Lately I’ve been thinking about numbers when it comes to addressing housing issues in Lynn. “8-2-1” and 1,098 immediately come to mind. “8-2-1” was the recent City Council vote that passed the Housing Production Plan, “Housing Lynn: A Plan for Inclusive Growth.”
The plan is the product of a process that involved extensive community input as well as state and local governmental participation and guidance. More than 600 individuals offered comments, which is a lot. Kudos to the councilors who voted “yes” to finally taking up this measure and rightly passing it.
It’s the second number that troubles me. Last year, 1098 students experiencing homelessness were registered in the Lynn Public Schools during the 2019-2020 school year. It is difficult to imagine the challenges those children and their parents face getting through the day. I’m sure COVID-19 increased their misery and distress.
I’m the oldest of five and I can remember planning the menus with my mother when money was short. Contributing most of the money from my afterschool and summer jobs to make ends meet when my father was between jobs was unquestioned.
But we always had a roof over our heads and didn’t face that extra pressure of moving constantly or being in a shelter. How can a kid get his or her homework done under those conditions?
So while the wheels of government slowly turn, the suffering continues and another inflection point is upon us. The mayor’s race this year provides a clear choice on this issue. Jared Nicholson is a leader we can count on to advance this process. His opponent is a vocal adversary of the plan and its objectives.
The extensive community input gathered during the creation of the Housing Production Plan made clear that there is a need in Lynn for housing of all types. Market-rate development is key to the city’s positive growth, but market-rate development alone won’t do anything for the parents of the 1,098 kids and other families who struggle to make ends meet.
Without leadership from the city, housing that’s affordable to Lynn residents will continue to disappear. The irony is that, as condo and rental prices continue to skyrocket, the sons and daughters of multigenerational Lynners won’t be able to afford to buy in Lynn either.
I guess that would qualify them for the derisive and insensitive “transients” label. And by the way, those 1,098 homeless kids, they’d just be part of an ever-increasing number that I hesitate to estimate.
In the 21st century, the ability to work on teams with people of different backgrounds and disciplines is critical to success. The next mayor needs to work with Wall Street bond rating agencies one minute and snowplow operators the next. Team building and teamwork are key leadership skills for the modern mayor. Jared Nicholson has proven he is a valued teammate and proven leader.
Jared Nicholson served on the Housing Plan Steering Committee and was instrumental in its completion. He has made finalizing many of its recommendations a priority. He will use the power of the mayor’s office to initiate the recommended processes in collaboration with the wide range of stakeholders affected and continue the work outlined in the plan. That includes a stated preference for taking care of Lynn residents such as the homeless children who are our neighbors.
He also understands a main takeaway from the Housing Plan, which is that housing production requires a careful balancing of the needs of the community with the need for developers to make money on their projects in order for them to actually happen.
The voters have a clear choice between a dynamic leader with fresh ideas, especially about housing that’s affordable, and a tired throwback to God-forsaken attitudes and times. I can think of 1,098 reasons why it is critical that Jared Nicholson becomes the 58th mayor of Lynn.
Victor L’Esperance is a political activist with local, state, national, and international campaign experience.
