Afghan Refugee Housing Discussed

REGIONAL – The Greater Newburyport Housing Choice Coalition has invited Rev. Jared Mercer, pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport, to speak about how the community provided housing for five Afghan refugee families.
Rev. Mercer will provide an update on the efforts to find permanent housing for these families and discuss how the community can support them.
The First Religious Society and St. Paul’s have played a major role in providing housing for the five Afghan families since 2021.
The next meeting of the housing coalition will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Newbury Town Library on Lunt St. It will hear progress reports from its working groups (legislative, communication/outreach and projects) and will discuss housing-related news and area happenings.
To combat the low inventory of homes on the North Shore, the coalition was formed to support housing equity and justice in the Greater Newburyport area. It believes people of all income levels, abilities, households and stages of life should be able to live in communities that are welcoming and inclusive.
In addition to encouraging the reuse of existing structures, the coalition supports the creation of new housing and upgrading existing housing for households with low incomes or special needs.
The coalition, which serves the communities of Amesbury, Newburyport, Newbury, West Newbury and Salisbury, was formed in 2023 by the YWCA Newburyport and Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA).
Register at https://bit.ly/4bdPiii