Housing in Amesbury

House_IconShelter is one of the basic human necessities. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find affordable options for people to achieve this basic need. Finding an affordable place to call home, whether you rent or own, is becoming increasingly less affordable to millions of people, including millennials, new families, people with disabilities, and seniors. To address this, communities like Amesbury work with the state to ensure that there are affordable housing options available to meet the changing needs of our residents.

Amesbury is committed to providing affordable housing for its residents. In 2020, the City adopted a Housing Production Plan which includes an action plan with policies and programs Amesbury can implement to help us achieve this commitment. We also created the Amesbury Housing Trust to develop new and manage existing affordable units. Please check out the resources available to guide our work in creating affordable units for all in Amesbury. 

What is "Affordable Housing"? Affordable Housing is housing that's restricted to individuals and families with qualifying incomes and asset levels, and receives some manner of financial assistance to bring down the cost of owning or renting a property. The unit or complex will have a deed restriction that allows for the sale or rental of the property to remain affordable for a set number of years or in perpetuity.

As of 2020, Amesbury monitors roughly 50 ownership units and 700 rental units throughout the City. The City has 10 deeded units which come up for sale infrequently. When these units go up for sale, they must be sold to a low-to-moderate income buyer. Information on these sales will be posted here when they become available.

Housing Plans and Studies

  1. Housing Production Plan 2018 to 2022 (PDF)

Amesbury Rental Assistance Program

The City has partnered with the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council to administer HOME funds to support a rental assistance program in Amesbury. This program is open to income eligible residents, City of Amesbury employees, and parents with children in the Amesbury School system. 

**UPDATE: As of October 31, 2022, there is a waiting list for this program. The Affordable Housing Trust is investigating additional sources of funding. You can apply to be on the waiting list below. 

Housing Rehabilitation Program  

Affordable Housing Resources

First Time Homebuyers

Landlord-Tenant Rights

Amesbury Rental Assistance Program Postcard
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Affordable Housing Glossary

Affordable housing is restricted to individuals and families with qualifying incomes and asset levels, and that receives some type of financial assistance to bring down the cost of owning or renting a home. A common affordability benchmark is that housing costs should not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income, and units should be affordable to households making no more than 80% of the area median income (AMI). In the case of Amesbury this means a total income of $64,970 (2022) for a family of four, which in turn translates into a maximum gross rent (including utilities) of $1,624 and a maximum housing purchase price of around $187,000 (depending on mortgage interest rates).