County approves $1 million ARPA grant for 'Residences at Lawrence Hill' affordable housing project

Barnstable County commissioners voted unanimously to authorize execution of a $1,000,000 grant agreement with Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. to support the project known in the meeting materials as the 'Residences at Lawrence Hill.' The board said the funds will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations the county set aside for housing projects.

Vera (Speaker 5), representing the county housing trust, described the award as "one in a series of affordable housing projects from the ARPA housing trust" and said the county's contribution represents a fraction of the overall financing package. Corey Fellows (Speaker 7), identified during the meeting as representing Preservation of Affordable Housing, said the project will create 46 new affordable homes for the Outer Cape and is tied to state and federal low-income housing tax-credit financing. Fellows said the project is also linked to a MassWorks-funded stormwater infrastructure upgrade that will serve the nearby fire station, police station and elementary school.

Commissioners asked for cost details. Meeting materials and presenters cited a rough total project cost of about $34,400,000, which was presented in discussion as roughly $750,000 per unit when including debt and borrowing costs. Fellows said a significant portion of operating revenue would service long-term debt and that affordability restrictions and other loan covenants will limit how revenue can be used; remaining net revenue may support resident services or be recycled into other nonprofit projects.

Fellows told the board the financial construction closing was expected in three to four weeks and staff hoped to begin on-site work in late October or early November, with a groundbreaking event planned for Oct. 30 at 10:30 a.m. Commissioners did not identify any dissenting votes on the grant authorization.

The board did not adopt additional contractual terms on the record; the motion authorized county staff to execute the grant agreement as presented. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with details about the project's final cost breakdown and long-term affordability restrictions as the closing proceeds.

The board moved on after approving the motion; county staff and Preservation of Affordable Housing representatives said they would coordinate outreach about the planned groundbreaking.