Sokhary Chau State Representative
Fighting for Lowell Families. Delivering Results.
Policy Priorities
Housing Affordability & Cost Stability
Your Home. Your Neighborhood. Your Future.
Lowell is built on the strength of its neighborhoods, but that is being tested by a housing market leaving too many behind. As your State Representative, I will fight for a balanced approach that ensures Lowell remains a place where people from all walks of life can afford to stay, grow, and thrive.
-
The Crisis in Numbers: Over the last decade, rents in Lowell skyrocketed by 60%. Today, more than half of our residents are "rent-burdened," paying more than they can afford to keep a roof over their heads.
-
Protecting Our Residents: I will fight for real tenant protections to ensure that stability isn't a luxury. No one should face the constant threat of displacement due to rapidly escalating costs.
-
A Balanced Housing Supply: To stabilize prices, we must encourage a diverse mix of housing. This means advocating for new affordable housing production alongside market-rate development. Increasing the overall supply at all levels reduces the "bidding war" pressure on our housing stock.
-
Investing in Homeownership: I am committed to securing down payment assistance programs. This allows our young families to transition from renting to owning, helping them put down permanent roots in the city they love.
-
Respecting Our Seniors: Those who spent their lives building this community deserve to retire in it. I will work to ensure our seniors never need fear being pushed out of those neighborhoods.
Jobs & Economic Opportunity
Good Jobs for Lowell Families, Not Just Developers.
Lowell’s history is built on labor and ingenuity. As your State Representative, I will ensure that our city’s current economic growth translates into real, lasting prosperity for the people who live here—not just for out-of-town investors.
-
The LINC Opportunity: The Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC) project is a game-changer, projected to bring 2,000 permanent jobs and $3.7 Billion to our local economy. I will fight to ensure these opportunities don't just pass through our city, but stay within it.
-
Direct Access for Neighborhoods: We must ensure these jobs reach working families in the Acre, the Highlands, and throughout our city. Economic growth is only successful if it is accessible to the residents of every neighborhood corridor.
-
A Pipeline to Success: I will advocate for real apprenticeships and expanded workforce training through our local anchors, UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College. By aligning education with our new economy, we prepare Lowellians for high-paying, future-proof careers.
-
Support for Local Entrepreneurs: Our neighborhood corridors are the heart of our city. I will work to cut red tape for small business owners, making it easier for local entrepreneurs to open their doors, hire their neighbors, and keep our community's wealth within the community.
Quality Education
Every Child in Lowell Deserves a Real Chance.
A zip code should never determine a child’s future. In Lowell, our schools are the heart of our community’s potential, but for too long, the state’s funding systems haven't kept pace with our students' needs. As your State Representative, I will fight to ensure our schools are fully funded and equipped to support every learner.
-
Fixing the Funding Gap: The State’s school funding formula has left Gateway Cities behind for years. Closing this gap would bring $15.5 Million more to Lowell every single year—resources that belong in our classrooms, not sitting in a State account.
-
Safe and Engaged After School: Learning doesn’t stop at the final bell. I will advocate for expanded after-school programs that keep our children safe, provide academic enrichment, and give working parents peace of mind.
-
Prioritizing Mental Health: Our students are facing unprecedented challenges. I will fight to put mental health support in every school, ensuring that counselors and resources are available to help our kids build resilience and succeed emotionally as well as academically.
-
Supporting English Language Learners: Nearly one in three Lowell students are English Language Learners (ELLs). I will push for fully funded language services that honor our city's diversity and ensure these students have the specific tools needed to become the next generation of Lowell’s leaders.
Affordable Healthcare
No One Should Choose Between Their Health and Their Next Meal.
Massachusetts leads the nation in healthcare coverage, but coverage doesn’t always equal access. In Lowell, too many of our neighbors are one medical bill away from financial crisis or are stuck in emergency rooms waiting for care that should have been available in their own neighborhood. I will fight to ensure that healthcare in our city is affordable, immediate, and dignified.
-
Protecting and Expanding MassHealth: With new federal changes and redeterminations threatening the coverage of thousands of Massachusetts residents, I will be a fierce advocate for protecting MassHealth. I will fight to ensure that administrative red tape doesn't cause our most vulnerable residents—especially our seniors and those in transition—to lose their lifeline.
-
Strengthening Community Health Centers: Our community health centers, like the Lowell Community Health Center, are the backbone of our city. I will work to bring more state resources to these hubs to expand primary care, mental health services, and dental care, reducing the strain on our hospital emergency rooms.
-
Ending the "ER Wait" Crisis: It is unacceptable that residents have to wait hours for emergency care. By investing in urgent care alternatives and behavioral health crisis centers, we can ensure that patients get the right care at the right time, freeing up our ERs for true emergencies.
-
Culturally Competent & Multilingual Care: In a city where dozens of languages are spoken, healthcare must be accessible to everyone. I will push for state funding to support medical interpreters and culturally competent care so that every resident is heard and understood by their provider, regardless of the language they speak.
Accountability & Legislative Transparency
Accountable Government Gets More Done.
The people of Lowell deserve a state government that is as hardworking and straightforward as they are. For too long, Beacon Hill has operated behind closed doors, exempting itself from the very laws it expects everyone else to follow. I will champion the reforms needed to bring sunshine back to the State House.
-
Honoring the Will of the Voters: In 2024, 72% of Massachusetts voters—including an overwhelming majority in our district—demanded the right to audit the Legislature. I stand firmly with you. I will fight to ensure that the State Auditor has the clear authority to examine legislative spending and performance, as the voters intended.
-
Ending Public Records Exemptions: Massachusetts is one of the only states in the country where the Legislature exempts itself from public records laws. This must change. I will support legislation to make committee votes, attendance records, and legislative expenditures accessible to the public, because you have a right to know how your representatives are working for you.
-
Opening Committee Markup Sessions: Most critical decisions are made in committees before a bill ever reaches the floor, yet these sessions are often closed to the public. I will push for open committee meetings and public markup sessions, so the process of shaping our laws is transparent and accountable.
-
Real Campaign Finance Reform: Voters should know who is funding political ads in real-time. I support stricter disclosure requirements for ballot questions and campaign spending, ensuring that special interests cannot hide behind "dark money" to influence our local elections.
Public Safety
Safe Neighborhoods. For Every Family. At Every Age.
Every resident—from the Acre to the Lower and Upper Highlands—deserves to feel secure walking to school, to work, and back home. Real public safety isn't just about responding to crime; it's about building a community where crime is prevented before it happens. As your State Representative, I will fight for a comprehensive approach that balances strong emergency response with proactive community investment.
-
Support for Our First Responders: Our Police, Fire, and EMS personnel need the staffing, training, and equipment to keep Lowell safe. I will work to ensure our departments are fully resourced to maintain high visibility in our neighborhoods and fast response times when seconds count.
-
Expanding Mental Health Crisis Teams: Not every 911 call requires a badge and a gun. I will advocate for the continued expansion of specialized crisis teams and support for new resources like the Restoration Center of Greater Lowell. By providing a 24/7 alternative to the ER or jail for those in behavioral health crises, we allow our police to focus on serious crime while getting vulnerable residents the medical care they need.
-
Interrupting Youth Violence: We must invest in our future before it's at risk. I will push for increased funding for youth violence prevention and social-emotional learning programs in our schools. By supporting organizations like UTEC and the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, we provide our young people with the mentorship and job opportunities that lead away from the street and toward a career.
-
Addressing the Roots of the Opioid Crisis: The addiction crisis hits Lowell families hard. I will fight for State resources to support the Lowell Community Opiod Outreach Program (CO-OP) and other harm reduction teams that provide outreach, Narcan training, and direct pathways to detox and long-term recovery.