Yarmouth announces affordable-housing lotteries, outlines local program and wait list

Mary Wagon, Yarmouth, the town's affordable housing/CDBG program administrator, told the Board of Health on March 3 that the town is administering two "ready renter" lotteries and promoting a regional wait list for affordable rental units.

"The town's affordable housing program aims to provide residents with an adequate supply of housing, which is safe, decent, and affordable," Wagon said, summarizing the program's purpose and eligibility criteria.

Wagon said the town prioritizes units that meet the state's definition of affordable housing so they count toward Yarmouth's 10% state inventory goal. She described two immediate openings: a one-bedroom unit at 530 Main Street in West Dennis with an affordable rent of $1,606 per month (utilities not included), and a general Cape Cod Ready Renter wait list that serves scattered-site units across the region. Applications for both lotteries are due April 9, 2025.

Why it matters: Yarmouth's median home sale price, Wagon said, runs far above the affordable purchase price the town uses for a…