$24.37 an hour. That is what a family on Cape Cod must earn working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year in order to afford rent of $1,267 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. Someone working for minimum wage would have to work 91 hours a week to afford a one bedroom apartment renting for $945 a month. And we all know rental apartments that are available year-round are a hard thing to come by on the Lower Cape. We have an affordable housing crisis on the Lower Cape and despite the efforts of the CDP and many other individuals and organizations in our community, the need for more affordable housing continues to grow.

It is this urgent need that is motivating CDP Board Members, volunteers and staff to participate in the 22nd Annual Bob Murray Housing with Love Walk, July 14th to the 21st. Thanks to generous sponsorships from local businesses and contributions raised by our sixteen walkers, the CDP has raised over $14,000 towards our goal of $15,000 to support the 70 affordable rental homes that we provide for families on the Lower Cape. This year's Walk is expected to raise over $200,000 to support ten affordable housing agencies serving Cape Cod, bringing the collective total raised over twenty years to more than $4 Million.

Equally important, the Housing with Love Walk raises much needed awareness about the need for safe, stable and year-round homes for our low and moderate income neighbors on the Cape. More affordable homes mean a stronger and more diverse community and more successful small businesses whose employees can live in the town in which they work. I hope you will continue to support our efforts to create opportunities for people to live, work and thrive on the Lower Cape.