Dennis Affordable Housing Trust
Five Year Strategic Plan 2021-2026
CLIENT: Town of Dennis, Massachusetts
TEAM: Fiona Coughlan, AICP
Barrett Planning Group worked closely with the Dennis Affordable Housing Trust (DAHT) to create a Five-Year Strategic Plan fo r2021-2026.
A Strategic Plan evaluates an organization’s existing capacity, operating environment, and resources, and outlines specific actions to achieve its goals. It focuses on linking what the organization does with what its mission statement says.
We used a Logic Model to visualize the plan and help the DAHT evaluate its effectiveness over time. The Logic Model can also help them compete for public and private funding sources.
Barrett Planning Group led the community engagement and outreach process, facilitated meetings, and drafted the plan, including a comprehensive implementation program. The Plan incorporated feedback from community members, elected officials, Town staff, and other relevant stakeholders, as the Trust sought to rebrand, invigorate their role as affordable housing advocates, and expand their reach to Dennis's low and moderate-income population. Outreach included two surveys, team-building exercises, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, town-wide interviews, focus groups, and several internal meetings.
The Strategic Plan came at an opportune moment for the DAHT because during the process, the Town of Dennis hired Barrett Planning Group to update the Dennis Housing Production Plan (HPP). The planning process for both projects involved analyzing existing resources and appropriate sites for affordable housing, assessing development potential, and measuring feasible ways the DAHT can play a role in. The Trust restructured its standard policies and procedures as a direct result of the strategic planning process. Most notably, they committed to forming new partnerships, creating a logo and website, and taking more responsibility for financial resources and assets.
Barrett Planning Group LLC provides high-quality, customized planning and community development services for cities and towns and non-profit organizations throughout greater Massachusetts and New England. Barrett Planning Group is known for our creative approach to planning and problem-solving, our expertise as trainers and technical assistance providers, our attentiveness to clients, and our expertise in capacity building.
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