DHCD-support of Northampton's Local Rapid Recovery Planning Grant application
December 18, 2020
Ms. Emmy Hahn
Massachusetts Downtown Initiative
Department of Housing and Community Development
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
Dear Ms. Hahn,
I am pleased to write in support of Northampton’s application for a Local Rapid Recovery
Planning Grant.
Western Massachusetts' economy has suffered disproportionately due to the pandemic, as our
region has experienced a 12.9% decline in jobs from February through September. Western
Massachusetts’ economy has been particularly hard hit due to declines in tourism and industries
that revolve around the robust higher education sector of the region. Only a small fraction of the
students who typically drive the area’s economy returned to or remained in the region during the
pandemic. University of Massachusetts Amherst alone has furloughed 850 employees
indefinitely, with many of those layoffs impacting the university’s lowest paid employees.1
Before COVID, western Massachusetts’ economy was already weaker than the rest of the state’s.
The impact on the Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester district has been profound, and this is felt
in Northampton.
These towns and cities need a massive boost to their local economic development efforts. I am
pleased about the opportunities presented through the Local Rapid Recovery Planning (LRRP)
program as municipalities struggle to rebound from the unique economic challenges of
COVID-19.
1
https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/umass-amherst-to-furlough-nearly-850-employees-some-layoffs-expected
/article_59b28e4e-e883-11ea-bdff-93f743c1c210.html
Technical assistance from the Local Rapid Recovery Planning Grant will be critical as the city
determines the next best steps toward economic recovery. Technical assistance will be invaluable
to help the city determine which opportunities are most likely to succeed.
We look forward to supporting our municipalities’ efforts to foster economic growth. Thank you
for your consideration of this application which will have a significant impact on the economic
vitality of Northampton.
Sincerely,
Jo Comerford
State Senator
Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District