THE FIRST big snow of the season will be hitting Sunday morning, giving the city of Lowell its first run through of street-clearing and winter protocol operations.
The confluence of recent developments, coinciding with the onset of winter, begs the question: In a city with a burgeoning homeless population, is Lowell’s Inn and Conference Center’s current mission its most effective use?
LOWELL The number of unhoused people who call Lowell home jumped by a staggering 23% in just two months based on figures released by the Director of Homeless Initiatives Maura Fitzpatrick. In July, the office, which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services, counted 238 total adult homeless people in the city; by September, that number had risen to 291.
LOWELL State and local agencies are getting ready to receive migrant families at Downtown Lowell’s 252-room Inn and Conference Center, perhaps even in time for the holidays.
LOWELL Housing or the lack thereof dominated Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Almost a dozen agenda items dealt with whether and how to implement Lowell’s housing-first strategy, including on the yearlong discussion on accessory dwelling units.