“We are insanely short-staffed,” said a current mail carrier. "Every post office on the Outer Cape is advertising for workers — but there are no workers."

"I just couldn’t make the finances work. I hope the Outer Cape figures out housing so that hard working people in the service industry can live in or near the communities where they work.”

Bonnie Tibbetts, who is quitting the Wellfleet Post Office and moving to New Hampshire.(1)

"We are on our way to becoming a museum of the rich, like our neighbors on Nantucket.

The people who have built our businesses, our civic life, and our communities are being displaced.

Soaring costs have put homes out of reach for many of the year-round workers who keep the Cape running: our health care and hospitality workers, teachers, child-care and elder-care providers."

Jay Coburn and Alisa Magnotta (2)

“There are a lot of people who want to work here. It’s just a question of finding a place for them to stay.”

Liam Rowland, owner, Salty Market (3)

“What I’ve found is that the (home care) agencies that say they provide care here will not provide services past the ‘Entering Wellfleet’ sign.

There are no aides in town. I’m constantly finding aides and saying to them, if I have a need, can I call you? But they’re all working at Stop & Shop or somewhere else as a second job. They’re more worried about finding a place to live right now. It’s a never-ending crisis.”

Sarah Ireland, Outer Cape Health Solutions (4)

Citations

(1) Post Office Staffing Problems Delay Outer Cape Mail, Provincetown Independent. 1/31/24

(2) & (3) A Game Changer for the Housing Crisis, Provincetown Independent, 4/23/25

(4) Home Care Shortage is a 'Never-Ending Crisis', Provincetown Independent, 7/19/23

Resources:

RESOURCES

Truro & the Outer Cape

Cape Cod Region

Key Truro Government

Information & Reports

Key Community Groups

Key Massachusetts Government

Voices

Citations

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