Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, May 23
- Animal Welfare Committee, 10 a.m., Veterans Memorial Community Center
- Open Space Committee, 3:30 p.m.
- Planning Board, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 28
- Licensing Board, 5:15 p.m.
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Affordable Ownership
Provincetown’s housing dept. is advertising an affordable ownership unit under construction at 50 Nelson Ave. The 962-square-foot one-bedroom condo will be sold for $189,685 to the winner of a lottery held the week of July 29.
Applications are due July 16, and applicants must earn less than the county’s median income, currently $85,890 for a one-person household, $98,160 for two persons. Applicants must use the home as their sole domicile and must have less than $100,000 in assets. Short-term rentals are prohibited.
Last year, the town increased its down payment assistance program to allow financial aid up to $30,000 or 10 percent of a property’s sale price, whichever is less. In this case, down payment assistance would be capped at $18,968, 10 percent of the sale price. The down payment assistance takes the form of a zero-percent loan forgiven in 10 years if the property has not been sold.
Affordable ownership units are priced for resale according to a formula based on the county’s median income, so they appreciate in value based on salaries in Barnstable County rather than in tandem with the wider property market. A mortgage preapproval letter is required to enter the lottery; a first-time homebuyers course is required for the down payment assistance program. —Paul Benson
