Haverhill Passes ADU Ordinance

The Haverhill City Council voted 8-1 to approve an updated ADU ordinance which was publicly supported by the NSR Government Affairs Committee. Attached ADUs and detached ADUs converted from an existing structure can now be built by-right. Detached ADUs that require the construction of a new structure will require a special permit. For context, detached ADUs were not allowed under the previous ADU ordinance.

The NSR Government Affairs team was involved throughout the process. In September 2022, Haverhill Town Monitor Mike Morales and NSR Staff met with Haverhill Mayor Jim Fiorentini and were able to submit comments on an early draft of the ordinance.

Mike Morales, Haverhill REALTOR® Rich Rosa, and staff spoke in favor of the ordinance at multiple City Council meetings and submitted written statements to the City Council. Working with representatives from Abundant Housing Mass, and 603 Forward, NSR helped build a diverse coalition that played an active role in advocating for the ordinance. In addition, the NSR advocacy team submitted letters to the editor to the local paper and raised awareness about the ordinance and City Council public hearings by posting online.

The Haverhill City Council intends to evaluate the efficacy of the ADU ordinance in one year. Updates will be posted on the NSR blog.