by Eric Schwaab – posted 4/21/26 on Barnstable Unofficial Group (Facebook)
For months, Kathryn and her two daughters watched the construction of Lawrence Hill, hoping it might offer them a fresh start. After escaping a domestic violence situation, Kathryn moved her family into a single, cramped bedroom in her mother’s home.
Lawrence Hill sits directly across from her daughters’ school. To them, it wasn’t just housing – it was a chance at a new life. A chance for her girls to walk to school from their own front door. A place to call home.
But the math didn’t work.
Kathryn works 34 hours a week—the most she can manage while raising two children on her own—earning $17 an hour. It’s a modest income that reflects the reality for much of the Cape’s workforce. But the formula used to determine her “affordability” told a different story.
Because she works in the service industry, the property managers didn’t rely solely on her base wages. They projected her annual tip income—an estimate, not a guarantee. That calculation pushed her income to $38,000 just $2,000 over the eligibility cap.
“To be told I make too much money for a place that’s supposed to be affordable – it’s insanity,” Kathryn said. “I wish I could make sense of it.”
When the denial letter arrived, it brought more than a “no.” It came without clarity. Kathryn was denied access to her file and given no clear explanation of how her income had been calculated. By the time she tried to appeal, the apartment she had counted on was gone—offered to the next applicant.
“What’s worse is I have no clue where we are going to go!” Kathryn said, “My kids had to leave their home and move into a small room and start completely over at a new school. We had hopes of being able to stay here. I was devastated when I told them that we couldn’t move across the street from their school and that idk where we will be next school year.”
The impact is felt most deeply by her children. They’ve already lost one home, started over at a new school, and adjusted to life in a shared bedroom. Now, Kathryn is left wondering where they will be next year—while working in a community that cannot seem to make room for her.
Kathryn said, “The income guidelines should reflect the reality of working-class people who are trying to serve this community. If Wellfleet wants families to stay, it has to make it possible for them to support themselves.”
Kathryn’s story exposes a widening gap in what we call “affordable” housing. When income guidelines fail to reflect the unpredictability of service-industry wages—or when thresholds are set so low that working families are disqualified for simply earning a living—the system isn’t just flawed. It’s exclusionary.
If Wellfleet is serious about keeping local families, it must push for:
* Realistic income standards that reflect how people actually earn a living
* Transparency in calculations, so applicants can understand—and challenge—the numbers
* Compassionate administration, especially for families in vulnerable situations
Kathryn plans to attend the next meeting of the Select Board and share her story herself. She’s not asking for special treatment. She’s asking for support from her community.
She’s asking a simple question: should $2,000 really be the difference between stability and crisis?