MERRIMACK VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION AWARDED STATE GRANTS TO UPDATE HOUSING PRODUCTION PLANS ACROSS 14 CITIES AND TOWNS
Funding from the Departments of Energy & Environmental Affairs and Housing & Community Development will help communities strategize to meet housing needs
HAVERHILL, MA – As the state grapples with a housing crises and more residents face housing cost burdens, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC) has been awarded funds to revamp and update the region’s existing portfolio of municipal Housing Production Plans (HPP). These city and town HPPs will provide strategies to implement tools aimed at reducing the burden of rent and homeownership for residents of the region.
The grants, courtesy of the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), will allow MVPC to work with 14 cities and towns across the Merrimack Valley—updating their current plans created in 2018 that are due to expire over the next 18 months.
“Housing is of paramount importance to MVPC and our member communities,” said Jerrard Whitten, Executive Director at MVPC. “The development of appropriate, affordable housing of all types starts with intensive planning and comprehensive conversations with municipal officials, developers, business owners, and residents. The HPP project will provide structure to those conversations, and help our region plan for smart, impactful housing production across the Merrimack Valley.”
The housing production plans will analyze current housing and demographic conditions in each city and town and make recommendations for future changes based on housing needs. The planning process involves extensive public engagement efforts to gather input on the existing housing landscapes of each municipality, paired with an update of existing housing data. The HPPs will provide recommendations for how cities and towns can increase both their affordable housing stock and housing of all types—from rental to ownership.
“We are excited to get started on this large undertaking,” states Lauren Keisling, Community Planner at MVPC. “This project will result in creating effective roadmaps for our region’s communities to expand their affordable housing stock and diversify their housing options to accommodate residents’ needs. Even more importantly, we look forward to closely engaging with residents across the Merrimack Valley by hearing their thoughts, suggestions, and lived experiences as the people who call this region home.”
The HPP update project will shed light on the unique housing needs of 14 of the region’s municipalities, including Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury.
All Merrimack Valley municipalities currently have a state approved HPP produced in 2018, but these are set to expire over the next 18 months. In 2018 the Merrimack Valley region was the first in the state to have HPPs across all cities and towns, and MVPC aims to continue that success with this update project.
###
About the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission: The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission is a regional planning agency created in 1959 with a goal of consistently planning, developing, and promoting not only the sustainable development of the Merrimack Valley through responsible and efficient use of regional resources, but to also rally and unify the communities to perpetuate the region’s vision. A 16-member Board of Commissioners governs the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, which serves 15 member communities, including the cities of Amesbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen and Newburyport, and the towns of Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury. https://mvpc.org
About the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA): EEA seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s environmental resources while ensuring a clean energy future for the state’s residents. Through the stewardship of open space, protection of environmental resources, and enhancement of clean energy, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.
About the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD): The Department of Housing and Community Development, through its community and business partners, provides affordable housing options, financial assistance, and other support to Massachusetts communities. DHCD oversees different types of assistance and funding for consumers, businesses, and non-profit partners across the Commonwealth.