Haverhill, joining 11 other communities in planning and developing affordable housing, will share in a $50,000 state grant to help the effort.
Rep. Brian. S. Dempsey this morning formally announced the grant—part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Community Compact program.
“This grant will assist in continuing the support of Haverhill’s revitalization and redevelopment,” said Dempsey. “I appreciate the Baker Administration in recognizing the importance of these funds.”
The money will go to the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission for “Housing Production Plans,” shared by Amesbury, Andover, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Newbury, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury. According to the state, such plans help create “a community’s proactive strategy for planning and developing affordable housing by: creating a strategy to enable it to meet its affordable housing needs in a manner consistent with the (low income housing) statute and regulations…”
Baker’s grants are designed to encourage communities to find regional solutions to common problems.
“The Community Compact Program is an important tool for the state to play a key role in helping local municipalities help themselves,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These regionalization and efficiency grants and previous Community Compact Grant programs focused on best practices and IT initiatives are all aimed at helping municipalities spur future success. The interest in this program and the high quality of applications shows that municipalities are focused on ways to deliver services to taxpayers in a more efficient manner, including regionalization and sharing services.”
Besides Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Sen. Kathleen O’Connor Ives, of Newburyport, and Methuen Reps. Linda Dean Campbell and Diana DiZoglio, made the announcement.
The Community Compact Grant Program is supported by money authorized by the legislature in the current state budget, Dempsey’s office said. He wrote the House’s budget recommendations. A spokesperson from the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission was not immediately available to explain how the $50,000 would be spent.