LYNN — A petition signed by 300 people calling for a vote on the “Housing Lynn” housing production plan was submitted to City Hall on Monday morning.
The petition was created by residents, with support from the New Lynn Coalition and its partner organizations, in response to City Council President and mayoral candidate Darren Cyr’s request for detailed reports about the housing plan from over a dozen city departments during a previous City Council meeting.
Ward 7 Councilor Jay Walsh requested a time limit of 60 days for those reports, which has expired.
Cyr said he is still trying to get as much information on the plan as possible so the councilors “will know how and how not the city benefits from the plan.”
The Housing Lynn plan is the result of an 18-month community planning process initiated by Mayor Thomas M. McGee and conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
The plan contains an analysis of the city’s housing conditions, identifies areas of need and opportunity and addresses aspects of the city’s housing crisis. It also includes information on the creation of new housing, protection of current tenants and introduction of more transparency in city government.
In a public letter from May, Cyr said that department heads and city officials were left out of the planning process and that the plan lacked community input.
The New Lynn Coalition, however, said over 600 residents — and many city officials — participated in the Housing Lynn planning process, which included specific meetings inviting city leadership and department heads, who were also invited to participate in all public events.
In the petition, the residents and voters who signed said they “hereby petition the Lynn City Council pursuant to the Lynn City Charter, Section 7-9, for a public hearing and vote on the ‘Housing Lynn’ Housing Production Plan.”
According to the petition, Section 7-9 of the city charter says “The hearing shall be held by the City Council… and final action taken with respect thereto, not later than three months following the date the said petition is filed with the clerk of the council.”
Tish Mukala, Ward 4 resident and president of the New Lynn Coalition, said the wait for the vote on this housing plan should never have had to be this long.
“We see this plan as a floor, as the bare minimum effort to address our housing crisis,” Mukala said. “The plan commits the city to building 250 to 300 units of new housing at Lynn’s median income over the next five years, the same number of units that are in Michael Procopio’s Caldwell building on Munroe Street. How many city departments were asked to issue detailed responses to that plan?”
Ward 3 resident and candidate for Councilor-at-Large Marven Hyppolite said the numbers in the plan “don’t lie and back up all the things Lynners have been saying for years.
“This plan speaks to the lived experiences of Lynners in a way I haven’t seen in any other plans for our city, ” Hyppolite said. “Adopting a plan for housing that meets all of our incomes is an important step towards making Lynn a city that works for all of us.”
Ward 1 resident Kathleen Santora said she originally moved to Lynn because the cost of living in Everett had gotten too high, and now she is seeing the same thing happening here.
“We were fortunate to raise our family here, but now our children can’t afford to stay,” Santora said. “Housing costs have gotten out of control for renters and for potential homeowners. Even with two good union jobs, my husband and I couldn’t afford to move here now.”
Ward 5 resident Damon Harrison said he has been a Lynn resident for more than 60 years and, with his income of about $53,000, his rent is nearly 50 percent of his net monthly earnings.
“I am terrified that I can no longer afford to live in the city that I call home,” Harrison said.
Mass Senior Action Council President and Ward 5 resident Kathy Paul said it is “ridiculous” to have to ask city representatives to vote on a housing plan created by the community the City Council represents.
“We know there are over 6,000 seniors on a waiting list for affordable housing,” Paul said. “My own daughter was forced to stay in the shelter for over two years while waiting for a place she could afford that was safe. Numbers do not lie. This plan will improve the economic security for all Lynn residents. Take the vote.”
Cyr said he is expecting to receive information from the city departments this week, but he has heard that some Lynn chamber members want to weigh in as well. He did not give an exact date as to when the City Council is expected to review the plan.