In the coming weeks, the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates will consider a major proposal to create dedicated funding for affordable and year-round housing.

The idea is a 2% real estate transfer fee on luxury home sales over $2 million. Here’s how it would work:

• Towns opt in with a simple Town Meeting vote—no special legislation required.

• The County collects the fee and distributes the funds directly to each participating town’s housing trust.

• Revenue supports local solutions—from mortgage assistance and home repairs to workforce housing and municipal projects.

Modeled after the Cape & Islands Water Protection Fund, this proposal could generate up to $56 million annually—including $7.8 million for Falmouth alone. And it aligns the source of the problem with the solution: if high-end real estate is pricing people out, a small fee on those sales should help fund the programs that keep our communities livable.

The Assembly will hold public hearings on August 20 and September 3. If you believe Cape Cod should remain a place where working families, seniors, and young people can afford to live, now is the time to speak up.

August 20 & September 3 at 4:00 PM
Mary Pat Flynn Conference Center — 3195 Main Street, Barnstable
August 20th Teams Link: https://tinyurl.com/Aug20Assembly 

September 3rd Teams Link:https://tinyurl.com/Sep3Assembly

Local government is shaped by those who show up. With your voice, we can take a real step toward solving this crisis. Without it, we risk letting another opportunity slip by.