Five Central Mass. communities to get $650K to support housing
Photo | Grant Welker
Construction last summer on the Worcester Public Market and Kelley Square Lofts building
The Gov. Charlie Baker Administration awarded nearly $650,000 to five Central Massachusetts communities on Thursday under the Housing Choice Community Capital Grant program.
The initiative funds infrastructure improvements in communities showing commitment to building housing.
Worcester will receive $250,000 while Barre, Berlin, Bolton, and Sherborn will each get $100,000.
The awards support capital improvement projects, ADA accessibility, sewer capacity expansions to enhance quality-of-life for residents, Baker said.
The grant program was launched in 2017 to increase housing production by empowering municipalities to lead on local development. The administration set a goal of building 135,000 new housing units by 2025.
Housing Choice recognizes communities meeting goals toward implementing housing best practices, housing production goals, or both. The designation gives municipalities access to new cash, including preferential treatment for state grant and capital funding programs, including MassWorks, Complete Streets, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation capital projects.
Since 2015, the administration has invested more than $1 billion in affordable housing, resulting in the production and preservation of more than 18,000 housing units, including 16,000 affordable units.
Worcester will undertake street improvements to Green Street allowing the city to complete the final infrastructure improvements around the Worcester Public Market and Kelley Square Lofts mixed-use development. The project is a mixed-used, four-story building with 48 apartments, and a ground-floor public market due to open in February.
Barre plans engineering and design work on roads near Ruggles Lane Elementary School and Quabbin Regional High School to improve walkability and encourage students to walk to school.
Berlin will repave the Town Hall parking lot to improve safety, facilitate water run-off and remove landscaping islands which inhibit plowing efforts.
Bolton will make drainage and flood control improvements on South Bolton and Spectacle Hill Roads, including near the entrance of a 78-lot subdivision currently under construction.
Sherborn’s grant will fund the design and construction of a sidewalk to create a safe connection between three multi-family projects to the primary business district of Sherborn.
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