Notice of Public Hearings and Public Comment Period

Notice of Public Hearings and Public Comment Period

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, are seeking public comment on their Draft Action Plans for Federal Fiscal Year 2018. The City of Peabody, the City of Haverhill, and the Consortium are hoping to receive feedback on these documents from interested parties regarding 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 to assist low and moderate-income persons in the City of Peabody and the City of Haverhill in the coming year. The Consortium’s 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.

The activities proposed with HOME funds include: Creating Affordable Rental Housing; Rehabilitating Existing Housing Stock & Removing Physical Barriers for People who are Disabled; Creating Affordable Homeownership Housing Units; Providing Tenant-based Rental Assistance to Target Populations; Assisting Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs).

Current proposed CDBG projects in Haverhill include: Social Service Projects administered by non-profit subrecipients, Public Improvements, such as Sidewalk and Park Improvements and Tree Planting in the federally-designated inner city Target Area neighborhoods; Housing Rehabilitation for low to moderate income homeowners as well as organizations serving low to moderate income populations; Code Enforcement; Program Administration and planning efforts; First-Time Homebuyer Assistance; and Economic Development activities including Commercial Façade Improvement and Microenterprise Support. Current Proposed CDBG projects in Peabody include Social Service Activities, Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, and Economic Development Activities.

An electronic copy of the Consortium’s 2018 Action plan will be available on April 13, 2018 at www.peabody-ma.gov, and will be forwarded to each member community, and can be accessed at their Community Development/Planning Departments. The document will also be available at many of the regions’ anti-poverty, housing, and elder service organizations. A copy of the City of Peabody 2018 Action Plan will also be available online and at the Community Development & Planning Department of the City of Peabody, City Hall, 24 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA during normal business hours.

The public comment period will begin on Friday, April 13th and will end on Monday, May 14th, 2018. During this time, two Public Hearings will be held to invite comment on the draft document at the following locations: Thursday April 19th at 10:30 a.m. at Haverhill Public Library, 99 Main Street, Haverhill, MA; and on Thursday, April 19th at 5:00 p.m. at Peabody City Hall, Lower Level Conference Room, 24 Lowell Street, Peabody. (Both of these locations are accessible)

Citizens, all interested parties, representatives 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 May 14, 2018, to: For Peabody and the NSHC: The Department of Community Development, 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/ or for the City of Haverhill: Andrew Herlihy, Division Director, 4 Summer Street, Room 309, Haverhill, MA 01830/ Fax: 978/374-2332 e-mail: aherlihy@cityofhaverhill.com.