According to a recent news item from the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA), the State of Massachusetts announced that the application period is open for a new MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, which will provide grants for housing and infrastructure projects to communities that are certified as complying with the MBTA Communities Act. The grants will be used to support activities related to housing creation, infrastructure projects associated with housing, and the acquisition of property to promote housing.
The Notice of Funding Availability can be found online, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
According to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the following 33 communities are currently eligible to apply: Abington, Andover, Arlington, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Dedham, Easton, Grafton, Harvard, Hull, Lexington, Lincoln, Lowell, Medfield, Medford, Northbridge, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Sharon, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Taunton, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Wayland, Westford and Worcester. Three additional communities — Everett, Malden and Newton — are considered to be in conditional compliance.
Funding for the Catalyst Fund is available for fiscal 2025, 2026 and 2027. Awards will typically fund projects with grant requests between $250,000 and $1 million.
Eligible MBTA Communities are those that have received a “determination of compliance” letter from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities at the time of the funding request.
The MBTA Communities Act, signed into law in January 2021, requires 177 cities and towns to establish at least one district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right. The districts must allow multi-family developments without discretionary review processes. Zoning must also be located near transit stations, when applicable, and the districts cannot impose age restrictions.
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