Millions of dollars in recently-awarded grants will aid projects and support services across Massachusetts. In the hilltowns of Western Mass., that money can go a long way.
Some $39 million in Community Development Block Grants was unveiled by Governor Maura Healey’s office in late July – an annual grant award that translates to funding for various municipal efforts across the Commonwealth.
“This $39 million for 65 communities is meaningful dollars that are going to help our low- and moderate-income populations, our public safety upgrades, public improvement upgrades, and that impacts residents and communities across the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll while announcing the funding July 25th.
Joining her was state Housing Secretary Ed Augustus – who said the grants, which go back to 1975, have been a federally-funded means for smaller cities and towns to meet their community development needs.
In a state that’s been working to address a housing crisis, the grants have become especially impactful.
“These awards have more of an impact because of the lack of affordable housing across the state,” he said. “The funds awarded today will support the rehabilitation of 189 units of affordable housing across the state - 22 infrastructure projects, because we all want our residents to be able to live in a safe, secure and dignified home.”
The announcement mentioned an assortment of specific projects and communities receiving the block grants – from $950,000 to Huntington for infrastructure improvements on Stanton Avenue to another $950,000 for South Hadley and its Center Street Neighborhood infrastructure improvement project.
But deep in the hilltowns, between Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties, some eight communities will benefit from a $1.3 million allocation – administered by a local community development corporation.
Dave Christopolis, executive director of Hilltown CDC based in Chesterfield, tells WAMC the funds have been a lifeline for the agency over the years
With Chesterfield designated as the “lead community,” the other seven participating towns include Cummington, Goshen, Peru, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington.
He says Hilltown CDC acts as both a consultant and administrator for the funds – after writing the grant proposal on behalf of Chesterfield per an agreement between both groups.
Of the $1.3 million, nearly $700,000 will go toward housing rehabilitation. Covering administrative and staffing costs in the process, the funds go toward improving the housing stock – assisting with bringing almost a dozen single-family, owner-occupied homes up to state sanitary code standards and more.
Limited to households making 80% of the median income or less, he says, the rehab program provides 15-year deferred payment loans to the homeowner – with the loan being forgiven if the homeowner does not sell the house within that period.
With an average cost of around $50,000-$60,000 per rehab, some of the more extensive work involves assisting locals with removing lead from their homes or recovering from a septic system failure. Christopolis says it’s work that makes a difference.
“It just kind of creates a lot of benefits for, not just the homeowner, but the region,” he said. “So we're improving the housing stock for future people who are going to live here… it's maintaining the value, helping the other property values around it … and then just being able to stay in the home longer for some of the seniors, it's a big deal.”
The remainder of the block grant funds go to a number of support services in the area — $130,000 for the Hilltown Elder Network, providing elders with in-home services as well as helping with transportation.
Over $72,000 will go to the Hilltown Food Pantry in Goshen, run by the Northampton Survival Center, and $30,000 for Hilltown Health Services.
One way or another, Christopolis says, the $1.3 million ends up being injected into the local economy – whether it goes toward contractors or even creates jobs in the case of the social service aspect.
“We've got close to 50 or so caregivers, part-time… and same with the health center and the food pantry - there's people working at those places,” he said. “I think it does really kind of improve the quality of life for people in a kind of general sense.”
Other hilltowns benefited from separate allocations. That includes $1.3 million for Chester, Middlefield, Huntington and Russell.
According to the state, that funding will support Chester’s Prospect Street infrastructure improvement project’s third phase, fund various social services, and also fund the rehab of four housing units.
