Lowell – On May 31, 2023, the City of Lowell and the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) will host the Lowell Forward: Homes, Housing, and Community Citywide Workshop from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Lowell Senior Center, 276 Broadway Street. This workshop is open to all members of the public, and will provide a chance for community members to share stories about their Lowell housing experiences, create a housing vision and housing goals together with the community, and map the opportunities in their neighborhood.

The feedback gathered at the workshop will be used in the Lowell Forward Comprehensive Plan and the Lowell Forward Housing Production Plan. Doors will open at 6:15pm for registration, refreshments, and snacks. All ages are welcome to attend. Khmer, Portuguese, and Spanish interpretation will be provided at the event. To request interpretation in another language, other accommodations, or for any other questions, please contact Christopher Hayes, Housing and Economic Development Planner, NMCOG, at chayes@nmcog.org.

Project Background

This is the second City-wide workshop of the Lowell Forward Comprehensive Plan. Lowell Forward will engage the community to create a shared vision and framework to shape Lowell’s future. These goals and strategies will guide policy, zoning changes, and other ways the City can make the vision a reality. As part of the Lowell Forward Comprehensive Plan, the City partnered with NMCOG to develop a Housing Production Plan (HPP) consistent with the standards of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). This standalone document will cover a five-year period and provide regulatory and non-regulatory strategies to create and preserve affordable and market rate housing opportunities in the City.

The HPP includes:

• DATA: An assessment of housing needs and demand based on existing conditions, demographic and development trends and projections, and regional growth factors.
• PUBLIC INPUT: The feedback and shared vision built through outreach to community members in all neighborhoods with diverse lived experiences.
• LIMITATIONS: An analysis of physical and regulatory development constraints.
• LOCATIONS: Identification of specific sites for housing production.
• GOALS: Housing goals, including an annual numeric housing production target.
• STRATEGIES: Implementation strategies to work toward goals. Provide tools to engage with community members, identify areas and sites for housing production and those for preservation, determine constraints and barriers, and develop housing goals and implementation strategies.