Mayor Sean Reardon and the City of Newburyport will host a public forum on Wednesday, September 11th to discuss upcoming initiatives to create more housing options in Newburyport and preview the City’s new Housing Production Plan. The event will be at 7pm at the Senior Community Center.
Due to new state laws, interest from private developers, and new zoning and projects being considered locally, there are many changes underway regarding our larger housing stock, and the City wants to make sure the public is informed on what may be coming in the near future. The Boston area is still experiencing major challenges in housing, as inventory remains low and prices are climbing higher. This has implications for all communities in our region, and the City is working to address the housing crisis in a number of ways.
The Housing Production Plan (HPP) is a state-required document that is updated every five years and presents a blueprint for how to provide more affordable housing locally. The City of Newburyport has worked with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission to update its HPP, and the plan is being finalized now. It analyzes local housing trends, looks for opportunities to address housing shortfalls, and recommends strategies moving forward. This plan has a number of strategy recommendations that we will discuss at the housing forum, including activating publicly owned property for affordable housing, expanding zoning to allow for the creation of more multifamily and accessory housing units, and expanding the support programs from the Affordable Housing Trust.
Currently, there are potential private developments in the works including at the so-called Waterfront West site, and the vacant Kmart at Port Plaza off Low Street, both of which could accommodate more multifamily housing units should the zoning on the sites be updated or other measures taken to advance these projects. The City is also advancing new zoning to comply with the State’s MBTA Communities Law, and updated regulations on Accessory Dwelling Units following the passage of the new Affordable Homes Act. We will discuss all these initiatives and more at the Housing Forum.
As a note, we recognize that the date of the forum is a difficult one, and we plan to take a moment to reflect and remember the victims of September 11th, 2001.
We hope to see you at this Community Housing Forum on Wednesday, September 11th at 7pm at the Senior Community Center. Please reach out to Andy Port, Director of Planning and Development, with any questions at aport@newburyportma.gov.
