Senior & Affordable Housing in Orleans

A Lower Cape nonprofit that manages 64 affordable rental homes, from studios to three-bedrooms, for year-round residents.

Three applications and three waitlists, all open. There are minimum and maximum income limits (minimum waived with a mobile voucher). Ask for Cindi Maule about vacancies. Its grant-funded ADU help program has ended, but the guides are still online.

Office

Orleans

Cost

Rents set to HUD schedule

How to start

Download an application from the CDP website or call (508) 240-7873 and ask for Cindi Maule

Hours

Call for office hours

Address

180 Cranberry Highway, Unit 5, Orleans, MA 02653 (mail: P.O. Box 2786)

The public housing agency for Orleans and Eastham, with 100 apartments at Tonset Woods for people 60+ and adults with disabilities, where rent is based on income.

Also manages the Eastham Housing Authority’s 13 units, so Eastham residents call this same number. Apply for state public housing through CHAMP.

Office

Orleans

Cost

Rent based on income

How to start

Call (508) 255-0064 or apply online through CHAMP

Hours

Call for office hours

Address

Tonset Woods, 94 Hopkins Lane, Orleans, MA 02653

Affordable senior housing Affordable senior housing, not assisted living: 163 apartments, age 62+ and income-qualified, no personal care on site. Village II is taking applications.

Office

Harwich

Cost

Rent is 30% of income

How to start

Call (508) 432-9611 to get on the waiting list (usually 150+ people; about one opening every two months)

Who qualifies

Age 62+ with income below 50% of area median; Villages I and II also take disabled applicants under 62 (Village I gives priority to 62+)

Address

61 John Nelson Way, Harwich (Villages I & II); 300 Leighton's Lane, Harwich (Village III)

For older adults

One-bedroom, ground-level apartments of about 600 sq ft, with accessible units available and near the Council on Aging.

The town’s public housing agency, with one-bedroom apartments at Frederick Court for people 60+ and adults with disabilities, where rent is based on income.

Managed by the Mashpee Housing Authority; calls roll to the Mashpee office when Brewster is closed. Maintenance emergencies: 1-774-722-1351. Apply for state public housing through CHAMP.

Office

Brewster

Cost

Rent based on income

How to start

Call (508) 896-9800 or apply online through CHAMP

Hours

Phones answered Mon–Fri

Address

11 Frederick Court, Brewster, MA 02631

The town’s public housing agency, with apartments for people 60+ and adults with disabilities at the Anchorage and a shared congregate house, where rent is based on income.

Runs the Anchorage (40 elderly/disabled units) and the Captain Bearse congregate house (19 residents), plus family units and rental vouchers. Also manages the Harwich Housing Authority. Apply for state public housing through CHAMP; ask the office about the congregate house.

Office

Chatham

Cost

Rent is about 30% of net income

How to start

Apply online through CHAMP (Massachusetts common housing application) or ask the office for a paper form

Hours

Call for office hours

Address

240 Crowell Road, Chatham, MA 02633

A Harwich nonprofit that rents 41 affordable apartments and helps Cape residents catch up on overdue rent so they can stay housed.

Rental assistance: for year-round Cape residents at or below 80% of area median income who spend 30%+ of income on rent and have no other subsidy; first come, first served (ask for Marcy Vigneau, ext. 101). Also runs H.E.L.P. emergency home-repair loans for Orleans and Yarmouth homeowners (ext. 109). Rental application on the website.

Office

Harwich

Cost

Rents set by HUD income limits; assistance is free

How to start

Call (508) 432-0015 (ext. 101 rentals and rental assistance; ext. 109 home repair)

Hours

Call for office hours

Address

120 Route 28, 3rd Floor, West Harwich, MA 02671 (mail: P.O. Box 638)

The town’s public housing agency, which runs family apartments and rental vouchers; it has no senior apartments, so Harwich seniors usually apply to neighbouring towns.

Managed by the Chatham Housing Authority from its Chatham office. No elderly units (12 family units plus 8 special-needs units and state rental vouchers). For senior public housing, apply through the state’s CHAMP application and choose nearby towns such as Chatham, Brewster or Orleans.

Office

Harwich

Cost

Rent based on income

How to start

Call (508) 430-2390 or email harwichha@verizon.net; for senior apartments apply online through CHAMP

Hours

Mon–Thu 8am–4pm, Fri 8am–3:30pm (as posted on the authority website; confirm by phone)

Address

Office: 240 Crowell Road, Chatham, MA 02633. Mail: P.O. Box 714, Harwich Port, MA 02646