comply with the Massachusetts State Building Code
dealing with construction in floodplains and coastal high hazards.
Wetlands Conservancy District. The purpose of these districts is to preserve and maintain the
groundwater table; to protect coastal and inland waters; to protect public health and safety; to protect
persons and property from the hazards of flood and tidal waters; and to conserve the natural character
of the environment, wildlife, and open space for the general welfare of the public. No residential or
commercial structures, sewage disposal systems, storage tanks or other potential sources of
substantial pollution are permitted in this district.
Water Quality Protection District. Article XI establishes the Water Quality Protection District, which
ensures an adequate quality and quantity of drinking water for the residents, institutions, and
businesses of Brewster. The provisions of this Article are superimposed over all zoning districts and
all land within Brewster and function as an overlay district. In addition, this article establishes specific
requirements for land uses and activities within the District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC),
which includes Zone I and Zone II areas, as well as the Pleasant Bay Watershed. The construction of
ten or more dwelling units in the Water Quality Protection District requires a special permit from the
Planning Board. No building permit or certificate of occupancy will be issued by the Building
Commissioner unless a certificate of water quality compliance has been applied for or obtained by the
owner of a property from the Water Quality Review Committee.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS
In 1973 the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District was created, following Route 6A and covering
portions of Brewster and five other Cape towns. Individual properties were not inventoried as part of
the district’s creation. Property owners must submit any exterior changes that are visible from a public
way, park, or body of water to the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District Commission for
approval. A variety of exterior features are often exempt such as air conditioning units, storm doors,
storm windows, paint color, and temporary structures. The decision on which features are exempt
from review depends on the specifics of the local bylaw. Map 14 displays the portion of the Old King’s
Highway Regional Historic District that runs through Brewster.
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Socio-Political Considerations
Input gathered during this Housing Plan community engagement process indicated public
acknowledgement that the cost of housing is a barrier for the average household and that supply is a
growing issue for a range of income levels. However, survey open response comments on indicate
there may be the continued need for community conversations about housing, with “NIMBY”-ism
(“not in my back yard”) and resistance to change identified as significant barriers toward housing
development by survey respondents. Additionally, results from the recent Vision Planning
community survey showed overall less support for the housing goals than other topics. Making
progress on these efforts will require continued strong political leadership regarding housing issues
and raising community awareness about the relationship between housing and other issues facing the
community.
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Housing Production Plan Goals
State regulations and DHCD Housing Production Plan Guidelines describe the required framework
the goals of a Housing Production Plan, directing communities to include both qualitative and
quantitative goals based upon community and regional needs.46 Qualitative goals should support a
mix of housing types that: are affordable at a range of income levels; provide for a range of housing
types for families, individuals, persons with special needs, and older adults; and are feasible within
the housing market.
In addition, plans must include a quantitative goal for an annual increase in SHI-eligible housing units
by at least 0.50 percent of its year-round housing count. Communities that meet their annual goal can
request a one-year certification of compliance (often referred to as safe harbor) with DHCD, and
communities that reach a 1.0 percent target are eligible for a two-year certification of compliance.
Achieving this “safe harbor” threshold and receiving a one- or two-year certification allows
communities to have a more flexible approach to managing the comprehensive permit process,
despite being below the overall 10 percent target for SHI units.47 To meet this threshold for one-year
certification of this plan, Brewster currently would need to produce twenty-four new SHI-eligible
affordable housing units in a given calendar year based upon the 2010 Census year-round housing
count, and forty-eight units for a two-year certification.48
BREWSTER’S HOUSING GOALS
The following four major qualitative goals are based on the preceding Housing Needs Assessment
and community participation. They are broken up into more specific “subgoals,” but this HPP’s four
major goals serve to address the breadth of Brewster’s housing needs. The next section of this plan
outlines specific strategies for achieving these goals over the next five years.
GOAL 1. Increase and diversify year-round housing options in Brewster for a range of income
levels and household types.
• Increase the supply of market-rate and affordable rental housing for all types of households,
such as young singles and couples, families, and older adults.
• Diversify housing types and forms to meet local needs.
46 760 CMR 56.03(4)(c) and corresponding DHCD Housing Production Plan Guidelines, October 2020.
47 If a community is certified compliant, decisions made by the Zoning Board of Appeals to deny a comprehensive permit will be
deemed “consistent with local needs” by the Housing Appeals Committee and will be upheld as a matter of law.
48 While the 2020 Census count for total housing units has been released as of publication of this plan, the year-round housing
count has not. Appendix D offers three methodologies for calculating an estimated annual goal, all of which arrive at a similar
threshold (24-26 units per year). However, these estimates are meant to be a guide, as DHCD ultimately will determine the
threshold based upon the 2020 Census year-round housing count when it becomes available.
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• Ensure an adequate supply of housing that is affordable and accessible to older adults and
people with disabilities.
• Integrate affordable housing into existing neighborhoods and developments through infill,
reuse or repurposing of existing buildings, and the redevelopment of underutilized buildings
or properties.
• Review and update Brewster’s zoning and other housing regulations and policies to support
development that increases fair, affordable housing and housing choice.
GOAL 2. Prevent displacement of current residents and facilitate housing mobility for
households looking to move within or into Brewster.
• Preserve Brewster’s existing supply of year-round rental housing.
• Ensure that older adults can age in place or within the community.
• Provide direct assistance to income-eligible households experiencing housing insecurity or
looking for a new home.
• Preserve Brewster’s existing affordable housing stock.
GOAL 3. Align development with the principles of the Town’s Local Comprehensive Plan/Vision
Plan.
• Build support for addressing housing needs through partnerships with groups and
organizations connected to each of the Vision Plan’s eight core elements.
• Ensure adequate staff capacity and other resources for addressing the housing-related goals
and actions of the Vision Plan.
• Continue to thoughtfully address concerns about issues sometimes seen as conflicting with
the development of fair, affordable housing.
• Balance housing goals with protection of the natural environment by targeting housing
production in and near areas where development already exists; in denser development
nodes; or in areas with higher “walkability scores” and multimodal transportation
opportunities.
GOAL 4. Continue to build capacity to produce housing through staffing, funding, regional
partnerships, advocacy and education, and relationships with nonprofit and for-profit
developers.
• Ensure regular collaboration between housing staff and other departments, Town bodies,
regional entities, housing developers, and other relevant groups.
• Explore additional funding sources to support housing-related initiatives.
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• Build awareness of affordable and fair housing needs within Brewster and the larger region,
as well as Brewster’s role in addressing these issues.
• Investigate and leverage available federal, state, and regional housing funds and resources.
ALIGNMENT WITH REGIONAL GOALS
In 2018, the Cape Cod Commission, Barnstable County’s regional planning and regulatory agency,
published its fifth Regional Policy Plan to outline a regional vision for Cape Cod. 49 This vision is based
upon three systems – natural systems, built systems, and community systems. Housing is primarily
addressed as part of the “community system” umbrella, although topics relevant to housing are
discussed in all three systems. The goals of this Housing Production Plan align with the CCC’s
Regional Policy Plan’s Housing Goal and supporting objectives, which are as follows:
Regional Policy Plan Housing Goal: To promote the production of an adequate supply of ownership and
rental housing that is safe, healthy, and attainable for people with different income levels and diverse
needs.
Supporting Objectives:
1. Promote an increase in housing diversity and choice.
2. Promote an increase in year-round housing supply.
3. Protect and improve existing housing stock.
4. Increase housing affordability.
Additionally, the CCC is embarking on a Regional Housing Strategy (an action described in the 2018
Regional Policy Plan) and Regional Housing Suitability Analysis, with both initiatives including
specific strategies also incorporated in this HPP. The next section of this plan outlines these strategies
and others — twenty-nine in total — that will enable the Town to achieve its housing goals and meet
local needs.
49 Cape Cod Commission, Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan: Framing the Future, 2018.
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Housing Strategies
As described in the previous section, DHCD encourages cities and towns to prepare, adopt, and
implement a Housing Production Plan that demonstrates an annual increase in Chapter 40B (SHI-
eligible) units equal to or greater than 0.50 percent of the community’s year-round housing units.
However, as noted elsewhere in this plan, Brewster’s housing challenges go well beyond the
affordability needs that Chapter 40B intends to address. Just as Brewster has many housing choice
problems, it also has options available to address them. Namely, removing regulatory barriers to
housing production, providing adequate resources to support housing initiatives, coordinating
housing efforts with local comprehensive and other planning efforts, continuing to educate leaders
and community members about housing needs, and collaborating with regional partners will all be
important components of a successful housing program. Through this Housing Production Plan,
Brewster can plan strategically and creatively about how to address its affordable housing needs.
PROGRESS SINCE 2017
Brewster has made significant progress implementing its 2017 Housing Production Plan and
establishing a robust housing program. Steps taken in fulfillment of the 2017 HPP strategies include:
ü Hiring a housing coordinator with CPA and Town funds (2017)
ü Creating a municipal affordable housing trust and supporting with CPA and Town funds
(2018)
ü Adopting the current Accessory Dwelling Unit and Accessory Commercial Dwelling Unit
bylaws (2018)
ü Planning for the protection of existing SHI units through a $500,000 CPA allocation to the
Trust (2019)
ü Supporting chapter 40B-permitted projects to create sixteen Habitat for Humanity ownership
homes (Paul Hush Way, fourteen units completed in 2020; Red Top Road, two units permitted
in 2021) and thirty affordable rental units (Brewster Woods; expected to be ready for
occupancy in 2022)
ü Establishing a policy (via the Select Board) to allocate 50 percent of the new short-term rental
revenue to the Trust (2021)
ü Teaming with Dennis and Wellfleet to apply for a $1,300,000 regional Housing Rehabilitation
and Childcare Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and continuing this program
into its second year (2021-2022)
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ü Redeveloping the former Wingate Rehabilitation Center into 132 rental units — 27 of which
are affordable — for adults 55+ through a public-private partnership with Elevation Financial
(2021-2022)
ü Using CPA funds to support regional housing development, including: FORWARD in Dennis,
a housing development for adults with autism (2019, $80,000); a veterans’ home in Dennis for
the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center (2021, $50,000); and most recently, Pennrose
in Orleans (2022, $105,000).
ü Contributing CPA funding to support Community Development Partnership’s Housing
Institute, a training program to equip local officials and residents with knowledge to support
the creation of more year-round housing in Brewster and the region (2018-2022)
ü Issuing an RFP for the development of a 16+ acre parcel of Town-owned land off Millstone
Road (2021) and accepted a proposal to develop a compact, energy-efficient neighborhood of
forty-five rental units in twelve buildings (2022)
LOOKING FORWARD: 2022-2027 STRATEGIES
Organization
The actions outlined in this plan fall into overarching groups modeled after the categories of the 2017
HPP (Regulatory Strategies, Funding & Assets, Education & Advocacy, and Local Policy & Planning) with
the addition of a fifth category, Community Resources & Local Support. In addition, 760 CMR 56.03(4)(d)
outlines requirements for strategies that will facilitate the production of SHI-eligible housing units,
although plans can include additional strategies based on local need. The strategies of this HPP
dovetail well with DHCD’s requirements, as shown in Table 22, which outlines the relationship
between these two organizational frameworks.
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Table 22. Relationship Between Regulatory Framework & Brewster HPP Strategies
760 CMR 56.03 4(d)(1) 4(d)(2) 4(d)(3) 4(d)(4) 4(d)(5) Other
DHCD Housing
Production Plan
Regulatory
Requirement
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.
The identification of
specific sites for
which the
municipality will
encourage the filing
of Comprehensive
Permit applications.
Characteristics of
proposed residential or
mixed-use developments
that would be preferred
by the municipality
(examples might include
cluster developments,
adaptive re-use, transit-
oriented housing, mixed-
use development,
inclusionary housing, etc.).
Identification of
municipally owned
parcels for which the
municipality commits
to issue requests for
proposals to develop
SHI Eligible Housing.
Participation in
regional
collaborations
addressing housing
development.
While these strategies fall
outside of the regulatory
framework because they do
not address production of
SHI-eligible units, they
nonetheless address
existing housing needs
including capacity as well as
support for households
struggling to remain in or
move to Brewster.
Regulatory
Reform
Strategies 1-7 ✓ Strategies 1-4 ✓ Strategies 5-6 ✓ Strategy 7
Funding & Assets
Strategies 8-17 ✓ Strategy 15 ✓ Strategies 16-17 ✓ Strategy 8 ✓ Strategies 9-14
Education
& Advocacy
Strategies 18-21 ✓ Strategy 19 ✓ Strategies 18, 20, 21
Local Planning
& Policy
Strategies 22-25
✓ Strategy 22 ✓ Strategy 24 ✓ Strategy 23, 25
Community
Resources &
Local Support
Strategies 26-29
✓ Strategies 26-29
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Regulatory Reform
STRATEGY 1. Reevaluate the existing ADU and ACDU bylaws and other references to accessory
apartments and explore amendments to streamline these provisions and improve their efficacy. The
Town’s current ADU bylaw (Section 179-42.2) allows homeowners in the Town’s residential districts
to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right on lots over 30,000 square feet, and by special permit
on smaller lots, lots within the C-H or V-B districts, or within certain water protection areas.50
Additionally, the ACDU bylaw (Section 179-42.3) allows property owners to add an accessory
dwelling unit to a commercial property by special permit in the C-H and V-B zoning districts. Prior
to the addition of this bylaw in 2018, Brewster’s zoning allowed affordable accessory dwelling and
commercial dwelling units (AADUs and AACDUs) that had to meet the bylaw’s definition of
“affordable housing,” making it very difficult for homeowners to create such a unit. This 2018 bylaw
amendment also removed a provision in Section 179, Table 2 (Area Regulations), Footnote 13 that
required “accessory apartments” allowed by special permit to be rented to immediate family members
or healthcare professionals providing service to the family members.
While these amendments have made it easier for homeowners to create ADUs, the Town should
reexamine the current bylaw and consider whether some current provisions limiting its use could be
removed. As an example, the current bylaw requires that an ADU not be more than 40 percent of the
primary residence or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller. This 40 percent limit may preclude owners
of smaller homes from creating an ADU. Other Lower Cape communities either do not have a
percentage limitation (only a square footage cap) or have a 50 percent limit, which is in line with the
Cape Cod Commission’s model ADU bylaw.51 Lastly, keeping the special permit provision for
“accessory apartments” as a footnote in the zoning bylaw’s Area Regulations may make the process
confusing to homeowners, particularly because this provision does not include the 40 percent limit
and allows a different maximum unit size of 600 square feet. The Town may wish to consolidate any
references in the bylaw to accessory residential units to avoid duplication or confusion.
STRATEGY 2. Amend zoning to clearly allow mixed uses that include housing in business-zoned areas.
While Brewster has a limited supply of mixed-use properties that include some balance of residential
and commercial uses, the Town does not have a mixed use bylaw that explicitly defines and allows
commercial/residential mixed use in specific zoning districts.52 More clearly allowing mixed use in
the C-H or V-B districts and building it into the Use Regulations and Area Regulations as a distinct
use could provide an avenue for creating much-needed additional rental units. While the ACDU
bylaw allows the creation of an accessory dwelling unit within or adjacent to a commercial building,
it only does so as an accessory use and within the area requirements for commercial buildings
currently defined under Table 2, Area Regulations. Creating a “mixed use” designation as a use
category would allow the Town to consider specific area regulations suitable for mixed use, and could
50 Sections 179-42.2, Paragraph B: “An ADU may be located within a Zone II (Zone of Contribution to a Public Drinking Water
Well), in the watershed of the Herring River, or the watershed to Pleasant Bay, subject to approval of a Special Permit by the
Zoning Board of Appeals. All ADUs within these areas shall be required to install advanced nitrogen treatment septic systems, if
deemed necessary.”
51 Cape Cod Commission, “Inventory of Accessory Dwelling Unit Provisions by Town.” Updated November 2021. Available at
https://www.capecodcommission.org/resource-
library/file/?url=/dept/commission/team/Website_Resources/housing/ADU_Table_Nov2021.pdf
52 Outside of an existing reference in the underutilized Planned Residential Development provision
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potentially also allow “top of the shop” housing units that are not accessory to the commercial use
below it, but could be divided from the commercial space below and owned separately.
STRATEGY 3. Conduct an inventory of nonconforming lots and consider allowing small affordable units on
lots that are otherwise unbuildable under zoning based upon findings. Assessor’s records indicate that
there are over 300 parcels considered “undevelopable residential land.” Typically, this designation is
used for parcels that do not meet lot size or frontage requirements as opposed to indicating an
environmental constraint. These parcels appear to be scattered throughout Town with varying
degrees of access from roadways. The Town should inventory these lots and assess their suitability
for housing depending on their degree of nonconformity, neighborhood context, environmental
concerns, and other considerations as a first step. If this process reveals a significant number of parcels
that do not mean zoning requirements but are otherwise appropriate for housing, the Town could
move to allow smaller affordable units on these properties. Such units may require some form of
subsidy, but making additional land available could support production of scattered-site units by
mission-based organizations like Habitat for Humanity or Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape
Cod.
STRATEGY 4. Reevaluate the existing multifamily dwelling bylaw (Section 179-34) and consider
amendments that could facilitate the production of multi-unit residential development. As described in
the Barriers Analysis of this plan, the Town’s current multifamily dwelling bylaw has density and lot
size requirements that are unlikely to result in multi-unit residential development, demonstrated by
the fact that this portion of the bylaw has not been exercised.53 In addition, “multifamily dwellings”
(defined in the bylaw as a building containing three or more dwelling units) are only allowed by in
the C-H district by special permit. The Town could consider revisiting the current density and lot size
requirements for Section 179-34, as well as expanding the locations where such development is
allowed.
STRATEGY 5. Explore measures to require or encourage the inclusion of affordable units in residential
developments over a certain number of units. Such measures can include the adoption of an
Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) bylaw, which requires the provision a minimum percentage of affordable
units in residential developments over a specified size. Adopting an IZ bylaw may be particularly
important if the Town moves to implement the previous recommendation to amend the multifamily
dwelling bylaw, which could spur the production of such units; by establishing an IZ bylaw, the Town
can ensure that multi-unit residential development occurring under a revised Section 179-34 — or any
other residential development over a certain size — would include affordable units. As part of this
review, the Town could also explore whether a new IZ bylaw should include a provision for
“payments in lieu of units” (PILUs), whereby developers can pay an established fee to the Affordable
Housing Trust in lieu of providing the required number of affordable units.
Alternatively (or in addition to IZ), the Town could enrich the underutilized Major Residential
Development (Section 139-35.2) or Planned Residential Development (Section 179-36) bylaws to
encourage the inclusion of affordable units, as suggested in the 2017 HPP. The Town could also
activate the “reserved” Affordable Multifamily Dwelling Units bylaw (Section 179-42.1[C][3]), which
53 There is one large multi-unit development within the C-H district (King’s Landing) and one property assessed as a smaller
apartment building; both of these multi-unit properties were built prior to the adoption of the Town’s Zoning Bylaw in 1979.
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the Use Regulations table indicates would be allowed by right (as opposed to special permit) in the C-
H district. However, as pointed out in the 2017 HPP, this should also involve revisiting the limitation
on number of bedrooms in the definition of “Affordable Multifamily Dwelling Units (AMDU)” in
Section 179-2 to eliminate potential fair housing conflicts. Additionally, reference to immediate family
should be removed from the definition of “Affordable Housing" in Section 179-2 to avoid confusion
about the intent of the bylaw.
STRATEGY 6. Allow and incentivize the adaptive reuse of existing buildings for the creation of affordable
and mixed income housing. In 2020, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted Elevation Financial a use
variance to develop the former Wingate Rehabilitation Center into housing. While this successful
public-private partnership will lead to the creation of 132 units of 55+ housing (27 units of which are
affordable), the legal mechanism by which this was accomplished is difficult to replicate.
Massachusetts law outlines the specific findings a ZBA must make to grant a variance, and generally
it is challenging to meet these requirements. Instead, the Town could explore allowing conversion of
existing structures to residential uses by special permit or incentivizing adaptive reuse of existing
structures to facilitate housing production.
STRATEGY 7. Working with the Board of Health and utilizing the findings of the ongoing Integrated Water
Resource Management Plan, continue to identify appropriate wastewater treatment systems to enable the
creation of denser housing development that can support the inclusion of affordable units. The Town is
currently in Phase III of its Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, or IWRMP, a long-term
project to develop an integrated approach for the protection and restoration of the Town’s waters.
This phase of the project will address water resources planning, including an evaluation of wastewater
management alternatives and bylaw updates to implement the stormwater management
recommendations of Phase II. The findings of this project will help inform solutions that may enable
the provision of denser development alongside protection of the environment.
Funding & Assets
STRATEGY 8. Continue to work with nearby communities on the Cape by pooling CPA funds and other
revenue to construct affordable housing in suitable locations throughout the region and meet regional
housing needs. Section 5(b)(1) of the Community Preservation Act legislation reads: “The community
preservation committee shall study the needs, possibilities and resources of the city or town regarding
community preservation, including the consideration of regional projects for community preservation.”
(Emphasis added.) Recognizing that addressing regional housing creation benefits all area
communities, Brewster has contributed CPA funds toward several regional housing initiatives in
recent years, including funding for homes for adults with autism in Orleans (Cape Cod Village, 2016)
and Dennis (FORWARD, 2019), a veterans’ home in Dennis (for CIVOC, 2021), and most recently
toward Pennrose in Orleans, a redevelopment project that will provide sixty-two rental units. The
developer is proposing 65 percent local preference and 10 percent regional preference, the breakdown
approved by DHCD for the Village at Nauset Green in Eastham. Based on DHCD local preference
definitions, applicants who work in Orleans, for the Town of Orleans, or whose children attend the
Nauset Regional Middle or High School, are considered part of the local preference pool even if they
do not live in Orleans.
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STRATEGY 9. Develop a five-year financial plan for the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust and determine
whether additional funding streams should be explored. Both the Select Board and Affordable Housing
Trust identify this as a key priority; the Select Board’s FY2022-2023 Strategic Plan includes Goal H-1
to “Identify Affordable Housing Trust operating/capital needs and develop funding plan,” and the
Affordable Housing Trust’s Key Priorities for 2022 include developing a “5-Year Financial Plan for the
Trust.”
STRATEGY 10. Based upon the BAHT five-year financial plan, explore other funding opportunities to
support housing initiatives at a range of income levels. Depending on the needs identified as part of the
BAHT’s financial plan, the Town can also look at creative ways to increase funding for housing
initiatives, both to support the mission of the BAHT and the income levels it is intended to serve (up
to 110 percent AMI), as well as potentially funding housing initiatives beyond this level. While the
primary purpose of a Housing Production Plan is to increase the share of SHI-eligible units within a
community and work toward the state’s 10 percent minimum goal, there are also substantial housing
needs outside of these income levels because the supply of housing — particularly rental housing —
does not meet the demand. Provincetown addressed this need by passing a home rule petition to
establish its Year-Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust to “create and preserve year-round rental
units in the town of Provincetown including, but not limited to, market rate units for the benefit of
residents of the Town.” The legislature approved the Town’s home rule petition, and the Trust was
officially established in 2016. Chatham has recently taken a similar step, passing three home rule
petitions in 2021 relating to funding the creation of housing for households earning up to 200 percent
of the area median income. One such measure was the local approval of a real estate transfer tax of 0.5
percent on the sale of homes over $2,000,000, paid by the purchaser, with proceeds going into a
“Housing Fund” that would have more leeway than the CPC or AHT in terms of income levels served.
Several other Massachusetts communities passed real estate transfer fee home rule petitions in 2021,
although all are pending at the state level and have not yet received legislative approval.
Because Brewster’s housing needs at lower income levels are the greatest as demonstrated by the
Needs Assessment, the Town should take care not to propose diverting existing funding sources away
from these needs and instead may wish to consider new funding solutions for income levels over 80
percent.
STRATEGY 11. Consider establishing a Housing Opportunity Fund under the Affordable Housing Trust and
regularly applying for CPA funds to build and replenish this resource annually. While Brewster has made
excellent use of CPA funds for housing initiatives, depending on the findings of the Trust’s 5-Year
Financial Plan, the Town may determine that it would be beneficial for the Trust to have more
substantial funds ready for its use. The BAHT would still have to apply to annually for such funds,
but once these CPA funds were awarded to the Trust, they would not need to be reappropriated at
Town Meeting for a specific purpose. This would enable the Trust to act quickly on acquisition
opportunities that may arise. The Town of Hingham follows this practice and has for several years,
with their AHT stating in their 2021 CPA application, “Often unknown opportunities to create new
affordable housing units arise and require immediate responses…. Replenishing the ‘opportunity
fund’ will allow the Trust to respond quickly to those opportunities…”
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STRATEGY 12. Explore local property tax incentives for the creation of affordable housing, such as offering
a reduction of property taxes to an owner renting an affordable unit. By offering to reduce property taxes
for property owners that voluntarily participate in meeting the Town’s affordable housing needs,
Brewster can convert existing units to affordability fairly quickly and easily. Provincetown has had
affordable housing property tax exemptions of this type on the books for years. The law, passed in
2002, makes residential properties occupied by low-income households exempt from taxes. If only
some of a parcel is occupied by an eligible household, taxes are reduced proportionally to the
percentage of the square footage of the structure occupied by that household. Unlike many other
strategies in this section, a Provincetown-style tax incentive would not necessarily involve any formal
deed restrictions, meaning that affordable units created under such a law would not count towards
Brewster’s Subsidized Housing Inventory, but still can address important local needs.
Another way for a town to utilize property taxes to incentivize affordable housing development is
through tax increment financing (TIF). This approach targets new development by allowing a
property owner to waive or reduce property taxes for a set period, which can then be phased back in
gradually, in exchange for including some number of affordable units. TIFs require the establishment
of TIF-designated area approved by the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council, which essentially
requires that the area present “exceptional opportunities for economic development.” Such a measure
may be dependent on the direction of the Vision Planning process with regards to establishing a true
the Town Center or Town Centers.
STRATEGY 13. Continue to partner with the Brewster Housing Authority units to provide more deeply
affordable rental options for both families and older adults. The Brewster Housing Authority has
supported two 40B rental projects — Brewster Woods and Wells Court — through the provision of
BHA land. The Town should continue to partner proactively with BHA to pool resources and explore
solutions that create much-needed deeply affordable rental units.
STRATEGY 14. Explore the feasibility and potential benefits of supporting the creation of a nonprofit
Community Land Trust (CLT) to facilitate more affordable homeownership opportunities. A community
land trust is a strategy pioneered in urban areas experiencing gentrification that attempts to address
the problem of rapidly growing real estate values pricing existing residents out of their own
community. Brewster is experiencing a similar problem related to the seasonal housing market, where
housing units previously available to residents are purchased by relatively wealthy out-of-towners to
serve as vacation homes. A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to
remedy such problems by purchasing parcels of land itself and holding them in perpetuity rather than
allowing them to enter the commercial real estate market. CLT housing differs from most town-
facilitated development in that the Trust retains ownership of the land while selling the houses.
Because homeowners are not buying land, merely leasing it (usually for a long period such as ninety-
nine years), the cost of land is removed from the price of the home, resulting in much more affordable
housing than could otherwise be expected. CLT homeowners may even sell their homes for a profit,
allowing their property to function as an investment like any other, albeit at a lower rate of return as
most Trusts limit the amount that their homes may be sold for to keep them affordable.
STRATEGY 15. Develop criteria for assessing a property’s suitability for the creation of affordable and
attainable housing. Once developed, such criteria can be used in a variety of ways – as part of an RFP
for acquiring land for housing; to assess Chapter 61 properties being considered for acquisition; or for
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evaluating current Town-owned properties or privately held properties of particular interest for their
potential to create housing. Massachusetts Housing Partnership has developed a list of considerations
for determining the feasibility of land for housing development, and the Cape Cod Commission is
also planning to develop criteria to screen parcels for housing development suitability as part of their
current Regional Housing Suitability Analysis project. The Town may wish to build upon these
resources or create its own unique criteria to support the next two strategies of this plan.
STRATEGY 16. Inventory existing Town-owned land using the criteria developed to determine suitability
for housing; develop and issue an RFP for the development of affordable and attainable housing on
properties identified as suitable for housing development. This process was recently undertaken on a
16+ acre of Town-owned land off Millstone Road that was previously landlocked until the Town used
CPA funds in 2018 to acquire an access parcel on Millstone Road. The Town then undertook a
community engagement process to determine criteria that would ultimately inform the development
of an RFP to develop housing on the site. This RFP was issued in 2021 and the Town has since accepted
a proposal to develop forty-five units of rental housing in twelve buildings. The Town could
undertake a similar process for other Town-owned properties deemed suitable for housing, or use the
findings of the Millstone Road community engagement process as a starting point for RFP criteria for
other parcels.
With the recent acquisition of the two Sea Camps properties (a 66-acre parcel extending to Long Pond
and a 55-acre parcel extending from Route 6A to Cape Cod Bay) and the potential for consolidating
the Town’s elementary schools, the Town has significant opportunities ahead to utilize Town-owned
properties and buildings to create a substantial amount of housing.54
STRATEGY 17. If deemed necessary based upon the findings of the Town-owned land inventory, develop
and issue an RFP for the acquisition of privately held land for the creation of affordable and attainable
housing. The Town of Nantucket developed a standard RFP for the acquisition of land for housing and
reissues the RFP at regular intervals. Brewster could follow a similar strategy if the inventory of
currently held Town-owned land reveals a lack of properties currently available to the Town for the
creation of affordable housing. In addition, the Town could expand its analysis of site suitability to
include privately held property and maintain dialogue with property owners so that both parties are
prepared to act in the event that a desirable property that meets the criteria described in Strategy 15
becomes available.
Education & Advocacy
STRATEGY 18. Develop a shared strategic plan for the Brewster Housing Partnership and Brewster
Affordable Housing Trust that includes a comprehensive community education program regarding fair and
affordable housing. Strategy 9 suggests the development of a BAHT financial plan in accordance with
the current strategic plans of both the Select Board and the BAHT. This financial plan could ultimately
fold into a larger long-term strategic plan for the BAHT and Brewster Housing Partnership. This
54 Two of the three options proposed by the Town’s recently completed Elementary Schools Master Plan propose complete closing
one of the Town’s two elementary schools. (Final report dated December 31, 2021; Prepared by Habeeb & Associates Architects
for the Town of Brewster.)
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strategic plan should include specific plans for community engagement regarding fair and affordable
housing issues at the local and regional level to build Town-wide support for housing initiatives.
STRATEGY 19. Connect community education initiatives to each of the overarching topics of the Local
Comprehensive Plan/Vision Plan. Building upon Brewster’s 2018 Vision Plan, the Town is currently
developing a Local Comprehensive Plan following the guidelines of the Cape Cod Commission. The
Vision Planning Committee has centered their work around eight building blocks – Town Character,
Water Resources, Open Space, Housing, Coastal Management, Local Economy, Community
Infrastructure, and Climate Mitigation. While housing has its own building block, housing needs
relate to all of the LCP’s core elements. Tying the Town’s housing program and related educational
initiatives to the Town’s LCP ensures continuity of planning efforts and can build community
awareness of the connection between housing and many other local and regional concerns.
STRATEGY 20. Continue to ensure regular participation by staff and members of Town bodies in available
trainings on housing-related issues including fair housing, local and regional housing needs, comprehensive
permit administration, and other relevant topics. Since 2018, CPC funds have helped fund the Cape
Housing Institute, a training program for local officials and interested residents in support of the
creation of more year-round housing in Brewster and the Lower Cape. Over seventy-five Town staff
and residents have participated in this and other educational trainings and workshops since the 2017
HPP. The Town should continue to encourage this commendable level of involvement, both among
staff and Brewster residents.
STRATEGY 21. Consider hosting an annual Housing Forum and inviting regional partners to cohost or
collaborating and co-sponsoring existing regional opportunities. The BAHT has included hosting an
annual forum (at minimum) as a priority initiative for FY2022-2023, in addition to holding or
participating other community housing educational initiatives. At the local level, the BAHT could
partner with the Brewster Housing Partnership and Brewster Housing Authority to co-sponsor such
an effort, which could be further enriched by inviting regional partners or representation from other
Lower Cape towns.
Local Policy & Planning
STRATEGY 22. Continue to make good use of Chapter 40B, including the Local Initiative Program (LIP), as
a vehicle for creating affordable housing. As shown in Appendix C, “Brewster 40B and Affordable
Housing Table,” Brewster has a strong track record of using 40B as a tool to create both affordable
ownership and rental opportunities in partnership with developers. Habitat for Humanity’s Red Top
Road project, permitted in 2021 as a LIP project, will create two affordable ownership units and
provides the most recent example of Brewster’s success using 40B in a cooperative manner. The Local
Initiative Program, or LIP, is often referred to as the “Friendly 40B” process because the municipality
and developer submit a joint application to DHCD. If the LIP application is approved, DHCD issues
a project eligibility letter so that the developer can apply for a Comprehensive Permit application with
the Zoning Board of Appeals. Thus, going through the LIP process ensures that the Town is involved
in shaping project plans before a developer applies for a Comprehensive Permit.
STRATEGY 23. Continue to monitor the impacts of short-term rentals on the availability of year-round
rental units; review and consider changes to local policies accordingly. As described in the Needs
Assessment, the increase in short-term rentals and seasonal homes appears to have had a negative
Brewster Housing Production Plan
June 2022 DRAFT
68
impact on the Town’s already-limited supply of year-round rental units. The degree of this impact is
currently based on estimates rather than actual counts and will become clearer with the full release of
the 2020 Census — although much has changed even in the last two years. Because of the lack of
current data and the uniqueness of the Cape’s housing situation, the Town should consider strategies
to monitor whether a home is used a primary or secondary residence or as a short-term rental unit.
Having a closer handle on these trends will allow the Town to carefully observe changing trends and
their impacts and adjust Town policies if needed.
STRATEGY 24. Develop design guidelines for multi-unit housing. One of the common concerns about
multi-unit housing is its visual compatibility with a neighborhood or community. Creating multi-unit
design guidelines has the benefit of addressing concerns that really come from poor design rather than
density and can facilitate development if developers know what to expect. This action aligns with the
Cape Cod Commission’s current work developing a Regional Housing Strategy, which is anticipated
to include the development of residential design guidelines to “create more diversity in housing
options and types . . . in forms that still complement and fit in with the character of the region.”55
STRATEGY 25. Increase housing staff capacity to ensure continued and consistent collaboration with the
Building, Conservation, Health, and Planning Departments. The 2017 HPP recommended hiring a
Housing Coordinator to facilitate the implementation of the plan, an action quickly undertaken by the
Town in 2017 with Town Meeting approval of the use of CPA funds to support this position. Initially,
this position was approved for nineteen hours a week but increased to twenty-five hours in 2020 and
most recently was approved in 2022 for thirty hours per week due to the increased number of housing
initiatives and support services. This HPP includes more strategies than the 2017 plan, and
implementing such a robust housing program requires time and a central “point person” to oversee
the Town’s housing program in coordination with other Town departments.
Community Resources & Local Support
STRATEGY 26. Continue the CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation program to enable income-eligible
homeowners to make critical home repairs. Brewster is entering its second year of a $1.3 million-dollar
regional Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for housing rehabilitation and childcare. The
funds aid eligible low to moderate income residents, earning up to 80 percent of the area median
income. The housing rehabilitation funds can provide a forgivable deferred 0.0 percent interest loan
up to $40,000 to make critical home repairs. The BAHT has identified examining the reach of this
program and considering whether the Trust needs to supplement the program as a current priority
initiative.
STRATEGEY 27. Evaluate the Rental Assistance Program and consider offering a Family Self-Sufficiency
component to the program. When the income of an individual holding a Section 8 rental voucher
increases, their portion of rent is increased due to program rules. A Family Self-Sufficiency Program
takes this difference between the new increased rent and the old rent and places it into an escrow
account that the individual can access upon completing the program. This option can help an
individual graduating out of the rental voucher program because the accumulated funds can allow
55 Cape Cod Commission, “Regional Housing Strategy Housing Work One Pager,” May 2022 Draft. (Project elements subject to
change.)
Brewster Housing Production Plan
June 2022 DRAFT
69
them to navigate the costs of moving into a new home more easily. In addition to considering a Family
Self-Sufficiency Program, the Town may wish to evaluate the program’s effectiveness based on
current needs, a priority action included in the BAHT’s current priority initiatives.
STRATEGY 28. Continue efforts to preserve SHI homes, including evaluate the “buy down”/down
payment/closing cost assistance program and consider adjustments to meet current needs. With the
support of CPA funds, the Town currently provides up to $30,000 of grant assistance for eligible
buyers purchasing a home in Brewster. The program is contingent on existing funds and is available
to households qualifying at 80 percent of area median income who agree to place a permanent
affordable housing deed restriction on the home. The BAHT currently lists determining the future of
this program as a current priority initiative.
STRATEGY 29. Explore other opportunities for direct support for eligible households, including
partnerships with local non-profits and housing assistance providers. The BAHT’s current priority
initiatives specifically call out re-examining the current rental voucher and “buy down” programs as
described above, as well as exploring the possibility of a “rent to own” program. Housing Assistance
Corporation and Community Development Partnership both offer a variety of programs for
households, including homebuyer education programs and Rental Assistance for Families in
Transition (RAFT), and foreclosure prevention.
Brewster Housing Production Plan
June 2022 DRAFT
70
A p pendices
Summary of Appendices
• Appendix A. Summary of Published Rental Listings from May 2018-2022
• Appendix B. Income Levels and Household Examples, FY2020
• Appendix C. Brewster Comprehensive Permit Projects (40B) Approved Since 2003 &
Additional Reference Information
• Appendix D. Numerical Goal Methodology
• Appendix E. Community Engagement Summary
Rent Size Beds Baths Bldg Type Listing Month Listing Year
$1,975 1,400 ft²4 bed 2ba House April 2018
$270 2 bed 1ba Apartment May 2018
$1,750 1,200 ft²3 bed 2ba House June 2018
$7,500 1,100 ft²2 bed 2ba House June 2018
$1,900 3 bed 2ba House August 2018
$1,050 1,100 ft²2 bed 1ba House August 2018
$2,000 1,688 ft²3 bed 2ba House September 2018
$900 900 ft²3 bed 1ba House September 2018
$1,025 studio 1ba Condo October 2018
$1,500 768 ft²2 bed 1ba House January 2019
$1,200 1 bed 1ba Apartment February 2019
$1,500 2,000 ft²4 bed 3ba House May 2019
$2,200 1,300 ft²2 bed 1ba Apartment May 2019
$1,950 1,040 ft²2 bed 1.5ba House May 2019
$2,200 1,500 ft²3 bed 2.5ba House July 2019
$2,600 2,200 ft²4 bed 2.5ba House September 2019
$1,250 1,000 ft²2 bed 2ba Condo September 2019
$1,500 1 bed 1ba Apartment September 2019
$1,175 3 bed 2ba House October 2019
$1,750 800 ft²2 bed 1ba Apartment November 2019
$2,200 1,560 ft²3 bed 2ba House December 2019
$2,400 1,446 ft²3 bed 2ba House December 2019
$1,500 800 ft²2 bed 1ba Cottage/Cabin December 2019
$1,400 579 ft²1 bed 1ba Apartment January 2020
$1,950 3 bed 2ba House March 2020
$1,100 300 ft²studio 1ba Apartment March 2020
$1,800 3 bed 1ba Apartment May 2020
$2,400 2 bed 1ba Apartment May 2020
$1,100 600 ft²1 bed 1ba Condo May 2020
$1,100 1,196 ft²3 bed 2ba Apartment July 2020
$1,500 2,373 ft²3 bed 2ba House July 2020
$1,000 1 bed 1ba Apartment July 2020
$900 1 bed 1ba Apartment August 2020
$3,000 2,100 ft² 4 bed 2.5ba House November 2020
$1,800 424 ft²1 bed 1ba Apartment April 2021
$1,800 424 ft²1 bed 1ba Apartment May 2021
$1,700 579 ft²1 bed 1ba Apartment May 2021
$1,450 4 bed 3ba House June 2021
$1,200 600 ft²1 bed 1ba Condo June 2021
$665 1 bed 1ba Apartment July 2021
$2,000 2,000 ft 4 bed 2ba House August 2021
$3,000 2,400 ft²3 bed 3ba House September 2021
$2,300 1,592 ft²2 bed 2ba House October 2021
$1,500 424 ft²1 bed 1ba House October 2021
$1,416 400 ft²studio 1ba Apartment October 2021
$2,000 1,021 ft²2 bed 2ba Apartment November 2021
$1,100 1 bed 1ba Apartment November 2021
$2,000 2,712 ft²4 bed 3.5ba House December 2021
$900 2 bed 1ba Apartment May 2022
BREWSTER 2022 HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
APPENDIX A
Summary of Published Rental Listings from May 2018-May 2022
Source: Rentometer, May 26, 2022
Income Levels and Household Examples, FY2020
FY 2020
Income Limits
Household Size Household Examples
1 2 3 4 5 6 (2 examples per category)
Extremely Low
Income (Up to
30% HAMFI)
$ 20,300 $ 23,200 $ 26,100 $ 29,000 $ 31,350 $ 35,160
•A florist ($23,608) with 2 children
•An office supply store worker ($21,320)
with 1 child
Very Low
Income
(Up to 50%
HAMFI)
$ 33,850 $ 38,650 $ 43,500 $ 48,300 $ 52,200 $ 56,050
•A single home health aide ($28,340 )
•A social worker ($43,368 ) and stay-at-home
parent with 1 child
Low
Income
(Up to 80%
HAMFI)
$ 54,150 $ 61,850 $ 69,600 $ 77,300 $ 83,500 $ 89,700
•An auto repair technician ($33,488) and
restaurant server ($28,236)
•An architectural assistant ($56,472) and
retail worker ($26,936) with 3 children
Moderate
Income
(Up to 100%
HAMFI)
$ 67,688 $ 77,313 $ 87,000 $ 96,625 $ 104,375 $ 112,125
•A construction worker ($62,140) and
masonry contractor ($31,460) with 2
children
•A plumber ($66,092) and personal care
assistant ($16,484) with 1 child
Upper
Moderate
Income
(Up to 120%
HAMFI)
$ 81,225 $ 92,775 $ 104,400 $ 115,950 $ 125,250 $ 134,550
•Computer systems designer ($124,488 ) and
a stay-at-home parent with 3 children
•A single dental hygienist ($71,968)
Sources: HUD FY 2020 Income Limits; 2020 Labor Market Information, Employment and Wages (ES-202)
BREWSTER 2022 HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
APPENDIX B
Note that this table uses FY2020 income limits instead of FY2022 because 2020 is the
most current year available for the corresponding Employment and Wages information.
Brewster Comprehensive Permit Projects (40B)
Approved Since 2003 & Additional Reference Information
Tables provided by the Brewster Housing Office.
TOWN SUPPORTED DEVELOPMENTS (LAND OR CPA FUNDING)
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
2021 Habitat for Humanity
26 Red Top Road
1.34 acres
total
2 new homes (&
original home)
New: 6
bedrooms
New: 100% Land donation,
$100,000 CPA
Comp Permit approved
2021.
2017 Brewster Woods
Brewster Housing
Authority (BHA)
5.82 acres 30 rental
2 buildings
5 units/acre
55
1, 2 & 3
Bedrooms
9.5 beds /acre
100%
Up to 60% AMI
$550,000 CPA
BHA Land Lease
70% open space,
12% buildings,
18% pavement/ parking.
1 unit for manager
or maintenance.
2016 Habitat for Humanity
Paul Hush Way
13.92 acres 14 homes
6- Phase 1
8- Phase 2
1 unit/acre
39
2.8 beds /acre
100%
Up to 65% AMI
$600,000 & $247,000
CPA land 2013 &
2014. & 2016 CPA
$350,000. &
$200,000 in 2018
2007 Habitat for Humanity
James Burr Road
1.06 acre
&
3.4 acres
0pen space
4 homes
4 units/acre
or
1 unit/acre
12
11.3 beds/ acre
or
2.7 beds/ acre
100%
Up to 65% AMI
Town gave land
$95,000 CPA funds
$80,000 HOME funds
Homes clustered on
1 acre; 3.4 acres open
space in perpetuity.
Additional town
owned conservation
land across Slough Rd.
2003 Wells Court
(BHA)
3 acres 24 rental
Seniors,
1 building
8 units/acre
24
(1 bedroom)
8 beds/acre
100%
Up to 50%AMI
Land provided by BHA CPA not in existence in
2003, thus no funding.
BREWSTER 2022 HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
APPENDIX C
NON-TOWN SUPPORTED 40B DEVELOPMENTS (NO TOWN FUNDING)
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
2014 Cape View/
Brewster Landing/
Sachemus Trail
9.43 acres 28 homes,
7 affordable
3 units/acre
76
8.1 beds/acre
25%
Up to 80% AMI
----
2014 White Rock Commons 3.64 acres 12 homes,
3 affordable
3 units/acre
36 bedrooms
9.9 beds/acre
25%
Up to 80% AMI
----
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR SHI RENTAL PROPERTIES
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
1973 Kings Landing 14.4 acres 108 rental
10 buildings &
community center
7.5 units/acre
210 bedrooms
26- 1 bed, 66- 2,
12-3 & 4-4
14.5 beds/acre
100%
Up to 80% AMI
Mixed funding
sources. LIHTC,
Project based
vouchers
POAH
1990 BHA
Frederick Court
10.26 acres 32 rental
Townhomes
3.1 units/acre
32 bedrooms
3.1 beds/acre
100%
Up to 80% AMI
State 667 Elderly & Disabled
1989 BHA
Huckleberry Lane
6.55 acres 24 rental
12 duplexes
3.7 units/acre
57 bedrooms
(9-3 & 15- 2bed)
8.7 beds/acre
100%
Up to 80% AMI
State 705 Family
2000 Eagle Point, Inc. .53 acre 3 rental
Single home
5.6 units/acre
4 beds
7.5 beds/acre
On SHI ---- Latham Center, SHI extended
to 2040.
ADDITIONAL SHI HOME OWNERSHIP
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
1990 Belmont Park 26.93 acres
or
(10.35 acres w/ 15+
acres open space)
20 homes
1 unit/ acre or
2 units/ acre
55 beds
2 beds/ acre or
5.13 beds/acre
100% affordable
Up to 80% AMI
Land provided by
Town
Development located on
10.65 acres. 15.81 acres
owned by Brewster &
designated for open space.
1995
Yankee
Drive
12 homes 25% affordable
Up to 80% AMI
---- LIP program. 48 Total homes
(McShane)
2003 Yankee Drive
Condos
3 condos Up to 80% AMI ---- Original comp permit for 7
total units.
AGE 55+ HOUSING
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
2021
Serenity at Brewster
(Former Wingate)
10 acres 132 units
88 Studios &
44 One-bedrooms
132 20% affordable
(Lottery 2022)
27 units,
requested 50%
local preference
----LAU application to DHCD
12/2021.
Phase 1- 41 studios opened
7/ 2021
Phase 2- 91 studios/
1-bedrooms, opening 2022
NURSING HOMES & ASSISTED LIVING
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
2015 Maplewood 22.59 acres 132 units
66 independent assist.
66- leveled care
5.8 units/ acre
10% (14 units)
application
----1 building
33 Memory/nursing
33 assisted with help
1994 Pleasant Bay
Nursing & Rehab
12.6 acres 135 beds
10.7 beds/acre
---- ----1 building
2006 Pleasant Bay
Woodlands
Assisted Living
13.0 acres 59 units
4.5 units/acre
10% (internal
process)
----1 building
RFP ISSUED FOR POTENTIAL TOWN SUPPORTED RENTAL HOUSING
Date Name Land Size Units Bedrooms % Affordable Funding Additional
2022
Town-owned parcel at
0 Millstone Road
16+ acres Rental Units Up to 90
bedrooms
100% affordable Land RFP issued by Housing Trust
10/2021. Proposal received
12/2021 and selected by Trust.
Numerical Goal M ethodology
State regulations and DHCD guidelines require that the Housing Production Plan include a numeric
goal for annual housing production that would increase the number SHI-eligible units by at least a 0.5
percent of the municipality’s total year-round housing units as determined by the current decennial
census. Achieving this goal in a given year allows municipalities with an approved HPP to request a
one-year certification granting “safe harbor” that allows more flexibility in managing the
comprehensive permit process. The year-round housing count based upon the 2020 Census is not
available as of publication of this HPP, but based upon the 2010 Census Year-Round Housing Count,
Brewster’s annual numeric goal should be at least 24 units. Estimates based on extrapolated 2020 year-
round housing counts yield a slightly higher goal of 25-26 units annually. Ultimately, DHCD will
determine the updated 0.5 percent target based upon the 2020 Census year-round housing count when
it becomes available, but the tables below are meant to provide the Town with an estimate of the
anticipated future “safe harbor” threshold.
METHOD #1: Based on 2010 Year-Round Housing Count (Current Official Target)
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Five Year
Overall Goal
Current Total Year-Round Census Units 4,803 4,803 4,803 4,803 4,803
Target SHI Units 24 24 24 24 24 120
Revised SHI Count 292 316 340 364 388 388
Revised SHI 6.1% 6.6% 7.1% 7.6% 8.1% 8.1%
10% Requirement 480 480 480 480 480
Gap 188 164 140 116 92 92
METHOD #2: Based on Estimated 2020 Year-Round Housing Count,
Extrapolated from 2010 Percentage of Vacant Units for Recreational, Seasonal, or Occasional Use
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Five Year
Overall Goal
Estimated Total Year-Round Census Units 5,180 5,180 5,180 5,180 5,180
Target SHI Units 26 26 26 26 26 130
Revised SHI Count 294 320 346 372 398 398
Revised SHI 5.7% 6.2% 6.7% 7.2% 7.7% 7.7%
10% Requirement 518 518 518 518 518
Gap 224 198 172 146 121 121
METHOD #3: Based on Estimated 2020 Year-Round Housing Count,
Extrapolated from 2010 Percentage of Total Housing Units for Year-Round Housing
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Five Year
Overall Goal
Estimated Total Year-Round Census Units 4,981 4,981 4,981 4,981 4,981
Target SHI Units 25 25 25 25 25 125
Revised SHI Count 293 318 343 368 393 393
Revised SHI 5.9% 6.4% 6.9% 7.4% 7.9% 7.9%
10% Requirement 498 498 498 498 498
Gap 205 180 155 131 106 106
BREWSTER 2022 HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
APPENDIX D
BREWSTER HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN
APPENDIX E
E1
Community Engagement Summary
In this section, the “project team” refers to the project consultant (Barrett Planning Group LLC), Brewster
Housing Partnership, and Town staff overseeing the development of this Housing Production Plan – Housing
Coordinator Jill Scalise and Assistant Town Administrator Donna Kalinick.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
The Town of Brewster and Housing Production Plan project team provided multiple opportunities
for participation by local officials and the community at large to guide the development of this plan,
as outlined in the sections below.
Regular Housing Partnership Meetings
The Brewster Housing Partnership met monthly from March 2022 through June 2022 to discuss the
development of this plan with Town staff and the consultant team. Meeting dates and topics were as
follows:
February 10, 2022. During this kickoff meeting, Barrett Planning Group reviewed the project timeline,
community engagement plan, and community survey with the Housing Partnership.
March 10, 2022. Barrett Planning Group discussed the community survey launch, plan for promotion,
and findings of small group interviews. In addition, Barrett Planning Group proposed a strategy
called a “Meeting in a Box” (later updated to a “Community Conversation”) to the Housing
Partnership as a means for creating additional community engagement opportunities.
March 31, 2022. Barrett Planning Group presented preliminary takeaways from community survey
and highlights of the Needs Assessment. The project team also discussed the final protocol for the
Community Conversations, and reviewed plans for the April 28, 2022 community meeting.
April 21, 2022. Barrett Planning Group shared draft slides and plans for the April 28, 2022 community
meeting with the project team.
May 19, 2022. The project team discussed draft goals and strategies for the plan.
[June 2022]
E2
Small Group Interviews
During the month of March 2022, the consultant team conducted small group interviews with a total
of thirty-five individuals familiar with Brewster’s housing needs to get a sense of what has changed
since the last HPP and what needs still remain. Participants included Town staff, members of Town
bodies, representation from housing advocacy groups and social service providers, members of the
business community, realtors, and residents. Common themes from these conversations include:
•There is an insufficient supply of year-round rental units – and some participants made
observations that this is worsening as more renter households are displaced due to the
property owner wanting to sell or convert to short-term rentals.
•The cost of homes has become astronomical (this not unique to Brewster, but a challenge
nonetheless).
•Businesses and some Town departments have difficulty staffing, recruiting, and retaining
employees.
•While there isn’t agreement about precise solutions to these issues, there is consensus that
there is a housing crisis – and the community at large seems to be more aware and willing
to engage in dialogue about this issue.
•The best ways to educate people should focus on: personal stories that highlight the need
of neighbors, those in the community, etc.; the reality of the income levels/limits and
different jobs; and the link between services and housing.
•Environmental concerns raised during this process will primarily focus on water
protection, but tree removal and land disruption are also common concerns.
•Well-received projects tend to have one or more of the following qualities: the project went
through a respectful process where people felt their concerns were heard; the project
involved redevelopment or reuse of existing buildings; the project featured Cape-friendly
design; and the project was for ownership.
•Sites identified for future housing development included the Sea Camps properties
(although there was a lack of clarity/consensus from participants about which of the two
parcels made better sense for housing), Eddy School if the elementary schools consolidate,
shifting of municipal spaces that could allow for reuse of buildings, and focusing on mixed
use development in commercial corridors.
E3
Community Survey
A community survey was available online and in paper form from March 10 through April 8, 2022.
This survey asked questions about the respondent’s own housing needs as well as their perspectives
on the needs of the community. A total of 881 individuals participated in this survey, the results of
which are included in the next section of this Appendix E.
Community Conversations
The project team developed “Community Conversations” kits and made this opportunity publicly
available. The tool included all materials needed for volunteer hosts to hold conversations in smaller
settings with fellow community members. There were at least three such conversations held,
including one at the Council on Aging, one with the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust during their
May 5, 2022 meeting, and one held at a housing location. The feedback during these meetings was
reflective of themes, concerns, and ideas heard throughout this process.
Community Meeting
The Housing Partnership hosted a virtual community meeting on April 28, 2022 to share key findings
from the Needs Assessment and invite participants to join breakout groups focused on the following
topics: housing needs; development constraints; mapping housing solutions; housing goals and
strategies; and regional context. Common themes that came out of the group discussions included:
• There is a desperate need for increasing the number of affordable rental units in Brewster.
• Renter households are suffering from increasing rents or displacement because property
owners are either raising rents, want to sell, or are shifting to short-term or seasonal rental
model.
• Some participants had strong concerns about the impact of short-term rentals on housing and
wanted the Town to take more action.
• There is a labor shortage due to low wages not meeting increasing rents.
• Some participants noted that Brewster and Harwich used to be communities where people
could have families, working class communities, but this is changing.
• Some strategies raised by participants included offering tax abatements or incentives, placing
a cap on seasonal rentals, focusing on redevelopment of underutilized properties, and
encouraging more ADUs.
• Regional projects have had a lot of value and the Town should continue to look at regional
partnerships.
• Multifamily housing is more likely to be accepted if it looks more like Cape homes. In addition,
top-of-the-shop housing could provide a lot of opportunity for year-round housing for people
who work in Brewster.
The results of the group mapping exercise are provided on the next page.
MassGIS, Esri Canada, Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, NGA, EPA, USDA, NPS | Massachusetts Highway Survey Section, MassGIS. Identified sites and
notes generated from community meeting responses, April 28, 2022. Participants also identified some private properties in addition to these general
areas and Town-owned parcels.
MEETING NOTES
1. Foster Square — Add rental housing, mixed-use zoning.
2. Lemon Tree Shops — Add rental housing, mixed-use
zoning.
3. Village Business district by Orleans — Mixed-use
options, easy transportation (so close to bus stop, able to
walk to Brewster Farms market). Important for people to
walk to places they need to go to.
4. Underpass Road — More mixed-use opportunities in
the commercial district by Underpass Rd.
5. Route 6A from Eddy Elementary to the Orleans Town
Line — This is part of the area of Town to get some
apartments over businesses, both rental and home
ownership options. Not in the watershed, properties
available to develop. The Town would need to discuss
potential zoning changes.
6. Sea Camps Bay — Buildings that are on the could
provide housing options.
7. Long Pond Parcel — access to major roads, especially if
sited fairly close to 137 so utilities would not have to be
brought too far.
8. Proactively watch for vacant buildings that could be
reused as housing especially if parking is there already.
9. Spruce Hill Property — There is an existing empty
house. Conservation land, so can’t build new building but
the existing structure may be able to be repurposed.
10. One of the schools (Eddy or Stony Brook) if
consolidation takes place –— Already has utilities,
parking, space. This site has also been discussed as a
potential community center. Could combine a community
center with housing within walking distance.
11. Land by the police station — Is there additional space
there? Target areas not in zone 2 and far enough away
from wetlands.
12. Area by the town owned sand pit — Target areas not in
zone 2 and far enough away from wetlands.
13. Village business districts and commercial areas — Will
need to address zoning and should be evaluated on a case
by case basis. For example, if you are talking about an
industrial area depending on nature of business may not
be appropriate to have residential but some would be fine.
14. Multi-generational housing on Town-owned land.
15. Area by Snowy Owl and Foster Square — mixed use
zoning – Great because people work there, walk to
businesses walk to work. There are sidewalks there.
Walkable areas and easy transportation.
Figure E1. Mapping Activity - Sites for Development of Affordable Housing
E4
E5
FOCUS GROUPS
Between May 10 and May 20, 2022, the consultant team conducted eight focus groups with Town staff,
nonprofit and for-profit developers, representation from regional housing partners, and members
from Town bodies, a total of approximately twenty-five participants. Attendees were asked to review
and provide comments on draft strategies for the HPP before they were integrated into the draft plan.
PRESENTATION TO SELECT BOARD AND PLANNING BOARD
On June 6, 2022, the consultant team presented the Needs Assessment, Goals, and Implementation
Strategies to the Select Board and Planning Board for their review. Both boards were invited to provide
comments through the Housing Office on the presentation.
SECOND COMMUNITY MEETING ON DRAFT PLAN
[PLANNED FOR JUNE 16, 2022; SECTION WILL BE UPDATED]
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
[TO BE OPEN THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022; SECTION WILL BE UPDATED]
FINAL PUBLIC HEARING AND PLAN ADOPTION
[PLANNED FOR JULY 11, 2022; SECTION WILL BE UPDATED]
E6
COMMUNITY SURVEY SUMMARY – GENERAL RESPONSES
The next section of this Appendix provides a detailed analysis of responses. Open responses to applicable questions are available at the
Brewster Housing Office upon request.
603
156 107
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Yes, I live in
Brewster year-round
Yes, I live in
Brewster seasonally
No
Do you currently live in Brewster, either seasonally
or year-round?
(866 responses)
1 16
68
99 80
196
269
118
16
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Under
18
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 or
older
What is your age?
(863 responses)
2 13 8 6 1
786
23 23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
American Indian
or Alaska Native
Asian or Asian
American
Black or African
American
Hispanic or Latino
(any race)
Native Hawaiian
or other Pacific
Islander
White or
Caucasian
Mixed race/more
than one race
Other (please
specify)
Which of the following racial or ethnic categories best describe you? Select all that apply.
(843 responses -multiple answers allowed)
E7
266
55
9
138
359
16 21
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
I work full-time for
an employer.
I work part-time for
an employer.
I work seasonally for
an employer.
I am self-
employed/own my
own business.
I am retired.I am unemployed.Other (please
specify).
What describes your current employment status?
(864 responses)
35
0 3
10
52
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
I work in
Brewster.
I own a
business based
in Brewster.
I own rental
property in
Brewster.
I work for a
social service
provider or
other agency
assisting
Brewster
residents.
Other (please
specify)
You indicated that you do not reside in Brewster. What is
your connection to Brewster?
(100 responses; non-residents only)
33
45
29
0
10
20
30
40
50
Yes No Unsure
Are you considering moving to Brewster or do you
want to move to Brewster within the next five years?
(107 responses; non-residents only)
E8
24
114
134
181
153 147
0
50
100
150
200
Less than one year 1-4 years 5-9 years 10-19 years 20-29 years 30+ years
How long have you lived in Brewster?
(753 responses; residents only)
204
273
231
39
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Precinct 1 Precinct 2 Precinct 3 Unsure
In which voting precinct do you live?
(747 responses; residents only)
81
297
341
35
0
100
200
300
400
Rent Own, and my
mortgage is paid
off
Own, and I am
still paying my
mortgage
Other - please
specify
Do you rent or own your home in Brewster?
(754 responses; residents only)
E9
626
69
5 6 27 4 1 15
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Single family
(detached)
Townhouse or
condo
Duplex/2-unit
building
3-4 unit building 5+ unit building Accesory Dwelling
Unit (ADU)
Group home Other - please
specify
What type of home do you live in?
(753 responses; residents only)
48 64
150
492
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Very likely Moderately
likely
Slightly likely Not at all likely
How likely are you to move out of Brewster in the next
five years?
(754 responses; residents only)
463
187
65
30
0
100
200
300
400
500
Very important Moderately
important
Slightly
important
Not at all
important
How important is it for you to stay in Brewster as
you age?
(745 resonses; residents only)
E10
58
19
7 12
2
10
1 7
16
4 6
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Housing/living
costs have
become too
high
Home no
longer meets
my or my
household's
needs
Prefer or need
accessible
housing
Concerns
about
development
changing the
town's
character
Concerns
about sea level
rise
Employment
opportunities
School choice Seeking
additional
community
services/local
amenities
Would like to
live in a
different
climate
(weather)
Children
finished school
None of the
above
Other - please
specify
You’ve indicated that it is very likely or moderately likely that you will move out of Brewster in the next five years. Which
of the following factors do you believe most influence your likelihood of moving out of Brewster? Select all that apply.
(110 responses -multiple answers allowed; residents only based on previous response)
227
129 145
227
95
132 134 145
84
0
50
100
150
200
250
Affordability of
housing costs
Accessibility
improvements to
home (e.g.,
installation of
ramps, grab bars,
first floor living)
More transit
options (e.g., buses,
ride shares/taxis)
Expanded
community
services (e.g.,
health and
wellness
services/programs)
Availability of
"lifestyle housing"
(i.e., designed for
active older adults,
including single-
family and/or
multi-family with
social or
recreational
amenities such as
clubhouses)
Availability of
"service-enriched
housing" (i.e.,
offers a set of
services intended
to meet residents'
evolving needs) or
expanded
homebased
services
Availability of
housing in
walkable
neighborhood
None of the above Other - please
specify
You've indicated that it is very important or moderately important to stay in Brewster as you age. What factors
need to change/improve to enable you to stay in the community as you age? Select all that apply.
(644 responses -multiple answers allowed; residents only based on previous response)
E11
4
23
36
24
4
00
10
20
30
40
Studio 1 bedroom 2 bedrooms 3 bedrooms 4 bedrooms More than 4
bedrooms
How many bedrooms would your household need to live
comfortably in a rental home in Brewster?
(91 responses; non-residents or current non-homeowner residents only
based on previous response)
59
48
33
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No Unsure
Are you currently looking or do you
anticipate looking for rental housing in
Brewster within the next five years?
(140 responses; non-residents or current non-
homeowner residents only)
8
31
65
33
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Very likely Slighly likely Not at all likely Unsure
How likely is it that you will buy a home in Brewster in the next five years?
(137 responses; non-residents or current non-homeowner residents only)
E12
15
96
22
13 5 8 13 12 4
0
25
50
75
100
125
I do not intend to
buy a home in the
next 10 years.
Lack of available
housing in my
price range
(location, size,
quality, etc.)
I do not qualify to
buy a home.
Extend and/or
proximity of
employment
opportunities
School options Type/exten of
local amenities
(parks,
recreation,
libraries, houses
of worship)
Proximity to
family and/or
friends
None of the
above
Other - please
specify
You've indicated that buying a home in Brewster within the next five years is slightly likely, not likely, or that you are
unsure. Which of the following factors most influence this decision? Select all that apply.
(127 responses -multiple answes allowed; non-residents or current non-homeowner residents only based on previous response)
38
765
4 8
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Yes No Unsure Other - please
specify
Do you receive any income-based housing assistance
or live in a housing unit with income restrictions?
(815 responses; current residents or non-residents interested
in moving to Brewster only)
93 83
614
23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Yes, and I/we have
not yet financially
recovered.
Yes, but I/we have
since financially
recovered.
No Unsure
Did you or anyone in your household experience a significant
loss of wage or salary income due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
(813 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in
moving to Brewster only)
E13
44 37 81
14
633
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Every month Most months Some months One month Never; we
have not had
problems
paying for
housing costs
How often in the last 12 months did you find it hard to
pay your rent, mortgage, or other housing costs?
(809 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in
moving to Brewster only)
406
280
120
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Yes No Unsure
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), the 2022 “fair market rents” for
Brewster’s metropolitan statistical area (MSA) are as follows:
1br: $1,428; 2br: $1,879; 3br: $2,323; 4br: $2,548. If you
needed to seek rental housing today based on your household
size, would you be able to afford rent at these prices?
(806 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in moving
to Brewster only)
282
431
97
0
100
200
300
400
500
Yes No Unsure
The median sales price for a single-family home in
Brewster was $655,000 in 2021. If you were to buy
today, would you be able to afford to purchase a home in
Brewster at this price?
(810 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in
moving to Brewster only)
163
649
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Yes No
Do you have children under 18 who reside in your
household for more than 3 months/year?
(812 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in
moving to Brewster only)
E14
356
165
280
7 1 2
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
0 1 2 3 4 5 or more
How many members of your household are 65 or older,
including yourself?
(811 responses; current residents or non-residents interested
in moving to Brewster only)
108
681
11 15
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Yes No Unsure Other - please
specify
Does anyone in your household have a disability (any
physical or mental impairment that substantially limits
one or more major life activity)?
(815 responses; current residents or non-residents interested
in moving to Brewster only)
36
86
8 4
0
20
40
60
80
100
Yes (please feel
free to identify
your support
organizations or
agencies)
No Unsure Other - please
specify
Do you or any member(s) of your household receive
support services through an outside organization or
agency to assist with home or life activities?
(134 responses; households with someone with disability only)
19
93
14
7
0
20
40
60
80
100
Yes No Unsure Other - please
specify
Do you or any member(s) of your household require
assistive services that you/they are unable to afford or
access for some other reason?
(133 responses; households with someone with disability only)
E15
644
39 23 41 2
59
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
No, I have not
considered having a
roommate or live-in aide
or do not need one.
Yes, I have considered
having a roommate but
do not currently have
one.
Yes, I have considered
having a live-in aide but
do not currently have
one.
Yes, I currently have a
roommate.
Yes, I currently have a
live-in aide.
Unsure/Other (please
specify)
Do you currently have or have you considered having a roommate or live-in aide?
(808 responses; current residents or non-residents interested in moving to Brewster only)
443
294
519
638
314 338
234
169
97
215
97
38
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Brewster is welcoming to people all of
races, ethnicities, and cultural
backgrounds.
Brewster is welcoming to people of all
socioeconomic backgrounds.
Brewster is welcoming to families
with children.
Brewster is welcoming to older
adults.
Please indicate your thoughts on the following statements.
(Between 845 and 854 responses -varies per statement)
Agree Unsure/Neutral Disagree
E16
515
62
201
240
170
202
104 88
239
296
69
25
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Helping people
stay in year-
round housing
that is affordable
to them
Creating housing
with convenient
access to
amenities
Creating housing
with a mix of
price ranges
Creating more
housing
options/choices
Preservation of
existing housing
Ensuring that new
housing is
sustainably built
(environmentally
responsible,
energy efficient,
and resource-
efficient design
and materials)
Creating mixed-
use development
with retail on the
ground level and
residential space
on upper floors
Making additional
funds available to
improve public
housing
Attracting
families with
children
Helping people
stay in the
community as
they age
Other - please
specify
None of the
above
Which of the following housing initiatives are most important to you?
(856 responses -allowed to check up to three answers)
E17
28 25 15 64 17 12
103 83 107
239
123 86
581 524
604
278 266
603
142
212
120
262
437
144
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Affordable rental units
for individuals or smaller
households
Affordable rental units
for larger households
Affordable home
ownership opportunities
Senior housing Housing for people with
disabilities
“Starter” homes
Do you think Brewster has too much, not enough, or just the right amount of the following specialized
categories of housing?
(Between 843 and 854 responses -varies per category of housing)
Too much Right amount Not enough Unsure/No opinion
86 52
163
51 78 23
458
179
299
142
311
98
171
312
186
447
176
400
122
286
183 197
261 310
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Single family homes
(detached)
Duplexes Condominiums Apartments Assisted living facilities Accessory dwelling units
(smaller dwelling unit
within or adjacent to a
single-family house)
Do you think Brewster has too much, not enough, or just the right amount of the following types of housing?
(Between 826 and 837 responses -varies per housing type)
Too much Right amount Not enough Unsure/No opinion
E18
COMMUNITY SURVEY ANALYSIS
The Community Survey for the Brewster Housing Production Plan launched on March 10 and closed
on April 8, 2022. The survey was available online as well as in paper-copy at Town Hall, and it was
advertised on the Town’s website with the assistance of the Housing Office. The survey received 881
responses in total.
The purpose of the survey was to engage members of the Brewster community through an accessible
outreach tool and to learn about the housing needs and challenges that exist in Town. The survey
included questions about demographics, income, and affiliation with the Town of Brewster to help
identify the priorities and interests of different groups. This survey does not constitute a decision-
making or voting tool, but its results informed the needs, goals, and recommendations discussed and
considered throughout the Housing Production Plan process.
Who took the survey?
Of 866 respondents who indicated whether they live in Brewster, the majority (69.6 percent) were
year-round residents, 18.0 percent were seasonal residents, and 12.4 percent were non-residents.
The best-represented age group was 65 to 74 years old, and 53.9 percent of respondents were between
the ages of 55 and 74. About equal numbers of respondents were under 25 or over 85, and these groups
made up less than 4.0 percent of survey-takers. Figure E2 shows the age distribution of respondents
compared with the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) Five-Year Estimates for
2016 to 2020.
0.
1
%
1.
9
%
7.
9
%
11
.
5
%
9.
3
%
22
.
7
%
31
.
2
%
13
.
7
%
1.
9
%
13
.
8
%
6.
4
%
8.
5
%
5.
5
%
14
.
5
%
19
.
4
%
18
.
0
%
8.
9
%
5.
0
%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Under 18 18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 - 74 75 - 84 85 or older
Figure E2. Age Composition of Survey Respondents and Town Population
Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates. Table B01001
Survey Respondents ACS Estimates
E19
Figure E3 shows the duration that resident respondents have lived in Brewster as a percent of each
group of residents. Combined, the largest proportion of respondents (24.0%) have lived in Brewster
for 10-19 years, followed by 20.3% for 20-29 years, 19.4% for more than 30 years, 17.8% for 5-9 years,
15.1% for 1-4 years, and 3.2% for less than a year.
Only one in five respondents indicated that they had one or more children in their home. More than
half of respondents (56.1 percent) have at least one older adult (over 65) in their household. Forty-one
respondents had roommates, and two had live-in aides. Between 108 and 134 respondents have
members of their household with a disability (this range is because some respondents were unsure or
selected “other” and specified health conditions). Of 134 respondents asked whether a member of
their household receives supportive services due to disability, 36 (26.9 percent) said yes, and 12 were
unsure or selected other. Nineteen respondents indicated their household had a need for supportive
services that they were unable to afford or access (for other reasons).
Asked about their current employment status, most respondents indicated that they work, 41.6
percent are retired, and 1.9 percent are unemployed. Figure E4 illustrates respondents’ employment
by residence status, which shows that year-round and seasonal resident respondents had similar
employment statistics, but many fewer non-resident respondents were retired (45.0 percent work in
Brewster or serve Brewster residents in a professional capacity).
3.
2
%
16
.
4
%
17
.
9
%
22
.
7
%
20
.
4
%
19
.
4
%
3.
2
%
10
.
3
%
17
.
4
%
29
.
0
%
20
.
0
%
20
.
0
%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
<1 year 1-4 years 5-9 years 10-19 years 20-29 years >30 years
Figure E3. Duration of Residence in Brewster by Year-Round or Seasonal Status
Year-Round Seasonal
E20
The survey captured responses from a population with a racial or ethnic composition that aligned
closely with the 2020 Census. Survey takers were able to select as many or as few racial or ethnic
categories as they wished, and the list of options matched Census categories. 1 The racial/ethnic
breakdown of survey respondents was was within 1 percent of the Town’s population statistics for all
categories except Hispanic or Latino, White or Caucasian, and Other. Table E1 compares the racial or
1 Because survey takers were able to select multiple options, there were a total of 862 selections by 843 respondents. This is the
reason that the “Survey Percent” column adds up to more than 100 percent. Because Hispanic or Latino origin is considered an
ethnicity rather than race, the U.S. Census Bureau breaks down race into Hispanic or Latino status (note “any race” designation
of Hispanic or Latino population), so the census totals equal 100 percent.
30.7%
6.0%
0.8%
15.8%
43.2%
1.3%
2.2%
20.5%
6.4%
0.6%
19.2%
48.1%
3.2%
1.9%
46.7%
7.6%
2.9%
12.4%
22.9%
2.9%
4.8%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
I work full-time for an employer.
I work part-time for an employer.
I work seasonally for an employer.
I am self-employed/own my own business.
I am retired.
I am unemployed.
Other (please specify)
Figure E4. Respondents' Employment Status by Residence Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
E21
ethnic composition of the survey respondents with census data. Sixteen of the respondents who
selected “other” expressed their unwillingness to answer or asked about the relevance of racial or
ethnic demographics to the Housing Production Plan’s Community Survey. The purpose of the
question was to help the team assess the effectiveness of outreach in engaging a cross-section of the
members of the Brewster community and to evaluate if there is or could be a relationship between
race or ethnicity and housing needs or perceptions of housing needs in Brewster.
Table E1. Demographic Comparison: Survey Respondents and 2020 US Decennial Census
Race or Ethnicity* Survey 2020 Census Comparison
Number Percent Number Percent Survey % - Census %
American Indian or Alaska Native 2 0.2% 17 0.2% 0.1%
Asian or Asian American 13 1.5% 104 1.0% 0.5%
Black or African American 8 0.9% 161 1.6% -0.6%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6 0.7% 306 3.0% -2.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1 0.1% 7 0.1% 0.1%
White or Caucasian 786 93.2% 9,363 90.7% 2.5%
Mixed race/more than one race 23 2.7% 314 3.0% -0.3%
Other (please specify) 23 2.7% 46 0.5% 2.3%
Total 843 102.3% 10,318 100.0%
Source: 2020 US Decennial Census. Survey total does not equal 100 percent because participants were able to select
more than one option.
What did we hear about housing in Brewster today?
Survey takers were asked whether they rent or own their homes and about their mortgage status.
More than four out of five respondents indicated that they own their homes, and Figure E4 illustrates
the relatively even split between homeowners who did and did not have remaining mortgage
obligations. This question provided a useful point of comparison versus ACS data and sought to
clarify whether mentions of high housing costs are the result of mortgage payments, property taxes
and utility costs, or a combination of these. According to ACS data, 38.1 percent of housing units in
Brewster do not have a mortgage, and 39.4 percent of respondents paid off their mortgages, so
responses were well-aligned with official estimates. The proportion of year-round renters among
respondents (10.2 percent) was also close to estimates of the Town’s housing stock occupied by year-
round renter households (8.2 percent).
Figure E5 shows the tenure of year-round and seasonal Brewster residents, and it provides both the
number of responses (left) and proportions of each group of residents represented in each tenure
category (right). This figure shows that the proportion of seasonal residents without a mortgage on
their homes in Brewster is more than 20 percent higher than that of year-round residents. Residents
who rent year-round in Brewster responded at a considerably higher rate than seasonal resident
renters.
E22
Table E2 shows the housing types of year-round and seasonal residents, and it shows that while most
respondents (regardless of residence status) live in single-family homes, townhouses and condos are
also particularly popular among seasonal residents.
Table E2. Respondents’ Housing Type by Residence Status
Housing Type Year-round Seasonal
Number Percent Number Percent
Single family (detached) 507 84.9% 119 76.3%
Townhouse or condo 35 5.9% 34 21.8%
Duplex/2-unit building 5 0.8% 0 0.0%
3–4-unit building 6 1.0% 0 0.0%
5+ unit building 26 4.4% 1 0.6%
Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) 4 0.7% 0 0.0%
Group home 1 0.2% 0 0.0%
Other - please specify 13 2.2% 2 1.3%
Total 597 156
12.8%
34.8%
47.2%
5.2%2.6%
57.1%
37.7%
2.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Rent Own, and my mortgage is
paid off
Own, and I am still paying
my mortgage
Other
Figure E5. Resident Tenure by Residence Status
Year-round Seasonal
E23
Thirty-eight respondents were residents of income-restricted housing units: 32 were year-round
Brewster residents, and 6 were non-residents. Three respondents wrote-in answers to this question
indicating their unmet needs for affordable units. More than 1 in 5 respondents (22.6 percent)
indicated that their households suffered losses in income related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and
about half of these respondents (10.2 percent) report that they have not yet financially recovered.
Figure E6 shows how often respondents reported they had difficulties paying their housing costs in
the past year. Among respondents, seasonal residents had the least difficulty paying housing costs
(91.7 percent report “never”), while about a quarter of year-round residents and nearly half of non-
residents had trouble one or more months.
Figure E7 also shows how often respondents had difficulties paying their housing expenses, and it
groups respondents by tenure type. Less than 40 percent of renter respondents indicated never having
trouble paying their housing expenses, whereas 85.3 percent of homeowners reported no difficulty.
5.9%4.4%10.5%
1.7%
77.5%
1.9%1.3%5.1%0.0%
91.7%
9.7%14.5%17.7%
6.5%
51.6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Every month Most months Some months One month Never
Figure E6. Respondents’ Frequency of Difficulty Paying Housing Costs in the Past
Year by Residence Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
18
.
4
%
13
.
2
%
28
.
9
%
1.
3
%
38
.
2
%
1.
4
%
1.
0
%
3.
1
%
0.
7
%
93
.
9
%
4.
1
%
2.
6
%
10
.
0
%
1.
8
%
81
.
5
%
15
.
2
%
18
.
2
%
15
.
2
%
3.
0
%
48
.
5
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Every month Most months Some months One month Never
Figure E7. Respondents’ Frequency of Difficulty Paying Housing Costs in the Past
Year by Tenure
Rent Own, and my mortgage is paid off Own, and I am still paying my mortgage Other
E24
The survey presented respondents with the median sales price for single-family homes in Brewster in
2021 as well as 2022 “fair market rents” (from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development) for apartments with 1-4 bedrooms in Brewster’s area. We asked survey takers whether
they would be able to afford to buy or rent at these prices today. Figure E8 shows the combined results
of these questions for year-round, seasonal, and non- residents. Less than one third of year-round
resident respondents said they could afford to buy today, and less than half said they could rent. More
seasonal resident respondents reported being able to afford current prices, and considerably fewer
non-resident respondents reported that they would be able to afford to move to Brewster today.
What did we hear about the future?
More than 85 percent of resident survey takers reported that they are unlikely (either “not at all likely”
or “slightly likely”) to move out of Brewster in the next five years, and more than 87 percent reported
that it was very or moderately important to stay in Brewster as they age. If respondents indicated that
they were somewhat likely to move, the survey asked about factors that will influence the decision.
Of 110 respondents who received the question, 58 respondents (52.7 percent) cited high
housing/living expenses. About a quarter of respondents wrote in their own answers, which was the
second most common selection. These responses varied considerably, but several suggested that
changes in their housing or financial circumstances will render them unable to stay in Brewster.
32.2%
47.6%
54.8%
37.8%
13.0%
14.6%
53.8%
66.9%
36.5%
17.5%
9.6%
15.6%
11.5%
35.5%
80.3%
48.4%
8.2%
16.1%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Yes, I could buy
Yes, I could rent
No, I could not buy
No, I could not rent
Unsure whether I could buy
Unsure whether I could rent
Figure E8. Respondents' Ability to Buy or Rent Homes in Brewster at Current
Prices by Residence Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
E25
Similarly, for those who indicated it was important to them to age in Brewster (of whom there were
644), affordability of housing costs and expanded access to community services were each selected by
35.2 percent of respondents as factors that would need to change or improve to enable respondents to
stay in the community. Nearly one quarter of respondents indicated that no changes or improvements
would be necessary, but there was a statistically significant difference between responses from year-
round and seasonal residents, with seasonal resident respondents citing no barriers to aging in
Brewster at a rate more than 10 percent higher than that of year-round residents.
Ninety-two respondents indicated that they will or may be looking for rental housing in Brewster in
the next five years: 36 indicated they would look for a 2-bedroom rental home, 24 for 3 bedrooms, 23
for 1 bedroom, and 4 each said they would need 4 bedrooms or studio units. Renter and non-resident
respondents were also asked whether they would buy a home in Brewster in the next five years, and
about half said that was not at all likely. Among non-resident respondents, 42.1 percent indicated that
they are not considering moving to Brewster within the next five years (“yes” and “unsure” were
separated by 3.7 percent). Of 127 respondents who indicated they were unlikely to buy a home in
Brewster soon, 96 (75.6 percent) cited lack of available housing in their price range.
FUTURE PRIORITIES
We asked respondents about housing initiatives that are important to them, and we asked them to
select their top three priorities. The most popular selection (by a margin of 25 percent) was helping
people stay in year-round housing that is affordable to them with support from 60.2 percent of
respondents overall. This option was the top choice among year-round and non-residents, but the top
choice among seasonal residents was helping people stay in the community as they age, which was
second most popular overall. Figure E9 illustrates the percentages of respondents who selected each
answer among year-round, seasonal, and non- residents as well as the combined total popularity of
each response.
E26
62.4%
31.8%
26.2%
30.3%
23.9%
22.4%
20.6%
13.4%
10.6%
9.5%
6.5%
2.0%
41.0%
45.5%
21.2%
23.7%
26.3%
25.6%
25.0%
6.4%
6.4%
5.1%
12.2%
4.5%
69.2%
30.8%
45.8%
17.8%
15.9%
24.3%
6.5%
12.1%
13.1%
3.7%
3.7%
4.7%
60.2%
34.6%
28.0%
27.9%
23.6%
23.5%
19.9%
12.1%
10.3%
8.1%
7.2%
2.9%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Helping people stay in year-round housing that is
affordable to them
Helping people stay in the community as they age
Creating more housing options/choices
Attracting families with children
Ensuring that new housing is sustainably built (e.g.,
environmentally responsible, energy efficient, and
resource-efficient design and materials)
Creating housing with a mix of price ranges
Preservation of existing housing
Creating mixed-use development with retail on the
ground level and residential space on upper floors
Making additional funds available to improve public
housing
Other - please specify
Creating housing with convenient access to amenities
None of the above
Figure E9. Top Housing Initiatives by Residence Status and Overall Popularity
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident Overall
E27
The survey asked respondents to respond to a series of statements about whether Brewster is
welcoming to different populations: people of all races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds; people
of all socioeconomic backgrounds; families with children; and older adults. Figure E10 shows the
percentage of respondents who gave each answer. More than three-quarters of respondents agreed
that Brewster is welcoming to older adults, but only about a third (34.7 percent) agreed that Brewster
is welcome to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The largest difference in agreement between
year-round, seasonal, and non- residents showed that while 72.4 percent of seasonal residents agree
that Brewster is welcoming to families with children, 59.9 percent of year-round residents agreed, and
only 50.5 percent of non-residents agreed.
Respondents indicated how they felt about the quantity of homes in Brewster for households looking
for homes that accommodate specialized housing needs. Figure E11 shows that at least 60 percent of
respondents indicated that there were not enough affordable homes, regardless of whether they serve
large or small households. There was even stronger response (71.4 percent) indicating that the number
of affordable homeownership opportunities and “starter” homes in Brewster was not enough. There
was some variation by residence status, but in general, year-round and non-resident populations
indicated that there were not enough of each of the specialized housing type at rates between 9
percentage points (senior housing) and 33 percentage points (large affordable units) higher than those
of seasonal residents.
51.9%
34.7%
61.1%
75.5%
36.8%39.9%
27.5%
20.0%
11.4%
25.4%
11.4%
4.5%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Brewster is welcoming to
people all of races,
ethnicities, and cultural
backgrounds.
Brewster is welcoming to
people of all
socioeconomic
backgrounds.
Brewster is welcoming to
families with children.
Brewster is welcoming to
older adults.
Figure E10. Is Brewster Welcoming to Different Groups of People?
Agree Unsure/Neutral Disagree
E28
Survey respondents indicated how they felt about the number of housing units in Brewster of several
housing types. Figure E11 shows that more than half of survey respondents think Brewster has the
right amount of single family detached homes and not enough apartments. If respondents had
opinions on the number of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), they tended to respond that there were
not enough (only 14.6 percent said there were too many or the right amount). There was greater
variability in answers about duplexes, condos, and assisted living facilities.
There was also considerable variation in the opinions of survey respondents about the composition of
Brewster’s housing mix between year-round, seasonal, and non- resident respondents. Using the same
data as is presented in Figure E12, Figures E13-E18 shows the responses of year-round, seasonal, and
non-residents for each housing type.
3.
3
%
3.
0
%
1.
8
%
7.
6
%
2.
0
%
1.
4
%
12
.
1
%
9.
8
%
12
.
6
%
28
.
4
%
14
.
6
%
10
.
2
%
68
.
0
%
62
.
1
%
71
.
4
%
33
.
0
%
31
.
6
%
71
.
4
%
16
.
6
%
25
.
1
%
14
.
2
%
31
.
1
%
51
.
8
%
17
.
0
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Affordable rental
units for
individuals or
smaller
households
Affordable rental
units for larger
households
Affordable home
ownership
opportunities
Senior housing Housing for
people with
disabilities
“Starter” homes
Figure E11. Sufficiency of Specialized Housing Options
Too much Right amount Not enough Unsure/No opinion
E29
10
.
3
%
6.
3
%
19
.
6
%
6.
1
%
9.
4
%
2.
8
%
54
.
7
%
21
.
6
%
36
.
0
%
17
.
0
%
37
.
7
%
11
.
8
%
20
.
4
%
37
.
6
%
22
.
4
%
53
.
4
%
21
.
3
%
48
.
1
%
14
.
6
%
34
.
5
%
22
.
0
%
23
.
5
%
31
.
6
%
37
.
3
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Single family
homes (detached)
Duplexes Condominiums Apartments Assisted living
facilities
Accessory
dwelling units
Figure E12. Opinion on Sufficiency of Housing Mix
Too much Right amount Not enough Unsure/No opinion
11
.
8
%
53
.
9
%
21
.
3
%
13
.
0
%
5.
4
%
67
.
6
%
10
.
8
%
16
.
2
%
8.
9
%
40
.
6
%
28
.
7
%
21
.
8
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E13. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Single Family Homes According to
Residency Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
5.
7
%
21
.
5
%
42
.
2
%
30
.
6
%
10
.
3
%
25
.
3
%
17
.
8
%
46
.
6
%
4.
0
%
16
.
0
%
41
.
0
%
39
.
0
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E14. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Duplexes According to Residency
Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
E30
19
.
0
%
38
.
6
%
22
.
6
%
19
.
7
%
26
.
0
%
33
.
6
%
13
.
7
%
26
.
7
%
14
.
0
%
24
.
0
%
34
.
0
%
28
.
0
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E15. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Condominiums According to Residency
Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
5.
3
%
16
.
0
%
58
.
7
%
20
.
0
%
8.
8
%
25
.
9
%
29
.
3
%
36
.
1
%
6.
9
%
8.
8
%
58
.
8
%
25
.
5
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E16. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Apartments According to Residency
Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
2.
7
%
12
.
0
%
55
.
0
%
30
.
3
%
2.
8
%
13
.
9
%
24
.
3
%
59
.
0
%
3.
0
%
7.
0
%
43
.
0
%
47
.
0
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E18. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
According to Residency Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
10
.
2
%
40
.
7
%
22
.
1
%
27
.
0
%
6.
9
%
32
.
4
%
19
.
3
%
41
.
4
%
8.
9
%
27
.
7
%
19
.
8
%
43
.
6
%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Too much Right
amount
Not
enough
Unsure/No
opinion
Figure E17. Opinion on Sufficiency of
Assisted Living Facilities According to
Residency Status
Year-round Seasonal Non-resident
E31
Figure E19 shows the most common words respondents used to describe the most significant barriers
to affordable housing in Brewster. Prices and costs were the most popular responses, but other
common themes included land availability, housing availability, the Town zoning bylaw and building
restrictions, seasonal rentals, and low wages. A full record of open responses can be viewed upon
request at the Brewster Housing Office.
Figure E19. Word Cloud of Barriers to Affordable Housing in Brewster
BREWSTER WOODS Brewster, MA
29 new affordable rental homes for families
Affordable and Voucher Programs
One, Two, and Three-Bedroom Apartments in a
BRAND NEW modern community!
Anticipated Move-In Date: Fall 2022
Off-street parking, central laundry, tenant storage, on-site
management & 24-hour emergency maintenance!
LOTTERY APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 1, 2022
Applicants for all units will be chosen through a lottery
which will be held within 30 days of the deadline.
Attend our Informational Meeting
Zoom Call Wednesday May 18th
www.HAConCapeCod.org/Lotteries to Register
TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION
Email:
CCRE@haconcapecod.org
Application available for download at
www.haconcapecod.org/lotteries
Call: 508‐771‐5400 EXT 284
Visit: Housing Assistance Corporation
460 W Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601
508-771-5400; TTY on all lines
Also available at the Brewster Town Hall and
Brewster Ladies Library
Applications must be fully completed and
received or postmarked by July 1, 2022
Mail completed applications to:
Housing Assistance Corporation
c/o Brewster Woods
460 W Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601
Or scan and email to:
CCRE@haconcapecod.org
MONTHLY RENT
Size Planned Monthly Rent (non Section 8 PBV / 811)
1 Bedroom 60%: $1,094
2 Bedroom 60%: $1,312
INCOME LIMITS - Maximum Gross Income
Household Size
(# of people)
30% AMI—Project
Based Section 8
(7 units)
60% AMI—Tax Credit
(19 units)
1 n/a $40,860
2 $23,340 $46,680
3 $26,250 $52,500
4 $29,160 $58,320
5 $31,500 n/a
6 $33,840 n/a
Minimum Gross Annual Income Limits Based on Bedroom Size (for apart-
ments without Section 8 PBV) unless tenant has a voucher:
Size Minimum (60%)
1 Bedroom $31,179
2 Bedroom $37,392
Applicants below min. income but with sufficient assets to cover rent are encouraged to apply.
There are 7 units with Section 8 PBV Project Based Subsidies.
Submit an application to the lottery for consideration for these units.
Rent for Section 8 PBV will be 30% of household adjusted gross income.
Preference to homeless applicants.
Rent includes heating, cooling, water, sewer, electric
Unit Mix 1BR 2BR 3BR
Section 811* 3
PBV—30% AMI 4 3
60% AMI 5 14
Total 8 18 3
*Section 811 not part of the lottery process
Affordable Home Rental Lottery
Serenity Apartments at Brewster
Age 55 and older community
Income and Asset Limits apply 80% AMI
Information Session
Zoom Call on Wednesday, May 11th, 2022 at 5:30PM
Registration Required
Visit www.HAConCapeCod.org/Lotteries to Register
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted by
5PM on July 1st, 2022.
Applications must be complete with
required documentation. Paper
applications can be returned at
Housing Assistance Corporation;
460 West Main Street, Hyannis,
MA 02601.
CCRE@haconcapecod.org ; 508-
771-5400 EXT 284
Where to find the Application
Brewster Town Hall
Brewster Ladies Library
·www.haconcapecod.org/lotteries
·HAC Office
Available Units and Rent (including utilities)
Units will be awarded by Management Company based on availability and/or waiting list post lottery
Brewster Housing Partnership
Minutes of the April 28, 2022
Housing Production Plan Virtual Community Forum
_______________________________________
Members Present: Jillian Douglass, Vanessa Greene, Diane Pansire, Sarah Robinson, Stephen
Seaver
Guests Present: Donna Kalinick (Assistant Town Administrator), Jill Scalise (Housing
Coordinator), Alexis Lanzillotta (Barrett Planning Group), Judi Barrett (Barrett Planning Group),
Gregory Zapato (Barrett Planning), Maggie Spade-Aguilar (Housing Trust) and over 20
additional community members.
Chair Douglass called the meeting to order at 6:05PM declared a quorum and read the meeting
participation statement.
Chair Douglass introduced the members of the Housing Partnership and then Jill Scalise,
Housing Coordinator. Ms. Scalise began the Housing Production Plan Community Forum. After
an update of the current Housing Production Plan accomplishments, Ms. Scalise introduced
Alexis Lanzillotta and Judi Barrett of Barrett Planning Group. The Housing Production Plan
Update project overview, timeline, survey results, and housing needs assessment highlights were
shared. The material presented can be found at housplanpresentation.pdf (brewster-ma.gov)
Breakout groups were then held on the following topics: Housing Needs, Development
Constraints, Mapping Housing Solutions, Plan Goals & Strategies, and Regional Context.
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in three separate breakout groups.
The group gathered for closing thoughts from the five breakout groups:
For Housing Needs, Ms. Spade -Aguilar shared the people are desperate for an increased number
of rental units and the difficulty to meet the increasing rents.
For Development Constraints, Ms. Lanzillotta shared about the impact of short-term rentals and
the possibility of addressing zoning constraints.
For mapping housing Solutions, Ms. Scalise mentioned there was a lot of creativity among all
the groups. Participants discussed mixed-use zoning, especially in areas that are walkable and
good connections with public transportation.
For Plan Goals and Strategies, Ms. Douglass stated one consensus item was people are housing
cost overburdened. There is a lack of options. Brainstorm ideas included tax abatements, tax
incentives, caps on seasonal and short-term rentals, public purchases of properties through trusts
or land banks, redevelopment of commercial or underutilized properties, and expanding ADUs.
For Regional Context, Ms. Kalinick noted three major themes: Brewster and Harwich booth used
to be working class communities where people could have families but that is no longer the case.
Secondly, some of the regional projects the town has been involved in, like Dennis Veterans
home and Orleans Cape Cod Village, have a lot of value and we should continue to explore
regional partnerships. Lastly in discussing the Cape Cod Commission strategies, there is a need
for more multi-family housing in Brewster. This would be more accepted if the design standards
were more like Cape homes and fit in the character better. Also, with top of the shop housing,
which is multi-family housing, there’s an opportunity for year-round housing for people who
work here.
Ms. Lanzillotta shared that additional feedback is welcome. Ms. Scalise noted that the
presentation slides are available on the Housing Office webpage and thanked everyone for their
participation and the Housing Partnership for hosting the forum.
Ms. Pansire made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Ms. Robinson. Sarah Robinson-yes, Diane
Pansire-yes, Vanessa Greene- yes, Steve Seaver-yes, Jillian Douglass-yes. The meeting was
adjourned at approximately 7:55PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jill Scalise
Housing Coordinator
(oft Ewsr
Q(C OF cyDERB 41.
a N
o y
Housing
Partnership
Jitlian Douglass
Chair
Lisa Forhan
Clerk
Vanessa Greene
Ralph Marotti
Diane Pansire
Sarah Robinson
Steve Seaver
Asst. Town
Administrator
Donna Kalinick
Housing
Coordinator
Jilt Scalise
Town of Brewster
Housing Partnership
2198 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631
(508) 896-3701
MEETING MINUTES
Thursday May 19, 2022 at 6:00 PM
Members Present: Vanessa, Sarah, Stephen, Lisa, Jillian
Guests: Donna Kalinick, Jill Scalise, Cindy Bingham, Alexis Lanzillotta
1. Call to Order - 6:03 p.m.
2. Declaration of a Quorum -- a Quorum was present.
3. Meeting Participation Statement
4. Recording Statement
5. Housing Production PIan Update and Discussion - Judi Barrett & Alexis
Lanzillotta, Barrett Planning Group
a. Community Forum Feedback 4.28.2022 - Comments from BHP members -
turnout was smaller than hoped, but allowed for the breakout groups to
discuss items in more depth.
b. Draft Goals and Strategies - Draft provided by Barrett Planning Group
(attached to minutes)
c. Plan Timetable - June 6 -Initial presentation to the Planning and Select
Boards for Feedback; June 16 - next Public Forum (to take place at the
Housing Partnership meeting); TBD-recovene Planning and Select
Boards.
d. Community Meeting on Draft Plan 6PM 6.16.2022
6. Housing Coordinator Update - See attached summary -- Highlight - Brewster
Woods and Serenity are both open for applicants.
7. Updates from Liaisons
a. Affordable Housing Trust
i. Preservation of Affordable Housing & Housing Assistance Corporation
Proposal for Community Housing -- still awaiting action from the Select
board.
b. Community Preservation Committee - not discussed
c. Brewster Housing Coalition - not discussed
8. For Your Information/Correspondence- none
9. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair - none
10. Minutes of the April 21, 2022 Housing Partnership Meeting & April 28, 2022
Community Forum (Held for next meeting)
11. Schedule Next Meeting - 6/16/22, 6 p.m.
12. Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
Regulatory Framework for Housing Production Plan Goals & Strategies
Per state regulations, a Housing Production Plan must include the following types of goals and
strategies:
760 CMR 56.03(4)(c)
Affordable Housing Goals. The HPP shall address the matters set out in the Department's guidelines,
including:
1. A mix of types of housing, consistent with community and regional needs that:
(a) Is affordable to households at not more than 30% AMI, more than 30% but not more than
80% AMI, and more than 80% but not more than 120% AMI;
(b) Provides for a range of housing, including rental, homeownership, and other occupancy
arrangements, if any, for families, individuals, persons with special needs, and the elderly;
and,
(c) Is feasible within the housing market in which they will be situated.
2. A numerical goal for annual housing production, pursuant to which there is an increase in the
municipality's number of SHI Eligible Housing units by at least 0.50% of its total units (as
determined 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 set forth in 760 CMR
56.03(3)(a)...
760 CMR 56.03(4)(d)
Implementation Strategies. The HPP shall address the matters set out in the Department'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 of the following strategies, to the extent applicable:
1. 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;
2. the identification of specific sites for which the municipality will encourage the filing of
Comprehensive Permit applications;
3. characteristics of proposed residential or mixed -use developments that would be preferred by
the municipality (examples might include duster developments, adaptive re -use, transit -oriented
housing, mixed -use development, inclusionary housing, etc.); and/or
4. municipally owned parcels for which the municipality commits to issue requests for proposals to
develop SHI Eligible Housing; and/or
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
5. participation in regional collaborations addressing housing development.
DRAFT Goals for the Brewster 2022 Housing Production Dian Update
• Increase the supply of market -rate and affordable rental housing for all types of households,
such as young singles and couples, families, and seniors.
• Diversify housing types and forms to meet local needs.
• Use targeted approaches to preserve and increase the availability of housing affordable to
households earning in the 30%, 50%, 100%, and 120% area median income ranges.
• Ensure an adequate supply of housing that is affordable and accessible to seniors and people
with disabilities.
• Integrate affordable housing into existing neighborhoods and developments through infill,
reuse or repurposing of existing buildings, and the redevelopment of underutilized buildings or
properties.
• Review and update Brewster's zoning and other housing regulations and policies to support
development that increases fair, affordable housing and housing choice.
DHCD requires a stated numeric goal for annual housing production by which there is an increase of SHl-
eligible units by at least a 0.5 percent of the municipality's total year-round housing units based on the
current decennial census. This information is not available for 2020 yet, but based upon the 2010 Census
Year -Round Housing Count, Brewster's annual numeric goal should be at least 24 units. Estimates based an
extrapolated 2020 year-round housing counts yield a slightly higher goal of 25-26 units annually. See tables
below.
METHOD #1: Based on Estimated 2020 Year -Round Housing Count,
Extrapolated from 2010 Percentage of Vacant Units for Recreational, Seasonal, or Occasional Use
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Five Year Overall Goal
Total Year -Round Census Units
5,180
5,180
5,180
5,180
5,180
Target SHI Units
26
26
26
26
26
130
Revised SHI Count
294
320
346
372
398
398
Revised SHI
5.7%
6.2%
6.7%
7.2%
7.7%
7.7%
10% Requirement
518
518
518
518
518
Gap
224
198
172
146
121
121
METHOD #2: Based on Estimated 2020 Year -Round Housing Count,
Extrapolated from 2010 Percentage of Total Housing Units for Year -Round Housin
2022 2023
2024
2025
2026
Five Year Overall Goal
Total Year -Round Census Units
4,981 4,981
4,981
4,981
4,981
Target SHI Units
25 25
25
25
25
125
2
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
Revised SHI Count
293
318
343
368
393
393
Revised SHI
5.9%
6.4%
6.9%
7.4%
7.9%
7.9%
10% Requirement
498
498
498
498
498
Gap
205
180
155
131
106 106
METHOD #3: Based on 2010 Year -Round Housing Count
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Total Year -Round Census Units
4803
4803
4803
4803
4803
Five Year Overall Goal
Target SHI Units
24
24
24
24
24
120
Revised SHI Count
292
316
340
364
388
388
Revised SHI
6.1%
6.6%
7.1%
7.6%
8.1%
8.1%
10% Requirement
480
480
480
480
480
Gap
188
164
140
116 92
92
iC;_3r 2: P . e ii l ,oI ern t'm_ �_'curre
te
sin F. nob
• Preserve Brewster's existing supply of year-round rental housing,
• Ensure that seniors can age in place or within the community.
• Provide direct assistance to income -eligible households experiencing housing insecurity or
looking for a new home.
• Preserve the affordability and attainability of Brewster's existing affordable housing stock.
3.
i'.a11//YI ,IC.f'.
5 V
to
• Build support for addressing housing needs through partnerships with groups and organizations
connected to each of the Vision Plan's eight core elements.
• [In conjunction with Goal 4] Ensure adequate staff capacity and other resources for addressing
the housing -related goals and actions of the Vision Plan.
• Continue to thoughtfully address concerns about issues sometimes seen as conflicting with the
development of fair, affordable housing.
• Balance housing goals with protection of the natural environment by targeting housing
production in and near areas where development already exists; in denser development nodes;
or in areas with higher "walkability scores" and multimodal transportation opportunities.
Goa- 4: Con _. . ue o bu ld C oacity -o o'o Luc„: 3QLJwI'1�' :hr`ou r t'rfirig, fund„
pd rl ner 9F Ips, a .i! oc: ' t �, ( � I -a !a h s with v -r, fib and
[ _`C" �l _ C 3E ] arid �. 4_ 7 3J t�i {, 1t)€€�,'r i�; � cil.�.. I€1 :)Ilt
developers.
eloper...
• Ensure regular collaboration between housing staff and other departments, Town bodies,
regional entities, housing developers, and other relevant groups.
3
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
• Explore additional funding sources to support housing -related initiatives.
• Build awareness of affordable and fair housing needs within Brewster and the larger region, as
well as Brewster's role in addressing these issues.
• Investigate and leverage available federal, state, and regional housing funds and resources.
DRAFT Strategies Brewster 2022 Housing Production Dian Update
These are modeled after the four overarching categories for strategies from the 2017 HPP (Regulatory
Strategies, Funding & Assets, Education & Advocacy, and Local Policy & Planning) with the addition of a
fifth category, Community Resources & Local Support.
ory St -r -a to ;c
1. Reevaluate the existing ADU and ACDU bylaws and other references to accessory apartments
and explore amendments to streamline these provisions and improve their efficacy.'
2. Amend zoning to dearly allow mixed uses/"top-of-the-shop" housing in business -zoned areas.
3. Allow small affordable units on nonconforming lots that are otherwise unbuildable under
zoning.
4. Reevaluate the existing multifamily dwelling bylaw (Section 179-34) and consider amending to
allow for more realistic density and lot size requirements that would facilitate the production of
multi -unit residential development.?
S. Explore the adoption of an inclusionary zoning bylaw that requires residential developments
over a certain number of units to include a minimum percentage of affordable units.
6. Allow and incentivize the adaptive reuse of existing buildings for the creation of affordable and
mixed income housing.
7. Working with the Board of Health and utilizing the findings of the ongoing Integrated Water
Resource Management Plan, continue to identify appropriate I/A (innovative/alternative)
wastewater treatment systems to enable the creation of denser housing development that can
support the inclusion of affordable units.
8. Continue to work with nearby communities on the Cape by pooling CPA funds and other
revenue to construct affordable housing in suitable locations throughout the region and meet
regional housing needs.
ADUs and ACDUs are found in Sections 179-42.2 and 42.3, and Accessory Apartments are found in Section 179. Table 2,
Footnote # l3.
2 What about considering outside of C -H? Internally we have only discussed the density and lot size issue.
3 Add ARPA-specific strategy?
4
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
9. Explore the adoption of a real estate transfer fee with revenue supporting the affordable
housing trust.4
10. Consider establishing a Housing Opportunity Fund under the Affordable Housing Trust and
regularly applying for CPA funds to build and replenish this resource annually.'
11, Explore local property tax incentives for the creation of affordable housing, such as offering a
reduction of property taxes to an owner renting an affordable unit.'
12. Fund the creation of additional Brewster Housing Authority units to provide more deeply
affordable rental options for both families and seniors!
13. Explore using municipal resources to support the establishment of a nonprofit Community Land
Trust (CLT) to facilitate more affordable homeownership opportunities.$
14. Develop and issue an RFP for the acquisition of land for the creation of affordable and
workforce housings and/or
15. Inventory existing Town -owned land and develop and issue an RFP for the development of
affordable and workforce housing on properties identified as suitable for housing
development.1°
Fd C lUOff- rJJ r dvcc
16. Develop a shared strategic plan for the Brewster Housing Partnership and Brewster Affordable
Housing Trust that includes a comprehensive community education program regarding fair and
affordable housing.
17. Connect community education initiatives to each of the overarching topics of the Local
Comprehensive Plan/Vision Plan.
18. Ensure regular participation by staff and members of Town bodies in available trainings on
housing -related issues including fair housing, local and regional housing needs, comprehensive
permit administration, and other relevant topics.
4 Pending Bill 5.868/H.1377 — "An Act empowering cities and towns to impose a fee on certain real estate transactions to support
affordable housing."
s This is somewhat distinct from applying for specific projects and instead allows for moving funds from the CPA pool to the AHT
pool, although of course the BAHT would still have to apply to annually. Hingham follows this practice and has for several years,
with their AHT stating in their 2021 CPA application, "often unknown opportunities to create new affordable housing units arise and
require immediate responses.... Replenishing the 'opportunity fund' will allow the Trust to respond quickly to those opportunities..."
6 Depending on the direction of the Vision Planning process with the consideration for a Town Center or Town Centers, the Town
could also explore establishing tax increment financing (TIF), which requires that there be a TIF-designated area as approved by the
Economic Assistance Coordinating Council. Not sure if it's premature to include a strategy related to this, although perhaps not
since only 20% of LCP survey respondents said "No Town Center."
r We suggested this route because the BHA may have more flexibility for creating deeply affordable units than a private developer
utilizing the LIHTC program; developer interviews will be helpful for understanding this better.
a A CLT keeps the costs for homeownership low(er) by selling homes on land owned by the CLT. While the homeowner
purchases the home, they merely lease the land from the CLT, keeping the purchase price lower.
9 "Workforce housing" developed under MassHousing's workforce housing program must already include 20% units affordable at
or below 80% AMI in addition to the workforce units.
'o As was done with Millstone Road, which the plan would explain should this strategy be included.
5
Brewster Housing Production Plan
Draft Goals and Strategies
May 17, 2022
19. Consider hosting an annual Housing Forum and inviting regional partners to cohost.
Lo ca, y i PI
20, Continue to make good use of Chapter 40B, including the Local Initiative Program (LIP), as a
vehicle for creating affordable housing.
21. Continue to monitor the impacts of short-term rentals on the availability of year-round rental
units and review local policies accordingly.
22. Develop criteria for assessing a property's suitability for the creation of affordable and attainable
housing." (See Strategies 14 and 15.)
23. Develop specific design guidelines for multi -unit housing within the Old King's Highway Historic
District.'
24. Increase housing staff capacity to ensure continued and consistent collaboration with the
Building, Conservation, Health, and Planning Departments.
Con n
s. i
]1 E:po i
26. Continue the CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation program to enable income -eligible
homeowners to make critical home repairs.
27. Evaluate the Rental Assistance Program and consider offering a Family Self -Sufficiency
component to the program.
28. Evaluate the "buy down"/down payment/closing cost assistance program and consider
adjustments to meet current needs.
29. Explore other opportunities for direct support for eligible households, including partnerships
with local non -profits and housing assistance providers.
11 Such criteria can be used in a variety of ways — as part of an RFP for acquiring land for housing, for assessing properties being
considered for acquisition, and for evaluating current Town -owned properties for the potential to create housing. See strategies 14
and 15.
12 Or Town -wide? This has the benefit of addressing concerns that really come from poor design rather than density and can
facilitate development if developers know what to expect.
6
Brewster Housing Coordinator Update April 2022
Jill Scalise
Ongoing Activities/ Projects
1. Community Outreach and Education (Housing Production Plan (HPP) Strategy #13)
• Responded to email and phone requests for information and assistance, 58 total requests for housing
information (28) or assistance (30). Updated Housing Office webpage.
• Outreach, including webpage postings and ernails, for the Housing Production Plan Community Meeting.
2. Brewster Affordable Housing Trust (BART) (HPP Strategy 47)
• Trust met, addressed numerous items throughout this update.
• Worked on Housing Trust Guidelines with Trust sub -group.
3. Community Housing Parcel off Millstone (Select Board Strategic Plan Goal 11-3, I IPP Strategy #15)
• Following the Trust's recommendation, the Select Board accepted the proposal from Preservation of
Affordable Housing (POAH) and Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) to build compact, energy efficient
neighborhood of 45 units of affordable rental housing on Town land off Millstone Road. The next step is for
the Select Board to negotiate a Land Development & Ground Lease Agreement with POAH & HAC.
4. Redevelop Existing Properties for Affordable Housing (HPP Strategy #6)
• Serenity at Brewster (55+ rental housing, 27 affordable units): Phase 2, 91 units, expected to open in
Summer 2022. Presented Regulatory Agreement, signed by Elevation Financial, to the Select Board who
agreed to execute the agreement which governs the 27 affordable units. Regulatory Agreement then sent to
Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD). Also worked with HAC on applications and
marketing for the Serenity affordable apartments.
5. Comprehensive Permit Projects (HPP Strategy #14)
• Brewster Woods (30 affordable rental units): Worked with HAC on application and marketing materials.
• Habitat for Humanity Red Top Road (2 affordable home ownership): Regulatory Agreement with DHCD.
6. Preservation of Housing and Related Support of Brewster Residents
• reviewed Regional CDBG Housing Rehabilitation and Childcare Administration proposal. Bailey Boyd
Associates hired to administer program. With Fiscal Team, attended training for the $1.3 million CDBG.
7. Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) (HPP Strategy #10)
• Agreement with the State on tax taking of 212 Yankee Drive to Select Board, article on Town Warrant.
• Followed -up with DHCD legal counsel about the work to be done for affordable resale of 11 Sean Circle.
8. Housing Production Plan (HPP) (Select Board Strategic Plan Goal H-2)
• Continued work with Barrett Planning on Plan update including outreach, preparation for, and participation
in forum. 881 Housing Needs surveys received. Interactive, virtual Housing Plan Community Forum held.
• Housing Partnership met. assisted Barrett Planning with outreach, inputting surveys, and staffing Forum.
9.Collaboration (HPP Strategy #9)
• Attended Community Development Partnership's Lower Cape Housing Institute Land Use Workshop, and
CHAPA's Making the Case for Housing Zoom and Fair Housing Symposium.
• Presented at Lower Cape Housing Peer Group and Brewster Housing Coalition meeting.
Upcoming Activities
• Brewster Woods and Serenity at Brewster: Applications for the affordable apartments at both locations
are available from HAC 508-771-5400, ext. 284, and due July I", 2022.
Personnel
• Participated in Housing Trust, Housing Partnership, and Select Board meetings.
• Also worked with: Accounting, Building Dept., Council on Aging, Health Dept., Select Board, Town
Administration, and Treasurer's Office.