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2023 Housing Production Plan Update

About the Stow Housing Production Plan Logo for Stow's Housing Production Plan

 
Stow's Housing Production Plan is a community-driven planning process to create a vision for the future of the town's housing and to address housing needs.  The Housing Production Plan (HPP) will assess housing need and demand, analyze constraints and opportunities for housing development, set goals to address housing needs, and recommend practical strategies to achieve these goals.  The plan will convene a public conversation about housing and the role it plays in Stow. The HPP will address housing with a focus on affordability and equity.  Stow has partnered with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to conduct the public engagement process and support the development of the plan. 
 

The final product will be a plan that meets the requirements of a Housing Production Plan, as defined by Massachusetts General Laws under Chapter 40B.  The final plan will be submitted to the Select Board and Planning Board for adoption.  Next, it will be submitted for approval by the State's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (fka DHCD). The planning process is funded by the Stow Municipal Affordable Housing Trust (SMAHT) and the Planning Department.

Planning Department staff are leading the HPP, with Planning Director Valerie Oorthuys and Land Use Planner/ GIS Administrator Michael Slagle.  Gloria Huangpu, Community Engagement Specialist, and Casey Williams, Regional Housing and Land Use Planner, are managing the process at MAPC. Please direct any questions to planning@stow-ma.gov or ghuangpu@mapc.org. 

The Steering Committee includes the following members: 
  • Mike Kopczynski, SMAHT and Housing Authority Chair
  • Cathy Leonard, SMAHT Member
  • Maureen Crawford, Housing Authority Member

Upcoming Events & How to Get Involved

The first forum for the Stow Housing Production Plan (HPP): Visioning Stow’s Housing Future took place on Tuesday, November 7, 7-8:30pm, at the Pompositticut Community Center. The forum was streamed on Stow TV and the recording can be seen here: https://youtu.be/ANE2Ct_lgBk?feature=shared 

 
This was the kickoff engagement event for this project and included a presentation on what a Housing Production Plan is, the process for this Plan, and information gathered so far from a data-driven assessment of housing needs. Participants broke up in small groups over the course of the evening to discuss the types and features of housing they would like to see in Stow, as well as to share stories of their experiences of housing needs and challenges in the community. The input from this forum, as well as the associated survey (//mapc.ma/stowsurvey) will inform the housing goals set in this Plan. 

Resources