Dear Friends and Colleagues:

In January of 2007, the City of Lowell joined hundreds of cities and small towns across the nation in announcing that the City would begin the process of creating a 10-year plan designed to end homelessness in our community.

I’m proud to report that over the last year, a group of over 100 dedicated Greater Lowell partners have come together with the City to learn more about the challenges facing Lowell’s homeless families, individuals, youth and seniors.

We’ve learned that when people are housed appropriately health and employment conditions improve, disruptive behaviors are minimized and interactions with the criminal justice system and high cost emergency medical services are virtually eliminated.

The Partnership for Change: Action Plan to End Homelessness is an ambitious undertaking that presents our community with an opportunity to move away from the current, high cost ineffective system of homeless shelters to the new--more cost effective--"Housing First" models of permanent supportive housing. It recommends new strategies to consider for preventing homelessness and getting those hardest to employ back to work.

More importantly it’s based on the principle that there is nothing more important than having a home. For some it’s a place at least to sleep, for the majority of those homeless a place to play with their children and for those fortunate, a place to age in place and enjoy their senior years in peace and safety.

The City of Lowell is committed to strong and vital neighborhoods, competent fiscal policies and innovative long-range economic and housing development investments. We are also committed to the safety and care of Lowell’s neediest residents. Going forward as a community, our goal is to support and enhance successful homeless housing, shelter and service programs, holding them and us accountable to consumers, funders and to the Lowell community.

Thank you all for your service and commitment and I look forward to working with you to address these important objectives.

Sincerely,

Bernard F. Lynch

City Manager

For additional information please contact:

Linda F. King

Community Development Specialist

Division of Planning and Development

50 Arcand Drive

Lowell, Massachusetts

PH (978) 446-7200

LKing@LowellMA.GOV