Nearly 100 elected and appointed officials, housing partners, and community members gathered on December 10 at UMass Lowell’s Coburn Hall for NMCOG’s 2025 Greater Lowell Annual Housing Summit, themed Homelessness to Hopefulness. The evening served as both a compass and a catalyst, illuminating the urgent realities of housing instability in the region while charting a collective path forward for implementation of At Home in Greater Lowell, NMCOG's Regional Housing Strategy.

The event featured a powerful panel discussion with four leaders whose work spans the full housing continuum:

• Rachel Heller, CEO, CHAPA
• Julie Lemire, Executive Director, House of Hope
• Marty Martinez, President and CEO, United Way of Massachusetts Bay
• Greg Rittchen, Head of Real Estate and CFO, Caritas Communities

Together, panelists traced the systems and gaps that shape homelessness, underscored the depth of need across both individual and family homelessness, and shared how their organizations are responding. The conversation quickly became a collective call to action. Panelists emphasized the region’s responsibility to expand affordable housing, strengthen wraparound supports, and confront the structural conditions that repeatedly push households to the edge.

Elected and appointed officials had the chance to hear directly from frontline staff, grounding policy conversations in lived experience and operational reality. This exchange added both urgency and clarity: the region has the tools, talent, and partnerships to make meaningful progress, but shared action is essential.

Participants then moved into table discussions, reflecting on the roles they personally and professionally can play in strengthening housing stability. The room buzzed with ideas for collaboration, cross-sector commitment, and local leadership.

To close the evening, NMCOG’s consultant Health Resources in Action (HRiA) unveiled the new regional storytelling program, an initiative designed to humanize housing production and elevate the voices of those most affected by the housing crisis. HRiA introduced the campaign’s themes and invited attendees to help bring these stories forward throughout Part 2 of At Home in Greater Lowell.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in turning hopefulness into momentum. Together, we continue to build a region where every resident has a safe, stable place to call home.

For those unable to attend, the event was recorded live by LTC, and can be viewed here. You may also download presentations from the Summit's webpage. Whether you participated in person or by watching the video, please take our exit survey to help inform future events!

During the summit, the following resources and policies were discussed:

• CHAPA's Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy: participate in a free, six-month fellowship designed for city and town leaders, select and planning board members, and members of local boards and commissions who can impact housing. Applications due Monday, December 15!
• Building for Tomorrow: a report from the Unlocking Housing Production Commission with recommendations for addressing Massachusetts' housing crisis.
• Yes in God's Back Yard (YIGBY) Bill: proposed state legislation that would allow religious and faith-based institutions to develop housing on their own land “by right,” bypassing certain zoning barriers to help expand housing availability.
• Yes in My Back Yard (YIMBY) Bill: proposed state legislation that advances pro-housing policies to reduce development barriers and encourage more housing options across the state.
• Our Massachusetts: Homes for a Thriving Commonwealth: a state-wide coalition of business, civic, non-profit, education, faith-based, and communities leaders working to achieve 222,000 new homes throughout the state for people of all income levels by 2035.
• At Home in Greater Lowell: learn more about the At Home in Greater Lowell planning process and download Part 1 of the Regional Housing Strategy: Data and Goals.

Visit the At Home in Greater Lowell web page for more information about the housing strategy and how you can get involved.