affordable housing

Zoning laws have long helped protect the Cape's natural resources and beauty. 

But zoning laws have also been used to encourage, and enforce, racial segregation in the U.S.

For Alex Davies, a 23-year-old from New Jersey, working for AmeriCorps Cape Cod has given her a sense of purpose. 

“We’re here helping out the community,” she said. “We're the people that go out and help with trail maintenance. We clean up stuff. We cut down the trees. … We help when there’s an emergency on the Cape with taking calls and whatnot.”

Tensions between local environmentalists and housing advocates have long played out in battles to preserve local land while making sure people can afford to live on Cape Cod.

Nantucket is gearing up for the summer season, when it becomes a prime vacation destination. But for a portion of the island’s year-round population, it's when finding housing becomes a squeeze.

The first affordable housing project ever built in Woods Hole is taking applications for its lottery until July 15. The drawing of names will be at Falmouth Town Hall on July 24.

There are 11 apartments at the property at 300 Woods Hole Road, both one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The income guidelines are based on the median income in Barnstable County and vary depending on the size of the family.