CDP Recognized by Two Statewide Housing Organizations
Orleans, MA – The Community Development Partnership is being recognized by two statewide housing organizations this month. Both the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) will honor the Lower Cape-based nonprofit community development corporation for its work to build public support for year-round housing that is affordable to all who live and work in the region.
During its annual Housing Institute on June 15th, MHP presented the CDP with one of three 2023 Housing Hero awards. About the awards, MHP’s Communications Manager, Lisa Braxton shared, “In a state where local decisions about more housing happen at the local level, we think it’s important to recognize elected officials, municipal staff, local leaders and volunteers for their role in supporting affordable homes and convincing residents to do likewise.”
Over the past six years, the CDP has launched and expanded advocacy efforts for affordable housing through its Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership. The initiative equips various community stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to support the creation of more affordable housing on Lower Cape Cod. Participants include low-to-moderate-income residents, business and community leaders, municipal staff, and local elected and appointed officials. To date, nearly 300 town officials and staff have participated.
One participant is Orleans Select Board member Andrea Reed. She shared, “The peer-to-peer relationships and ongoing access to state and federal resources have been incredibly valuable to me from the CDP training. As a layperson trying to help with these local threats to housing and economic security, the CDP is an incredible resource.”
CDP CEO and President Jay Coburn said, “The affordable housing crisis is a community problem, and the Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership is a community-based solution. It has been an effective vehicle to cultivate partnerships with town governments and engage underrepresented communities in local and regional decision-making. We are honored to be recognized by MHP and our peers for this important work.”
Later in the month, at its Annual Dinner, CHAPA will present Andrea Aldana, the CDP’s Chief Program Officer, with their Community Engagement Award. The award honors Aldana “for centering people in housing decisions, providing support to community volunteers, and advocating for housing solutions to ensure a more equitable Cape Cod.”
Aldana has been integral in building the CDP’s advocacy efforts for affordable housing. In her role, she ensures the voices of Lower Cape community members are represented in CDP programming and regional policies.
About the honors, Reed commented, “Celebrating the CDP and Andrea for this work is imperative. The number of affordable housing opportunities they have been at the center of speaks volumes about the organization. They have created a model others can learn from.”
The Massachusetts Housing Partnership is a statewide public nonprofit affordable housing organization that works in concert with the Governor and the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to help increase the supply of affordable housing in Massachusetts.
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association’s mission is to encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate-income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development.