On February 24, representatives of six part-time resident taxpayer groups met with Housing Secretary Ed Augustus.  We joined forces in December 2024 to seek an active and formal role in the Seasonal Communities Advisory Committee (SCAC), the group that will advise the State on the regulations, impact and opportunities that will be associated with the “Seasonal Community” designation.

We first expressed this view in in a letter to the editor of the Cape Cod Times and soon thereafter in letter to the Secretary.  By February 24, we were fortunate to have a direct meeting with the Housing Secretary to discuss this opportunity and option.  This meeting included representatives of part-timers groups from Truro, Provincetown, Wellfleet, Eastham, Brewster and Stockbridge.  Together. we represent more that 50% of the residential property owners  and taxpayers in our combined communities.

The Seasonal Community Designation is based upon the percentage of “part-timers” owning property in these two regions –  35% or more on the Cape and 40% or more in the Berkshires.  On the Cape, all but one of the designated communities (Brewster) exceeds 50%.    Our simplest rationale for seeking appointment is that as the defining element of the definition of “seasonal” — that is part-timer status – and as the majority stakeholders in most of our communities, we can, want to, and should play an active and constructive role in this advisory group.

This designation derives from the Affordable Homes Act (AHA), an ambitious and large scale piece of legislation that designates more than a dozen communities on the Cape and in the Berkshires to be earmarked for special regulations, provisions and support.

We remain in ongoing communication about these potential appointments.