Affordable Housing Trust discussed key projects, highlighting 37 Powers Road – August 6 meeting

August 15, 2025
- By Ming Zhang, Community Correspondent, is a candidate for the state senate seat in the November election

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WESTFORD — The Westford Affordable Housing Trust held its agenda-packed August meeting, welcoming new Select Board member Sean Kelly to the committee. Andrea Peraner-Sweet, the former Select Board representative, will continue to serve as an alternate member following a unanimous vote last month.

A significant portion of the meeting was centered on 37 Powers Road, a property under ongoing review for potential affordable housing development. The Trust is reviewing the property to help negotiate additional affordable housing options as a mitigation for an added 5^th floor that’s on the proposal to be presented to the Planning Board. Meeting topics include the site’s current status, recent communications with engineers, and plans for needs assessment. The Trust stressed the importance of timely information to avoid delays in approvals and design decisions.

Melissa Robbins, attorney for the applicant at 37 Powers Road, outlined options to diversify and increase the number of affordable housing units. “We’re willing to increase the affordability, and we’re looking for a mix in diversity that would get supported by this trust,” Robbins said.

The Trust also highlighted efforts to increase community awareness of the Trust’s work, including potential collaborations with other town committees.

Editor’s Note: The Affordable Housing Trust meeting recordings are stored online, and can be viewed here: Affordable Housing Trust recordings on Vimeo.

Ming Zhang, Community Correspondent, is a candidate for the state senate seat in the November election

A Westford resident, Ming Zhang contributes to WestfordCAT as a community correspondent. Ming holds a BA in English, an MA in American Studies, and an MS in Library Science. Previously, Ming taught English in Beijing, served as Poetry Editor for Hawaii Review, and was a staff writer at Ka Leo O’ Hawaii (Hawaii Daily). His creative work (under his pseudonym Ahming Zee) has appeared in a variety of literary journals. He is currently working on his debut novel. Find him on Facebook, ming.zhang.940098, or X @ahmingzee.