Beginning January 2021, ten programs are administered through the Community One Stop for Growth, one of which is offered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and focuses on Community Planning grants.
Notice to Quit Requirements and Resources for Landlords
On December 31, Governor Baker signed into law Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2020, which makes important changes to summary process rules and procedures that will be in effect until the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Save money and energy with Mass Save
Good news! If you are a homeowner, landlord of, or renter in a 1 – 4 unit building you are entitled to money and energy savings benefits through the Mass Save program.
Community One Stop for Growth
On January 21, 2021, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of the Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal and collaborative review process for grant programs.
This joint application process will allow applicants—including municipalities, public entities, community non-profits, and private companies—to use a single portal to access ten different grant programs.
Amendments to 40A, The Zoning Act
BRPC has developed this list of recent amendments to M.G.L. ch. 40A regarding zoning for your reference.
Download the excerpts from House Bill 5250, 191st session HERE.
Mass Internet Connect
The Baker Administration recently announced a new subsidy program, called “Mass. Internet Connect”. Launched by the MBI in partnership with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), and working with MassHire one-stop career centers on the rollout of the program and collaborating with internet service providers across the state, including Comcast, Charter, and Verizon, this program will offer subsidies and devices to job seekers.
Berkshire Transportation Management Association (TMA) Feasibility Study
As part of the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, 1Berkshire created a Transportation Strategy Group to explore the concept of creating a comprehensive and cohesively networked public/private transportation system in the Berkshires. Previous studies have identified limited access to public transportation and first/last mile connections as major transportation barriers in the Berkshires. To overcome these transportation barriers, the concept of a Berkshire County Transportation Management Association to provide demand responsive micro-transit was explored.
Eviction Diversion Initiative: Free Legal Services
Through the COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP), there is a substantial expansion of free legal help for low-income tenants as well as low-income owner-occupants of 2-3 family properties navigating the eviction process.
PILOT Programs Undermined by Lack of Funding and Tax Rulings, Report Finds
A recent report by State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump pointed out that the Commonwealth’s payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for state-owned lands (SOL) is underfunded and disproportionately disadvantages smaller, rural communities in favor of larger, wealthier communities.
Mass DOT Announces New Funding for Municipalities via “Shared Winter Streets and Spaces”
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), on behalf of the Baker-Polito Administration, and in partnership with the Barr Foundation, has announced applications are being taken from municipalities for the Shared Winter Streets and Spaces Program, a new phase in the Administration’s Shared Streets and Spaces Program which was launched this past June.