LYNN — The City of Lynn joined 16 other municipalities in the region in the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition (MMC) earlier this week.

The coalition was formed more than 20 years ago and works to address issues that Metro Boston’s urban core is faced with, such as housing, climate and substance use. It meets regularly as a group to coordinate regional projects and state level advocacy campaigns, and has three working groups — the Regional Housing Taskforce, the Climate Preparedness Taskforce, and an Opioid Working Group.

MMC leaders represent more than 1.6 million residents living in the 17 cities and towns of Arlington, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Watertown and Winthrop. The coalition is currently co-chaired by Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang.

The MMC was formed in 2001 by former Boston Mayor Tom Menino to advocate for legislative and policy priorities that have a regional impact. It is convened and staffed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

“Lynn has long collaborated with our neighbors to achieve better results for our residents more efficiently and effectively,” Mayor Jared Nicholson said. “I’m thrilled to make that collaboration official and join this coalition of mayors and managers to deliver the inclusive growth residents across the region deserve.”

“We are proud to welcome Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson to the Metro Mayors Coalition,” Huang said. “The opportunity to learn from and collaborate with neighboring cities and towns on the challenges we all face makes each of our communities, and our entire region, stronger. Mayor Nicholson’s experience will be invaluable as we continue to address challenges that no one community can take on alone.”

“The challenges our region faces don’t stop at municipal borders, and our responses to them can’t either,” Lungo-Koehn said. “Welcoming Lynn to our coalition reflects that. Mayor Nicholson’s expertise and his communities’ experiences will not only better inform our shared work and make that work more efficient, but also allow that work to improve the lives of more people across our region.”

“For more than 20 years, the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition has helped drive our region forward by sharing experiences, expertise and solutions across municipal borders,” said Marc Draisen, MAPC’s executive director. “Mayor Nicholson’s leadership in Lynn and collaboration with colleagues across the region make him a natural fit to join the coalition, and I am excited to see all that we can achieve together.”