A Truro Housing Needs Assessment report was submitted to the Truro Housing Authority in August 2015.  This report was presented at the Truro Affordable Housing Summit on October  24, 2015 and is found on the Town website currently.  After making oral comments at the Truro Housing Authority (THA) meeting on August 18, 2015,  the Committee requested TPRTA’s comments in writing, found here.  The Draft recommended an ambitious and far reaching 15-20 year program of housing development in Truro, including 30+ units on an immediate basis, two additional 30 +/- unit rental apartment complexes,  one 10 +/- unit cottage/duplex rental site, and a “youth lot”affordable deed-restricted home ownership program.  These would generate approximately 124 units overall at an unspecified cost to taxpayers to address estimated current and projected future affordable housing needs in Truro.

TPRTA’s comments focus on the methodology used to generate and present the data in the Draft, expressing concern about the wide margins of error and high levels of uncertainty in the estimated current needs and projected future needs (through 2035), especially in light of the proposed scope and cost. Among its recommendations to strengthen the Housing Needs Assessment process, TPRTA recommended re-analyzing the data using proper statistical treatment for actual margins of error in the data and proposed conducting primary research directly involving a community wide effort to determine Truro’s actual housing needs, now and for the foreseeable future. TPRTA has offered to assist and to encourage participation in the ongoing discussion. The THA is in the process of revising the Draft in preparation for a Truro Housing Summit scheduled for October 24, 2015.