Shaping the Cape: The Issues Facing Cape Cod We Need to Solve

CCIAOR and and the Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP) created a partnership to highlight issues related to living and working on Cape Cod through a video series. Through this partnership, CCYP explores trending issues that shape the Cape for families and businesses:

• The challenging issue of child care;
• Advocating for ourselves to make a difference;
• What we can do to move the housing needle.

In this episode of “Shaping the Cape,” CCYP shines a spotlight on a much-needed spotlight on the challenging issues of CHILD CARE and early childhood education on Cape Cod. Our CEO, Lauren Barker, spoke with Stacie Peugh (President & CEO of the YMCA Cape Cod), Nola Glatzel (owner of Earthstar Play School in Truro), and Suzanne Scallion (Superintendent of Provincetown Schools) about how the critical need for child care – even before the pandemic – is impacting our young workforce community on Cape Cod.

Stacie, Nola, and Suzanne share insight on how the pandemic has changed the landscape for our region’s young families and children, discuss the challenges of the Cape Cod post-COVID “reopening” process, and lend their first-hand perspective as child care providers on how we can increase child care options for working families on the Cape. The discussion wraps up with a message for both policy makers and young families, so be sure to watch all the way to the end.

In this episode, CCYP focuses on the topic of "Advocating for Ourselves" as young people living and working on Cape Cod. It's no secret that living on Cape Cod as a young person in your 20s, 30s, or even 40s can be challenging - from finding year-round housing, to locating good career opportunities, to affording childcare and other living costs, the obstacles can seem overwhelming. One of CCYP's biggest priorities is to empower Cape Cod's working age young adults to get involved in local decision-making processes and make sure their needs are taken into account - whether through volunteer service, advocacy, voting, or running for public office. But how do you get started with advocacy, and really make a difference? And how can you overcome feelings of intimidation or feeling as if you don't know enough to speak up? Join us as we chat with three individuals who are active in civic engagement and advocacy on Cape Cod - in housing, racial equality, business, and volunteerism, among other areas - and learn how you can advocate to keep the young workforce community thriving in our region.

In this episode of the 'Shaping the Cape' policy video series, we discuss how and why the lack of attainable, year-round housing has been a barrier to retaining and attracting a young workforce community on Cape Cod. Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP) CEO Lauren Barker is joined by the CEO of Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC), Alisa Magnotta, and the CEO of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS (CCIAOR), Ryan Castle, to talk about housing trends locally and nationwide and provide updates on some of the tools and policy efforts being deployed by their organizations and others to ensure that the Cape has safe, attainable, year-round housing opportunities for all. Among many other topics, the discussion touches on home buyer savings and other programs, as well as zoning, civic engagement, and our national history of inclusion (or lack thereof) when it comes to decision-making around housing and residential development.