A writer on these pages recently asked what it means to be progressive. I’d like to suggest that in Northampton, progress is projects like Picture Main Street, the Resilience Hub, expanded affordable housing, the Department of Community Care, and the creation of the Climate Action & Project Administration department.
These are forward-looking investments that center equity, accessibility, and sustainability. They directly serve people who are too often left behind — whether that’s unhoused residents needing a safe community space, families searching for affordable homes, or people with disabilities who deserve to navigate downtown streets without barriers.
On climate, for example, Northampton built solar on municipal buildings, expanded EV charging stations, and invested in green infrastructure to manage flooding and stormwater. Last year, the Division of Community Care served more than 750 people for the first time. The city also saw the creation of some 200 units of affordable housing and created the first-ever stabilization fund to support special education.
These are concrete, measurable steps toward a more resilient, more equitable city. We still have work to do.
Progress is rarely comfortable. It disrupts, it reallocates, it demands change. This November, we get to decide whether Northampton keeps moving forward or retreats into the status quo. I’ll be voting for the candidates who choose progress.
Valle Dwight
Florence