LYNN — Two years after the city created the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) and designated an initial $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, the trust issued its final allocations when six organizations were awarded a total of $1,275,000.
The AHTF allocated $500,000 to the Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development for the Lynn Armory Project, $300,000 to The Haven Project for 188 Washington St., $250,000 to Harborlight Homes for 20 School St., $150,000 to Commonwealth Land Trust for 21 Oxford St., and $75,000 to 2-Life Communities for 19 Porter St.
The Trust Fund had previously awarded more than $2 million to increase affordable housing opportunities in Lynn.
“This is the type of meaningful investment we envisioned when we started the Affordable Housing Trust Fund,” Mayor Jared C. Nicholson said. “The projects that have been funded will add and maintain affordable units as we strive to help residents stay in their homes.”
One of the recommendations that came out of the city’s Housing Production Plan was to establish an affordable housing trust fund. The City Council approved an ordinance in June of 2022 establishing the AHTF. Along with an inclusionary zoning policy, it was designed to provide the city with tools to address the critical issue of housing affordability.
“We have been able to make meaningful investments to help provide access to housing that is safe and affordable,” Nicholson said.
Nicholson serves as chair of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund board, which also includes Principal Planning Director Aaron Clausen, Cinda Danh, Jonathon Feinberg, Jamie McGrath, and Sarai Zelada. Danya Smith of the mayor’s office and Housing Program Manager Carolina Trujillo also worked with the board.
