Planning committee advances Haverhill housing-production plan, outlines zoning and funding steps

The Planning & Development Committee voted to send the updated Haverhill housing production plan and economic development director Andrew Pillsbury’s recommended refinements to the full City Council for discussion and possible vote.

Ian Burns, community and economic development planner with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, presented a five‑minute overview of the draft plan, describing the state‑required update and the document’s major sections. Burns said the commission “is a public agency that supports the 15 cities and towns of the Merrimack Valley region” and has worked with Haverhill over the last two years to refresh its housing production plan to meet state guidelines.

The plan’s data chapters, Burns said, highlight three trends the commission considered in drafting strategies: projected population growth, an increasing share of residents age 65 and older, and fluctuating school enrollments. Burns also flagged local affordability pressures: homeowner incomes are substantially higher than renter incomes, rents and home values have risen faster than incomes over the past 20 years, and many households are cost‑burdened (spending more than 30% of pre‑tax income on housing).

Public testimony and expert commenters reinforced those findings and pressed the committee for concrete steps. Developer David Tregorth of Causeway Development told…