Eastham has launched a new Lease to Locals program, aimed at increasing access to year-round housing. The initiative, created in partnership with Orleans, will provide financial incentives to property owners who convert short-term rentals or vacant units into long-term housing for local workers and residents.
Eligible property owners in Eastham or Orleans can receive a one-time incentive payment of up to $15,000 per unit. To qualify, properties must be located in either town and must not have had full-time tenants in the unit for more than a year.
Owners must also lease to tenants who are either employed by a business in Eastham or Orleans, or who are already current residents of the towns.
The program is being facilitated by Placemate, an organization focused on addressing the housing crisis in tourist communities by repurposing underused housing for local residents.
Colin Frolich, co-founder of Placemate, said the program originated out of personal necessity.
“We started this program due to our own needs of seeking housing in a tourist town,” Frolich said. “My wife and I started this company in 2018 in California. The idea was to tap into empty second homes, vacation rentals and short-term rentals and repurpose those for local employees to live closer to where they worked.”
Since its founding, Lease to Locals has expanded to nearly 15 communities across the United States, including five seasonal towns in Massachusetts.
“There is a good appetite for this program from the employees, the employers and the homeowners,” Frolich said.
Chilmark and Nantucket previously launched the program, with other communities like Provincetown adapting it to local needs. Provincetown, for instance, focuses its incentives on smaller units for singles, while Nantucket offers higher incentives geared toward single-family homes for families or multiple roommates.
Frolich said the program is not a complete solution to the region’s housing crisis, but an important step.
“We don’t see this as the silver arrow to solve the housing crises,” he said. “In our estimation, these programs can efficiently unlock somewhere between 20 and 30 units a year.”
By creating more housing options for locals, Frolich said the program helps sustain year-round economic activity.
“Having more options and opportunities for locals means that businesses can have more staff and vibrancy in the community year-round,” he said. “These programs are meant to complement workforce housing construction and other permanent solutions.”
Frolich also pointed to the surge in real estate prices across tourist communities in Massachusetts over the past five years.
“This helps combat that,” he said. “It gives an opportunity for a homeowner to hold onto the property without turning it into another short-term rental or putting it back on the market.”
Frolich shared a story from Nantucket about a property owner who had a change of heart after realizing his role in the housing shortage.
“He owned a beach club and had a short-term rental,” Frolich said. “He converted a one-bedroom cottage and rented it to a young couple—a teacher and a hospital worker. They told us the housing opportunity made a big difference for them. This is a great program, and people can benefit from renting their property to locals.”
