Brewster Housing Initiatives

Information on Select Brewster Housing Initiatives

HOUSING RESOURCE INITIATIVES:

Brewster Rental Assistance:

The Brewster Housing Trust offers a Rental Assistance Program for residents. Applications are through Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) and can be accessed through the link on this page. Supported by Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding, ongoing rental assistance of up to $500/month is available. Income limits and additional requirements apply.

Brewster Rental Assistance Program Fact Sheet
Homeless Prevention - Housing Assistance Corporation Cape Cod

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Housing Rehabilitation and Childcare:

Housing rehabilitation funds can provide a 0% interest, deferred, forgivable loan to make critical home repairs. The program in designed to improve housing conditions of income qualified households. Funds of up to $70,000 are available to eligible residents, earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income. Childcare funding offers eligible families subsidies up to $7,000 per child, paid directly to a licensed childcare provider, to assist families in seeking or maintaining employment. More information and applications can be found here: Housing Rehab Program and Childcare Funding Assistance. 

Brewster Affordable Home Buyers Buy-down Program Ready Buyer List:

The Town of Brewster, through Community Preservation Act funds, provides up to $50,000 of grant assistance for eligible buyers purchasing a home in Brewster. The program, contingent on existing funds, is available to households qualifying at 80% Area Median Income (AMI) who agree to place a permanent affordable deed restriction on the property. The grant assistance is provided as an interest free loan which is forgivable after 30 years. The Buy-down Ready Buyer List is now open. Affordable Buy-Down Application

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES:

Habitat for Humanity Homes on Mackie Drive off Main Street:

In 2025, Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod obtained a comprehensive permit to construct two affordable homes on Mackie Drive, 3571 Main Street, Brewster. Habitat has purchased land from the Brewster Conservation Trust (BCT) to build one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom home. This land abuts the newly conservation-restricted Washington Chase Bog property. One home will be affordable at 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and one home affordable at 60% AMI. Both homes will be deed restricted and on Brewster’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). The Housing Trust approved a $100,000 award to Habitat for the purchase of the land and Town Meeting committed $100,000 of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds toward construction. Applications for the homes have been submitted to Habitat and groundbreaking is expected in 2026.

Brewster Woods:

Brewster Woods, comprised of 30 one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable apartments, is located off Brewster Road on 5.8 acres of land owned by the Brewster Housing Authority. Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) developed the property and residents moved into apartments in early 2023. Brewster Woods currently has a waitlist. Applications for Brewster Woods are available from POAH.

Serenity at Brewster:

Elevation at Brewster, LLC  refurbished the former skilled nursing and assisted living facility at 873 Harwich Road into an age 55+ community with 132 studio and one-bedroom apartments. Phase One, with 41 units, opened in July 2021. Phase Two, 91 units, opened in August 2022. Twenty percent of all apartments are affordable for folks at 80% Area Median income (AMI). Plans for Serenity Phase Three, in 2026, anticipate the creation of 23 additional units, with 12 apartments affordable at 80% AMI. The Affordable Housing Trust awarded $700,000 towards the creation of the 12 affordable units and the Town secured a $500,000 Housing Choice Housing Production grant from the state. Applications for the affordable waitlist are are available from Serenity at Brewster.

Spring Rock Village, Plans for Forty-five Affordable Rental Homes off Millstone Road:

Nestled on 5 acres of the 16+ acre property, Spring Rock Village will include 15 one-bedroom, 25 two-bedroom, and 5 three-bedroom affordable apartment homes across five buildings featuring traditional Cape Cod architecture.  The buildings will be designed in the classic Cape Cod tradition on a naturalistic site that preserves a substantial amount of the land’s existing native trees with subtle but significant updates that make them highly energy efficient and durable, with minimal to no onsite fossil fuel usage. The apartment homes will be centered around a wooded island of existing trees with a community center and outdoor recreational area for residents. Opening is anticipated in the fall of 2027. Information may be accessed at the Spring Rock Village website.

Creating affordable housing is often a long process. Information about Millstone Road Housing/ Spring Rock Village has been on the Brewster website for years. Here’s a recap. 

Timeline of Spring Rock Village development:

May 2018 - Special Town Meeting - Brewster designated 16+ acres of Town owned land off Millstone Road for community housing purposes.

2019-2021 - the Affordable Housing Trust completed a feasibility study, watershed study, community outreach and engagement as the Trust worked to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the property.

2022 - a proposal to create 45 affordable rental units by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) was accepted by the Select Board.

2023 - the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a comprehensive permit for the development. Town Meeting approves $500,000 in CPA funding for Spring Rock Village.

2024 - the State awarded Spring Rock Village $6.7 million in funding. Local towns awarded $480,000 in CPA funds and Brewster Affordable Housing Trust also awarded $1 Million.

2026 - POAH & HAC closed on the financing in February and construction began in March.

Habitat for Humanity Homes on Phoebe Way off Red Top Road:

Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod is building two affordable homes off Red Top Road. The property was donated by a Brewster resident and Habitat received a Comprehensive Permit for the homes from the ZBA in October 2021. Wall raisings were held in November 2023 and the new homeowners moved into their homes in 2024.

POTENTIAL HOUSING EXPLORATION:

Sea Camps Pond Parcel

In 2021 the Town of Brewster acquired the former Cape Cod Sea Camps Bay and Pond Properties, consisting of 125 acres of land. After an 18-month discovery, planning and community engagement process, the Town approved Comprehensive Plans for each property at the May 2024 Town Meeting. The Comprehensive Plan for the Pond Property included a 10-acre set aside for Housing and Wastewater with the remaining 60 acres to receive a conservation restriction to be held by Brewster Conservation Trust and Mass Audubon.

A new Sea Camps Advisory Committee was formed to work on implementation of the plans, phasing and financing. The first phase of financing passed at the November 2025 Town Meeting. In addition to capital expenditures, the Town has also actively sought grant funding, including receiving a grant from the MA Department of Environmental Protection to study potential wastewater options for the Pond Property. The study was delivered to the Select Board and the Water Resources Task Force in July of 2025.

Before tasking the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust (BAHT) with conducting a housing feasibility study on the 10 acres set aside for Housing and Wastewater Treatment of the Pond Parcel, the Select Board asked the BAHT to develop Land Development Guidelines (graphic) which were delivered to the Select Board in a joint meeting with the BAHT in August of 2025. In January of 2026, the Select Board voted to refer the Pond Property Housing Feasibility Study to the BAHT.   

In March 2026, the BAHT provided the Select Board an initial Pond Property Work Plan for Feasibility Study and Community Engagement. The feasibility study is expected to last 12 to 18 months with opportunities for community input throughout the process. A report and decision point for Town Meeting is expected by the end of 2027.

For more information on the Pond Property and the Sea Camps 5+ year planning process, see the Sea Camps Project page.