Tewksbury To Host Affordable Housing Workshop Next Month

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Town of Tewksbury has announced it will be hosting the first Affordable Housing Workshop next month, which is part of the process of updating the town's Housing Production Plan.

The 90-minute session will take place at 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Tewksbury Public Library, located at 300 Chandler Street. Registration is not required.

According to the Tewksbury officials, the Town is working with the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) to update the Housing Production Plan for 2022-2026.

The plan, Tewksbury officials said, guides the Town's decisions on how to support affordable housing, what kind of housing development or redevelopment the Town hopes to create, and how the Town and its partners can work toward ensuring that people can afford a home that meets their needs,

Designed to complement and build upon the Tewksbury Master Plan 2016, the Housing Production Plan will serve as a framework for considering permit projects, zoning changes, expenditures and other actions that Tewksbury and its partners can undertake to increase the supply of affordable housing, Tewksbury officials said.

At the workshop, the NMCOG housing planning team will present key town housing data, findings and trends. Participants then will break into small groups to discuss the findings and begin to develop goals for equitable, affordable housing in Tewksbury.

Some key finding highlighted by the NMCOG ahead of the meeting, include:

• A family of four earning $89,400 a year would qualify for most affordable housing units.
• There is a growing number of people living alone in Tewksbury, especially over the age of 65.
• Tewksbury has an undersupply of rental units when compared to other suburbs of Lowell.
• A family making median income can no longer afford the typical home for sale in Tewksbury.
• A growing number of people ages 20 to 35 living with parents in Tewksbury may not be able to find a place of their own in town.

Anyone with questions about the Housing Production Plan and the Nov. 9 workshop should contact Alexandra Lowder, Tewksbury's community/economic development planner, at alowder@tewksbury-ma.gov.