Lynn hasn’t just been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic from a public health perspective. The economic effects have also been severe. Our unemployment rate in February was 10.2 percent, more than 40 percent higher than the statewide rate.
We also faced economic disparities before the pandemic, due in part to generations of racism and discrimination. Pre-pandemic, median household income in Lynn was $56,000, more than 40 percent lower than average in Essex County.
Our goal should be to recover fully and fairly. There are actions we can take, within our local control, to advance our city’s recovery and address economic inequities, which have been exacerbated by this current crisis.
One key strategy is to support local entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurship alone won’t close our income gap, studies have shown that self-employment can increase income, including specifically for people of color.
For the support of entrepreneurship to be successful, we need ongoing community conversations with entrepreneurs, elected officials, and other community leaders and stakeholders.
The first step is to engage with local stakeholders at the neighborhood level; the downtown and waterfront are key assets. Smart, inclusive development in those locations has enormous potential, and we need to work hard to make the most of those opportunities.
Other economic zones throughout the city present opportunities. While smaller in size, these initiatives are still meaningful, particularly in furthering the goal of inclusivity.
In recent years, the city has seen some success stories for this type of work, like the Northern Strand Community Trail and the Washington Street Gateway. Community-rooted economic inclusion strategies, in zones like McDonough Square, the Highlands, Lewis Street, or the Union Hospital area, should be a priority for the city’s leadership in the coming years.
Supporting local entrepreneurs also means taking stock of our public spending with local and diverse businesses. The North Shore Diversity Catalog is a great first step. We should collect good data on the diversity of our vendors and set targets to make sure that our spending is inclusive.
Lynn’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We have many aspiring food entrepreneurs ready to tap into their cultural background for unique offerings. It can be hard to get a food business off the ground; however, a shared commercial kitchen space would be a great incubator for new entrepreneurs.
A similar test kitchen concept launched in Lawrence at Northern Essex Community College with a coalition of partners. Local organizations like the North Shore Latino Business Association, Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce, Entrepreneurship For All, and the Lynn Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC/Lynn) are already interested, and would be great partners.
A type of local enterprise which is sometimes overlooked in citywide conversations, is the multiservice business. They provide needed services in areas such as immigration, tax, travel, translation, finance, and more.
These businesses are an integral part of our community; they help organize flag days for their countries of origin at City Hall, sponsor community organizations, and anchor city storefronts.
Bringing multiservice businesses into city conversations about community goals would significantly increase the city’s reach to different populations. It would also help answer questions people may have about when and how to use various resources for particular issues, like legal help or translation services.
Finally, the pandemic may have long-term effects on commercial real estate. If commercial vacancies become an issue, the city should consider tracking vacancies more closely by requiring registration. This is something other cities, like Lowell and Arlington, have had success with.
The registration would create a directory that would give local businesses more visibility into their options for space, and facilitate cooperation with commercial landlords to promote vacancies.
We still have a lot to do to get through this pandemic and grieve the loss it has caused. We must also start planning for Lynn’s recovery so that it is thoughtful, productive, and inclusive of the communities that were hit hardest.
Jared Nicholson is a candidate for mayor of Lynn. He is currently a member of the Lynn School Committee and a law professor at Northeastern University.
