Notice of Community Meetings and Request for Public Comment

The City of Peabody and the City of Haverhill, in cooperation with the North Shore HOME Consortium, an organization comprised of thirty cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley and the North Shore, will convene two Community Meetings in preparation for the creation of its One-Year Annual Action Plan for the Program Year 2018, beginning on July 1st, 2018. The City of Peabody, the City of Haverhill, and the Consortium are hoping to receive comments from interested parties concerning 1.) The use of HOME funds for the development of affordable housing in the North Shore HOME Consortium region in the coming year; and 2.) The use of CDBG funds in the City of Peabody and the City of Haverhill in the coming year. The Consortium’s member communities include: Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Georgetown, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury and Wilmington. These meetings are being held to obtain information from the public on how needs have changed in the region from the prior years and to evaluate how well the City and the Consortium are carrying out the goals set out in last year’s action plan. After the conclusion of the community meetings, a draft of the Annual Action Plan will be created and made available for public comment. At that time two public hearings will be held to obtain feedback on the document. The public comments received will then be incorporated into the final draft of the Annual Action Plan, which will then be submitted to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The two Community Meetings will be conducted for the purpose of receiving comments on local housing needs and community development needs at the following dates and locations:

(Both locations are accessible.)

Thursday, March 22nd, 2018 at 10:30 A.M.

At the Haverhill Public Library, Milhendler Room, 99 Main Street, Haverhill, MA

Thursday, March 22nd, 2018 at 6:00 P.M.

At Peabody City Hall, Lower Level Conference Room, 24 Lowell Street, Peabody

Citizens, all interested parties, representatives from the City of Peabody and from the Consortium’s member communities, and nonprofit providers are urged to participate in these hearings. Written comments are also encouraged, and may be addressed, on or before April 22nd, 2018, to:

For Peabody and the NSHC:

The Department of Community

Development and Planning City Hall, 24 Lowell Street

Peabody, Massachusetts 01960

FAX (978) 538-5987

e-mail addresses:

lisa.greene@peabody-ma.gov or stacey.bernson@peabody-ma.gov

For the City of Haverhill:

Haverhill Department of Community Development

4 Summer Street, Room 309

Haverhill, MA 01830

e-mail: aherlihy@cityofhaverhill.com

Fax: (978) 374-2332