Haverhill state Rep. Andy X. Vargas and Lynn Sen. Brendan Crighton were honored last week for leadership on affordable housing, housing production and roles in passing, what were described as, “the most significant zoning reforms in a generation.”
Vargas and Crighton were awarded the 2021 Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association’s Housing Hero Award.
“As the chief sponsor of housing production legislation last session in the House, Rep. Vargas helped pass the most significant zoning reforms in a generation, including multifamily zoning requirements for MBTA communities, abutter appeals reforms and Housing Choice,” said Rachel Heller, CEO of the Association. She added, “These provisions will create thousands of new homes across Massachusetts…”
The Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association is a Massachusetts housing advocacy and programming organization. Its mission is to encourage the creation and preservation of housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development.
Vargas said he “wouldn’t be a member of the House today, were it not for my family being able to find safe, stable and affordable housing in Haverhill when I was 6 years old. Our story is only possible because Haverhill provided us a home. Every resident of the Commonwealth deserves that.”