01/27/2020 BOARD OF SELECTMEN Agenda Packet

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2. Commruni Need: My is this ro'eet needed? Homer does it reflect'the criteria as defined hy the CPC Committee? FORWARD (Friends Or Relatives With Autism & Related Disabilities) is an independent 501(c) 3 nonprofit founded in 2014 by a group of concerned citizens whose common goal is to help meet the critical housing needs-of adults with Autism and related disabilities, Because government owned housing is very limited and private-sector housing is cost prohibitive, both are unattainable for those most in need of affordable supportive housing. Access to housing has been a major and growing concern for the large population of adults with Autism, and with demand.outstripping supply, the shortage has now reached critical proportions. FORWARD is committed to an emerging model for housing production, where new regional affordable supportive housing is built, owned and managed by the nonprofit sector, with funding support from government, businesses,foundations and individuals. This project, FORWARD at the Rock, will provide new housing for eight Cape Cod residents eligible for state financial assistance for both rent and services, and will also demonstrate an approach to affordable housing that meets the needs of this underserved population. The shortage of,appropriate affordable housing for adults with Autism, is,exacerbated by a general shortage of affordable housing on the Cape. The Cape Cod Commission's 2017 Housing Market Analysis notes a decline in available year-round housing, estimating an "affordability gap"of 25,354 units as of 2015. The gap is particularly acute for those with disabilities and the Cape's aging population, and the Commission estimates in-migration in the next-10 years will be 5,200 people, 57% of'Which will be over 45 years old. Though difficult to isolate data specific to Cape Cod, we know that nationally more than 70%-80%of adults with Autism live at home", often with older caregivers, usually parents who themselves may require care. The Corporation for Supportive g Y Housing estimates the current nationwide shortage of.supportive housing units at 1.2.million, and those in need have to compete with another 7 million "Worst Case Needs" (50% or less of Area Median Income) people in the affordable housing market according to a 2017 HUD report. According to the,June 2017 report: Supportive Housing currently Available to People With Autism Spectrum,Disorder in Massachusetts prepared for the Housing Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Autism Commission Technical Assistance Collaborative'. • There are at least 15,200 people with Autism Spectrum disorders currently in need of supportive housing in Massachusetts.As a-percentage of the state total population that equates to: o Cape Cod:472; o Mashpee: 31 o Dennis: 31 (Committed $500,000 in funding) o Chatham: 14(Committed.$50,000'in funding) o Yarmouth: 52 (Committed$120,000 in funding) o Barnstable; 98 (Committed $250,000 in funding) o Brewster: 22 ($75,000 pending Town Meeting) • According to Massachusetts Department of Education statics for special education (which did not breakdown students by specific disabilities): FORWARD APPLICATION.November 1, 2019. Page 4 of 10