CDCs Lead & Set in Motion Baker Administration’s Urban Agenda Program

CDCs Lead & Set in Motion Baker Administration’s Urban Agenda Program

January 2016
David Bryant

Last week, Governor Baker and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash unveiled the first round of Urban Agenda Grant winners at a series of meetings in Boston and Framingham. The inaugural awards from this new program – a total of $3 million awarded to fund 16 separate economic development, planning and housing initiatives from New Bedford to North Adams – will entrust municipal officials and community organizations to forge collaborative partnerships and craft unique, specific solutions to meet locally-identified needs that satisfy a range of economic development and housing opportunities.

MACDC is proud to have several member organizations lead and partner in 7 of the 16 program initiatives that received more than half ($ 1.6 million) of the grant funds in this first round. All told, the grant program made awards in three categories of community development: economic development implementation, economic development planning, and housing development. State agency officials received 54 applications, requesting a total of $12.7 million in funding, from communities across the Commonealth. With this level of interest, a successful program launch can build greater support to fund successful community-driven projects through Urban Agenda grants in the years to come.

Complete list of grant award winners and project briefs