Senator Jason Lewis to Host Community Conversation in Reading on Housing Issues

Continuing his “Community Conversations” issue discussions, Senator Jason Lewis is excited to announce an upcoming conversation he will hold on housing issues in our communities.  Held in every community of the district, “Community Conversations” are issue discussions delving into a different topic at each forum, with ample opportunity for residents to share feedback and have their questions answered by experts on the given topic.

This upcoming event – Community Conversations: Addressing Housing Needs in the Commonwealth – will take place on Wednesday, June 28, at 6:00pm.  The event will occur in the Conference Room at the Reading Public Library, 64 Middlesex Avenue, Reading, and is free and open to the public.  Attendees will hear from: Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, offering perspective of statewide priorities pertaining to housing policy; Steve Finn, Executive Director of the Malden Housing Authority, offering insight on housing needs and priorities at the local level; and, Eric Shupin, Director of Public Policy for the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), sharing perspective on near-term and long-term priorities of housing advocates.

This forum will offer the chance to hear directly from numerous issue experts regarding the current state of housing in the Commonwealth and the priorities that need to be addressed to keep housing affordable in our communities for lower-income and middle-income families.  There will be ample opportunity for Q&A from attendees.

“The availability and affordability of housing in our communities are fundamental concerns for families in our region,” noted Senator Lewis.  “I am eager to delve into this with policy experts, as these topics will help shape the character of and quality-of-life in our communities.  I am also eager to hear feedback on these issues from local residents, as the conversations I have directly with constituents across the district are the best source of information and guidance to help me do my job in the legislature.”

“Community Conversations” forums have been held in all six communities of the 5th Middlesex district on topics including: public education; public transportation; small business and entrepreneurship; challenges facing senior citizens and caregivers; veterans’ issues, energy policy and environmental priorities; and, efforts to combat substance abuse and opioid addiction in our region.