The Lease to Locals Program (the “Program”) offers one time cash grants to property owners who agree to convert their housing units into year-round rentals for qualified households. Grant payments are based on the size of the housing unit and the number of qualified tenants in the household group. The goal of the program is to increase the supply of year-round housing available for Provincetown community members and local workers. The Program is a one-year pilot that starts on April 1, 2024. 

Eligible properties must meet the following requirements:

• Housing Unit: A housing unit is a house, condominium, multi-family, accessory dwelling unit, a single room, or multiple single rooms that is intended for occupancy living quarters (excluding commercial lodging). Excludes deed-restricted and subsidized units.
• Location: The Housing Unit must be located in the Town of Provincetown.
• Maximum Grants: Property Owners are eligible for a maximum of three (3) grants.
• Status: The Housing Unit must be a legally permitted dwelling unit and each bedroom in the property must have a door and window. The Housing Unit must have an active long-term rental certificate from the Town of Provincetown.
• New Rental: Full time tenants can not have occupied the Housing Unit for greater than 12 months. If tenants have occupied the Housing Unit for less than 12 months they must not currently be on a Long-Term Lease.
• Property Condition: The Housing Unit must meet basic health and safety criteria as may be required per Massachusetts law and regulations.

• Property Owner: The individual applying for the program must be or represent the legal entity that holds the deed to the property, as reflected on the Assessor or Registry of Deed records.  
• Signed Lease Agreement and Complete Application Packet: The Property Owner must complete an application and sign a Long-Term Lease with a Qualified Household. The complete application packet must be submitted within 45 days of the start of the lease. 
• Lease Compliance Checks: The Property Owner must comply with the lease agreement for the full length of the lease and will be checked for compliance by Placemate, Inc., at six (6) months in the lease. Failure to comply with the lease requirements at any time shall disqualify the Property Owner for grant payments.
• Fair Housing Act Compliance: The Property Owner must comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

A Qualified Household is any group of individuals living together in one home as their primary residence, where at least one of the adults is a Qualified Tenant. A Qualified Tenant is an adult who is not of blood relation to the Property Owner, has an annual income that does not exceed $130,515, and who meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Employed with an employer based on or serving customers on the Outer Cape (Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet) 
• Already a full-time resident of the Outer Cape and contributing to the Provincetown community by serving on a Town Board/Committee, volunteering with a local organization, participating in the town’s art/cultural scene, or providing some similar benefit to the community
• A dependent child of a Qualified Tenant
• A person unable to work or who does not have a work history due to qualifying for disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• A retired person who receives monthly Social Security benefits to a Provincetown address

Once a property owner has indicated they are moving forward with a tenant group, Placemate will share an online tenant application directly with the tenants to collect the following documents.

Each qualified tenant in a household group will need to fill out an application. If a qualified tenant is sharing a room with another tenant(s), each tenant in that room is required to provide the following documentation. Required documents are outlined below:

1. All qualified tenants over 18 years old must provide a copy of their government issued ID
2. Required documents from each tenant who is a local worker:
   1. Employment documentation (any one of the following 3 options, as applicable)
      1. 1 recent pay stub issued by an employer located on the Outer Cape (Provincetown, Truro or Wellfleet), OR;
      2. A signed employer or offer letter that includes the following details:
         1. Employer name, logo, and address
         2. Name of employee
         3. Anticipated start date (if new offer) or when they started originally
         4. Number of hours (ie; full time, 40 hours week / seasonal, 20 hours week)
         5. Pay rate (hourly or salary)
         6. Location of where they are working
         7. Name, signature of manager / HR, and date signed; OR
      3. If self-employed, required documents include:
         1. If the business has been operational for more than 1 year 
            1. Most recent tax returns, OR; 
         2. If the business has been operating for less than one year, is off the books, or tenant is self employed via gig work
            1. Internal P&L, OR;
            2. Employer letter, OR;
            3. Recent Contracts that show volume of work/pay
3. Required documents from each tenant who contributes to the community in some way other than local employment:
   1. A signed letter from the local organization, board, committee, gallery, group etc.. that they are involved with that provides their weekly time commitment to the organization, responsibilities/details of involvement, and how long they have been involved.
4. Required documents from each non-working disabled adult: 
   1. Copy of disability benefits, OR;
   2. Proof of supplemental income
5. Required documents from retired Provincetown residents: 
   1. A Social Security benefit verification letter sent to a local Provincetown address
6. Required documents to show that a qualified adult tenant has a child/children:
   1. Most recent copy of tax returns showing each child as a dependent, OR;
   2. A copy of each child’s birth certificate. 

First create a renter profile with Placemate. Once we have that information on file we can send you prospective properties that fit your criteria and you can message directly with property owners who create listings on our website. 

Prior to disbursing grants, our partners at the Town of Provincetown will review documentation submitted by Placemate, Inc. including a copy of the fully executed lease agreement(s), proof of status for qualifying tenants, and a property owner application.

The Town of Provincetown will issue the first half of the grant payment to the Property Owner within forty five (45) days of the qualified household taking occupancy of the housing unit.

The Town of Provincetown will issue the second half of the grant payment to the property owner within forty five (45) days of the end of the lease. 

Payments shall be issued to the property owner, as their legal name(s) appear on recorded property ownership documents.

Please note, grants are available to each property one time and do not roll over year over year. Each Property Owner is eligible for a maximum of three (3) grant payments across all properties they own.