The City of Lynn is seeking public input for a proposed affordable-housing project.

The City has been working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to put together affordable-housing development options for a publicly owned site on School and Ellis streets, and will host a community forum at the Lynn Senior Center at 6 p.m. on Jan. 18. 

Three scenarios will be presented to the public based on a vision the City and MAPC developed with community input last year. 

The City will ask residents which scenario they prefer and what components of the development would best serve the surrounding neighborhood in downtown Lynn.  

“Projects like the School Street Redevelopment will be transformational for our community, and getting input from our residents and businesses is necessary for informing the vision for future development,” Mayor Jared Nicholson said. “We want to continue to see community spaces like these maintained and their uses maximized to match the needs of our residents.” 

The project is a result of the City’s housing plan, “Housing Lynn: A Plan for Inclusive Growth,” which was adopted in 2021.

One of the key recommendations of that plan was the use of publicly owned land for affordable housing.

The rationale is that by utilizing publicly owned land to lower development costs, the City can request that potential development partners create an affordable-housing development that is more impactful than what is typically possible. 

Since early 2022, the City and MAPC have been working to establish priorities for the site that will ultimately lead to proposals from developers.

Throughout the process, public input has been sought through a series of community forums and surveys. The latest survey remains open to responses until Jan. 11.

The Jan. 18 meeting will feature a review of Housing Lynn, three proposed scenarios for the School Street site, and opportunities for the community to weigh in on development priorities.

Residents will be asked what they consider affordable for Lynn and about their other priorities, such as affordable rentals and home ownership. 

The City will use the community’s input to determine criteria that developers will be asked to meet through a request-for-proposals process.