Barrett Planning Group takes great pride assisting cities and towns with all aspects of affordable housing. Our team recognizes that a municipality’s role in this important work extends beyond land use planning, zoning, and permitting; ensuring the continued affordability of units created through such efforts is equally critical. As such, we’re pleased to announce two important regional housing services projects to assist communities with these responsibilities: the launch of the Barnstable County Shared Regional Housing Services (BCSRHS) program, which follows a successful two-year pilot led by BPG Principal Planner Alexis Lanzillotta; and our work with the Metro North Regional Housing Services Office (MNRHSO) providing affordable housing and monitoring consultant services to seven member communities. We are excited to collaborate with Liz Rust, Director of the Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO), on both projects, as well as the regional nonprofit organization Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) for our engagement with Barnstable County.
Many affordable housing responsibilities fall on municipalities, putting enormous strain on local staff capacity. Due to complex regulatory requirements tied to affordable housing programs and the range of unique or project-specific circumstances that can occur, overseeing the local supply of deed-restricted affordable housing often requires significant staff time and technical expertise. “Having a solid understanding of these pieces is especially important for communities pursuing local housing initiatives such as inclusionary zoning or locally funded housing programs intended to create units eligible for the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory,” says Alexis.
Barrett Planning Group is proud to support Barnstable County in advancing its Shared Regional Housing Services program. In keeping with the Cape’s strong history of regional collaboration, the County supported the launch of a shared housing services pilot program in 2023 through an allocation of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Our team was selected to develop and implement the two-year pilot program, during which time we created a countywide Affordable Housing Database for Town staff to track both affordable developments and over 7,100 Subsidized Housing Inventory units across Barnstable County. As Alisa Zimmerman from Barrett Planning Group explains, “Building the countywide database was an enormous undertaking, and one that is still ongoing. We spent countless hours combing through town registries, property by property, to track down affordable units. It was painstaking, but essential work—without a complete and accurate inventory, towns can’t protect their housing stock or effectively plan for the future.” Additional work included developing a Program Implementation Plan; building a regional stakeholder contact list; researching and reporting on a range of topics including short term rentals, housing market data, affordable housing trusts across the region; drafting model documents and templates; holding regular office hours with municipal staff; and providing each community with direct technical assistance tailored to their individual needs.
Following this successful pilot, Barnstable County will continue to administer the program with funding commitments from nearly all of the towns. Our team was selected to lead this next phase, and we are thrilled to team up with Liz Rust (Director, Regional Housing Services Office) and renowned regional housing nonprofit Housing Assistance Corporation. In addition to offering local and regional technical assistance, resources, and training, our team will be assisting communities monitor projects for which they are directly responsible (such as Local Initiative Projects) and providing general SHI oversight.
For our engagement with the Metro North Regional Housing Services Office (MNRHSO) — led by the Town of Reading — we are again teaming up with Liz Rust. We will assist the MNRHO’s seven member communities by updating and maintaining a reliable, shared housing inventory; providing monitoring services; and offering general technical assistance to aid in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Shared regional housing service programs are more than just an efficiency measure—they are essential for ensuring that every community, no matter its size, has the tools and expertise to preserve affordability, support residents, and plan for future housing needs in a collaborative manner. By working together, municipalities can take on challenges that would be overwhelming alone, while building stronger, more resilient housing systems for the region. Shared service programming can offer communities the capacity, consistency, and expertise needed to preserve affordability, strengthen housing production, and better serve residents.
