This event is a rescheduled celebration of “Trick or Treat with the Mayor,” which was postponed in September due to inclement weather. Children are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes, though dressing up is optional, and come by any time between 4pm and 5:30pm for free candy and other giveaways from local Salem businesses and organizations.  All are welcome.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-expired, shelf-stable Thanksgiving donation for the Salem Pantry, which will be in attendance to collect items for neighbors in need during the holiday season.

Participating organizations offering candy and giveaways will include:

• Salem 400+
• The Mayor’s Office
• Destination Salem
• The Salem Pantry
• Creative Collective
• Mazow McCullough
• And more

Any businesses or organizations interested in participating in “Trick or Turkey” should reach out to Jeremy Fiske at jfiske@salem.com.

The Essex School Building Committee has completed the Schematic Design Phase for the proposed new Essex Elementary School. This milestone brings us one step closer to completing the long-term facilities plan established when our regional district was formed. That work began with the regional middle high school, followed by Manchester Memorial, addressing each building in order of greatest need.

The proposed school is designed around how children learn and how teachers support them, with learning spaces and facilities comparable to those at Memorial in a building sized for Essex’s enrollment. Classrooms will be grouped by grade, with nearby spaces for small-group instruction, hands-on learning, and student support. Spaces for art, music, library activities, and projects will give students room to explore their interests and creativity.

Two integrated preschool classrooms and the RISE and ACE special education programs will serve children from both towns in accessible spaces designed to meet their needs. The project also addresses drainage and traffic circulation and includes outdoor learning and play areas, a field, and shared spaces for school and community activities.

The proposed school would replace the existing 1957 building with a facility designed around Essex Elementary’s educational program and enrollment. It would provide facilities comparable to Manchester Memorial, scaled to serve 250 students in kindergarten through grade five and 30 preschool students. The design organizes classrooms into learning neighborhoods with nearby small-group rooms and shared instructional spaces. It includes integrated special education supports, two preschool classrooms, and dedicated spaces for art, music, library, physical education, and dining. Site improvements include separated bus and parent circulation, accessible play areas, improved pedestrian routes, and outdoor learning and recreation spaces.

The project is estimated to cost $95.3 million, with an anticipated $20.79 million contribution to the funding coming from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The remaining $74.56 million cost will be divided according to the regional agreement, approximately two-thirds from Manchester-by-the-Sea and one-third from Essex.

With Schematic Design complete, the building and site plans, project budget, and construction approach are available for community review. Please visit the Essex Elementary School Building Project website for more information. The FAQs and informational video series are helpful starting points for learning about the plans, educational benefits, project costs, and construction process. The website also includes presentations, building designs, and ongoing project updates.

“We’ve made good progress on many of the strategies called for in our current Housing Roadmap, and we’re seeing benefits from those actions, but there’s certainly more to do,” remarked Mayor Dominick Pangallo, “I appreciate the hard work of the City staff, volunteer board members, fellow public officials, and community partners and advocates who have all played a role in advancing these strategies. We continue to believe that everyone in Salem deserves a roof over their head, and one that they can afford. The path outlined by our Roadmap provides us with clear direction how we can achieve that goal together.” – Dominick Pangallo

“Behind every housing statistic is a person, a family, or a senior wondering whether they will be able to remain in the community they call home,” said Lori Stewart, Housing Stability Coordinator for the City of Salem, “That is why the Housing Roadmap is such an important document. It provides a clear blueprint for addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time: ensuring that everyone has access to a safe, stable, and affordable place to live. The solutions to our housing crisis must be twofold. We need to create more housing opportunities across Salem while also strengthening protections that help tenants remain housed and prevent displacement. By combining thoughtful planning, housing production, tenant protections, and housing stability services, Salem is demonstrating that communities can take meaningful action to make housing more attainable and secure for all residents.”

“We continue to explore and support innovative policy approaches that address the acute and pressing housing needs of families and individuals in our community, shared Dr. Thomas Piñeros Shields, Vice Chair of the City of Salem Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, “This work includes several priorities outlined in the Housing Roadmap, such as the feasibility of community land trusts and zoning amendments to support single-room occupancy or efficiency housing in Salem.”

The report outlines the status of all 30 strategies identified in the 2022 Housing Roadmap. As of November, 2026, 15 of those strategies have been completed and another nine are in progress. However, six strategies have not yet started. Among the completed items, regulations around condo conversions are in place, inclusionary housing rules have been established, the City’s housing rehabilitation program has been supported, and a housing stability position has been created within the Mayor’s office, among several other important advancements.

The report card highlights that all of this occurs within the context of a challenging housing landscape. Between 2022 and 2026, Salem’s median single-family home sale prices rose by 13% and median condo sale prices rose by 14%, signaling continued affordability challenges for both single-family home and condominium buyers. Between January and August 2020 and the same period in 2026, the average rents in Salem increased by 10%, rising from $2,000 to $2,196.

Salem continues to see housing unites converted to condos each year.  While this number peaked in 2022 at 107 units, the pace of conversions remains steady.

A healthy housing market has a natural vacancy rate of ~6% for rental units and ~2% for owned properties.  Most recently, Salem had a vacancy rate of 2.6% for rental units and 0% for owned properties. When vacancy rates are low, it indicates there is not enough supply, which then drives up housing costs.

Between 2019 and 2022, 220 housing units (51%) of the 432 total housing units that were approved are affordable.  144 of these units have been built, 251 units are currently under construction, and 37 units have not yet started construction.  Between 2023 and 2026, 612 (34%) of the 1,815 total housing units approved or in the pipeline are affordable.  Looking ahead, 690 total housing units are expected to enter the permitting pipeline within the next year. Of the approved units, 17 units have been built, 473 are currently under construction, and 635 have not yet started construction.

As of the most recent measure in 2024, Salem is comprised of 50% owner-occupied and 50% renter-occupied housing units.

Between 2022 and 2024, the percent of cost-burdened households (defined as a household that experiences housing costs that exceed 30% of income) has remained unchanged at 42%.

For more information about the City’s housing goals and work to achieve them, visit ImagineSalem.org.

Central Catholic 41, Everett 20

Haverhill 34, Leominster 28

Catholic Memorial 42, Cambridge 7

Peabody 21, Lincoln-Sudbury 0

Tewksbury 35, Wakefiled 7

Danvers 30, Bedford 27

Northeast 34, Hanover 25

St. Mary’s 28, Greater Lawrence 8

Watertown 27, North Reading 8

Swampscott 20, Auburn 0

Gloucester 34, Blackstone Valley 6

Lynnfield 28, Dennis-Yarmouth 13

Lynn Tech 38, Franklin County Tech 32