NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DRAFT ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

The City of Peabody and 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 its Draft Action Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2023. The City of Peabody and the Consortium are seeking 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 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; Creating Affordable Homeownership Housing Units; Providing Tenant-based Rental Assistance to Target Populations. The proposed CDBG activities include: Social Service Activities, Infrastructure, Rehabilitating Existing Housing Stock, Safety Improvements and Economic Development Activities.

An electronic copy of the Consortium’s and City’s 2023 Action plan will be available on April 14th, 2023 at www.peabody-ma.gov. The Consortium’s Plan will be forwarded to each member community and can be accessed at their Community Development/Planning Departments. The public comment period will begin on Friday, April 14th, 2023 and will end on Sunday, May 14th, 2023. During this time, three Public Hearings will be held to invite comment on the draft document, in accordance with 24 CFR 91.105(c)(2) of the federal regulations relative to citizen participation for Community Planning and Development Programs. The three Public Hearings will be conducted for the purpose of receiving comments on local housing and community development needs on the following dates and locations, all are accessible:

• Tuesday May 2nd, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. @ Haverhill Public Library, Milhendler Room, 99 Main Street, Haverhill, MA;
• Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. @ City Council Conference Room, Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA
• Thursday, May 4th, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. @ Peabody City Hall, Lower-Level Conference Room, 24 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA

This third meeting may be attended in-person or via remote participation using the Zoom platform. Members of the public and interested parties may access the remote participation by entering the following link into your web browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86561178938?pwd=c3lDd3ZrK3h5Y0RwMUhzR0lIdkc0UT09; Enter the meeting ID# 865 6117 8938 as directed on the webpage and click “Join”; Follow the onscreen instructions to join the meeting; Passcode: 848640; Participants can dial a toll-free number 646-558- 8656 US to join the meeting. When prompted, enter meeting ID# 865 6117 8938 and follow the instructions to join the meeting.

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 May 22nd, 2023, to:

The Department of Community Development and Planning
City Hall, 24 Lowell Street
Peabody, Massachusetts 01960
e-mail addresses:lisa.greene@peabody-ma.gov or stacey.bernson@peabody-ma.gov