Of all the housing stock in Haverhill, 39 percent consists of rental units, which are highly concentrated in the downtown area. The photo above shows a stretch of Washington Street where residential and commercial development co-exist.
City Council will spend some time considering Haverhill’s housing future when it meets Tuesday.
The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission has produced a report, the City of Haverhill Housing Production Plan, which identifies Haverhill’s current housing distribution, population and income trends, and the needs of various constituencies.
Mayor James J. Fiorentini will ask councilors to approve the report, which will create opportunities for collaboration and funding.
Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.re
The council meets beginning at 7 p.m. in the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. City Council Chambers on the second floor of Haverhill City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
The report calls on the city to make an effort to meet the needs of its senior population when it comes to housing, so that older residents are not forced to leave the city to find appropriate places to live.
Among the suggestions are setting up support structures that allow seniors to “age in place,” which means finding ways to allow elderly homeowners to remain in longtime homes, if they wish.
Another is to create appropriate and affordable housing for seniors in the city.
The council is scheduled to receive an application for a permit to create a senior housing overlay district off East Broadway. Attorney Michael J. Migliori said if the council approves the zone change, developer Larry Smith would immediately submit an application for 30 single-family homes designated for sale to those 55 and older.
Smith is a well-known developer of upscale, contemporary homes on the North Shore.