Massachusetts has awarded $161 million in grants for local economic development projects in 171 communities aimed at creating thousands of additional housing units statewide.
Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, along with Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus made the announcement Thursday in Worcester.
The 313 grant awards were issued through the Community One Stop for Growth, which is managed by the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED). This program lets municipalities and organizations apply for 12 different state grant programs that support economic development projects in areas like planning and zoning, site preparation, construction, infrastructure and housing development.
“We are proud to be a state of strong cities and towns, made stronger by programs like the Community One Stop for Growth, which deliver the resources our communities need to grow their local economies and meet the needs of their residents,” said Healey. “Communities will use these grants to build more housing and lower costs, improve road safety, revitalize their downtowns, create new jobs and more. We can’t wait to see the results of these investments all across the state.”
The EOED received 756 applications from 510 organizations with projects in 229 communities. Out of the 313 awarded applications, 33% are in rural areas or small towns, 32% are in Gateway Cities, 48% are in Housing Choice Communities and 50% are in MBTA Communities.
Forty communities are receiving one of these grants for the first time.
The EOED estimates the awards will aid in the creation of more than 18,000 new housing units, including 4,000 new affordable units, as well as 31,000 new permanent jobs and more than 14 million square feet of new commercial development.
Hao said every year, the Community One Stop for Growth “invests in transformative projects that unlock local and regional economic growth.”
“We are grateful to the hundreds of municipal partners, developers and community leaders who submitted applications, and we look forward to partnering with you to bring your economic development projects to life in the years ahead,” she said.