HUD Archives: News Releases

HUD ANNOUNCES $2.9 MILLION 2011 SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
FUNDING FOR MASSACHUSETTS
Grants will create jobs, improve housing, transportation and economic vitality of urban and rural regions

BOSTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced the recipients of the 2011 Sustainable Communities Grants, totaling over $97 million nationwide. Twenty seven communities and organizations across the country will receive Community Challenge grants and 29 regional areas will receive Regional Planning grants. The goal of the Sustainable Communities grants is to help communities
and regions improve their economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation.

"Our nation's ability to compete in a global economy and create jobs is dependent upon how quickly and efficiently
we can connect our workers and families to education and employment opportunities," said HUD Regional
Administrator Barbara Fields. "These grants will be leveraged with local funds more than doubling the investment and, helping to create new visions for how communities and regions plan for housing, transportation, workforce development and the quality of life of their residents for generations to come. When 52 percent of the average working family's income is devoted to housing and transportation costs alone, we know that we have a responsibility to fix that and to provide housing and transportation options that can improve their quality of life and economic stability," she added.

In Massachusetts:

The City of Boston will be awarded $1,865,160 for the Fairmount Line Smart Growth Corridor Project. The project will conduct planning and strategic land acquisition to facilitate mixed-use and transitoriented development along the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line in conjunction with the construction of four new stations and improvements to existing stations. The Fairmount Line is a 9.2 mile commuter rail service running from Boston's multi-modal central transit station in downtown Boston (South Station) and terminating at the Readville section of Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood. With only three stations between South Station and Readville, the Fairmount Line runs through, but does not really serve, the primarily low-income neighborhoods along the line. The project will increase the number
and percentage of residents living, the number of affordable housing units, and the number of businesses and jobs within ½ of a transit stop.

The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission will be awarded $129,500 for the Wachusett Station Smart Growth Corridor Plan. The purpose of this grant proposal is to fund the development and completion of a Wachusett Station Smart Growth Corridor Plan. Wachusett Station is a planned passenger rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail Line that will be at the center of the study for this plan. This plan
will study the surrounding area around the station and engage the local community examining various elements within this corridor area including transportation/circulation, land use, housing, economic development, open space/recreation and facilities/institution planning.

The City of Worcester will be awarded $930,000 for the Main South to Loomworks Revitalization. This project will expand upon recent planning efforts, especially a US Department of Education Promise Neighborhood plan, to provide detailed master planning studies and design work to quickly implement and catalyze revitalization activities in an underserved portion of the Main South neighborhood. The neighborhood still struggles with the void left by the shuttered Crompton and Knowles Loomworks factory. While some of its buildings continue to house small businesses, and a few smaller buildings have been renovated as housing, the vast majority of the site remains vacant,
abandoned, and neglected. The Main South to Loomworks Revitalization plan will create a comprehensive
sustainability and connectivity plan for the subject neighborhood, a master plan and economic development study for the 95 Grand site and the former Loomworks industrial area, and detailed design and architecture and engineering documents for 93 Grand Street. The Community Challenge Grant would drive both planning and implementation of key initiatives with the potential to transform this area into a more equitable, environmentally sound, and economically healthy community.

HUD's Community Challenge Grants aim to reform and reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable communities. The funds are awarded to communities, large and small, to address local challenges to integrating transportation and housing. Such efforts may include amending or updating local master plans, zoning codes, and building codes to support private sector investment in mixed-use development, affordable housing and
the re-use of older buildings. Other local efforts may include retrofitting main streets to provide safer routes for children and seniors, or preserving affordable housing and local businesses near new transit stations.

As was the case last year, the demand for both programs far exceeded the available funding. This year HUD received over $500 million in funding requests from communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the $97 million in available funding. This year's grants will impact 45.8 million Americans by helping their communities and regions become more efficient and competitive while improving quality of life. Combined with the 87 grants
funded last year, this program is providing opportunities for the more than 133 million Americans who live in regions and communities working to shape local plans for how their communities will grow and develop over the next 50
years.

Community Challenge Grants and Regional Planning Grants are also significantly complimented and leveraged by local, state and private resources. This year, HUD's investment of $95.8 million is garnering $115 million in matching and in-kind contributions - which is over 120% of the Federal investment - from the 56 selected grantees. This brings to total public and private investment for this round of grants to over $211 million. These grants are part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which represents an association between HUD, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that the agencies' policies, programs, and funding consider affordable housing, transportation, and environmental protection together. This interagency collaboration gets better results for communities and uses taxpayer money more efficiently.

Coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services meets multiple economic, environmental,
and community objectives with each dollar spent. The Partnership is helping communities across the country to
create more housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses.

For a complete listing of this year's grantees and their proposals, please visit HUD's website.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

Massachusetts Grants

Community Challenge Grant Award

The City of Boston will be awarded $1,865,160 for the Fairmount Line Smart Growth Corridor Project. The project will conduct planning and strategic land acquisition to facilitate mixed-use and transitoriented development along the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line in conjunction with the construction of four new stations and improvements to existing stations. The Fairmount Line is a 9.2 mile commuter rail service running from Boston's multi-modal central transit station in downtown Boston (South Station) and terminating at the Readville section of Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood. With only three stations between South Station and Readville, the Fairmount Line runs through, but does not really serve, the primarily low-income neighborhoods along the line. The project will increase the number and percentage of residents living, the number of affordable housing units, and the number of businesses and jobs within ½ of a transit stop.

Anticipated Project Benefits:
To provide improved access to transit for residents of the neighborhoods along the line, connecting them to job centers and downtown To expand affordable housing opportunities and employment opportunities near transit for the residents of the neighborhoods by strategic land acquisition, site assembly and disposition for Transit-Oriented Development projects near the new and existing stations. To reduce the number of vacant, underutilized or abandoned properties in the neighborhood by assisting the acquisition, planning, disposition and redevelopment of
key privately-owned and City -owned parcels along the Fairmount Corridor.

Core Partners: Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), Fairmount/Indigo Line Community Development Corporation Collaborative, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston Main Streets, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Boston Transportation Department (BTD)

Community Challenge Grant Award

The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission will be awarded $129,500 for the Wachusett Station Smart Growth Corridor Plan. The purpose of this grant proposal is to fund the development and completion of a Wachusett Station Smart Growth Corridor Plan. Wachusett Station is a planned passenger rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail Line that will be at the center of the study for this plan. This plan
will study the surrounding area around the station and engage the local community examining various elements within this corridor area including transportation/circulation, land use, housing, economic development, open space/recreation and facilities/institution planning.

Anticipated Project Benefits:
Analysis of previously completed plans Visioning/Charrette and focus groups will be conducted. Plan elements will be drafted and a wrap-up event will be held. Creation of smart growth zoning Development and completion of a Wachusett Station Smart Growth Corridor Plan

Core Partners: Massachusetts Regional Transit Authority (MART), The Redevelopment Authority for the City of Fitchburg (FRA), Fitchburg State University, Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Three Pyramids, Westminster business Park

Community Challenge Grant Award

The City of Worcester will be awarded $930,000 for the Main South to Loomworks Revitalization. This project will expand upon recent planning efforts, especially a US Department of Education Promise Neighborhood plan, to provide detailed master planning studies and design work to quickly implement and catalyze revitalization activities in an underserved portion of the Main South neighborhood. The neighborhood still struggles with the void left by the shuttered Crompton and Knowles Loomworks factory. While some of its buildings continue to house small businesses, and a few smaller buildings have been renovated as housing, the vast majority of the site remains vacant,
abandoned, and neglected. The Main South to Loomworks Revitalization plan will create a comprehensive
sustainability and connectivity plan for the subject neighborhood, a master plan and economic development study for the 95 Grand site and the former Loomworks industrial area, and detailed design and architecture and engineering documents for 93 Grand Street. The Community Challenge Grant would drive both planning and implementation of key initiatives with the potential to transform this area into a more equitable, environmentally sound, and economically healthy community.

Anticipated Project Benefits:
Create an affordable, economically vital, and sustainable community through the creation of affordable housing, the reuse of older industrial buildings and vacant land for new purposes, coordination of brownfields remediation, and planning for better connectivity to job centers and adjacent neighborhoods.

Positively impact affordability and accessibility by increasing the supply of affordable housing units and better connecting the neighborhood to assets and transit. Increase economic development, through infill development on vacant and under-utilized land and through better social and physical connections to jobs and amenities.

Core Partners: The Community Builders, Inc, the Main South Community Development Corporation, Institute for Environment and Sustainability