BARNSTABLE – Paula Hersey wants people to know she is a face of affordable housing.
“We are your neighbors, friends, and community leaders of today and tomorrow,” she said of those who need affordable housing.
She often hears talk of “those people” who live in affordable housing, and she wants people to know that she and her husband are “those people.” And they happen to be hardworking longtime members of the community.
Paula and David Hersey’s house when it was first constructed back in 1989. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULA HERSEY
Hersey, who at age 52 calls herself a “community connector,” is a familiar presence on Cape Cod by virtue of her role as Director of Outreach and Special Projects at Cape Cod Community Media Center and her service on numerous committees.
But Paula may not have been able to stay on Cape Cod if not for a rare affordable housing opportunity back in the 1980s, when she first “washed ashore,” in the local parlance, here on Cape Cod.
“I never used to talk about being a 40B homeowner or the way we were able to buy our house, but I have realized that it is critical for Cape Cod as a region and community to remove the stigma associated with needing a safe and reliable place to call home,” she said.
Removing The Stigma
She told her affordable housing story in public for the first time at the inaugural session of Cape Housing Advocacy Training, which took place last month at Shepley Showcase in Hyannis.
The training, put on by the local nonprofits Housing Assistance Corporation and Community Development Partnership, is meant to inspire and teach regular Cape Codders to turn out to town meetings and speak up in support of affordable housing projects and zoning initiatives that help create housing.
When she heard about the advocacy training, Hersey said she wanted to be a part of it. “I’m not ashamed that we needed help, but there’s a stigma. Now I’m out in the community and perceived to be successful,” she said, and yet someone learning she lives in affordable housing may wonder why.
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