Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) assists Berkshire County municipalities in applying for and administering Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which are awarded on a competitive basis by MA Department of Housing and Community Deve...

Rural areas of Massachusetts face different challenges than the rest of the Commonwealth. Unlike the economic growth engine of Greater Boston, rural areas are dealing with issues such as: small, aging and often declining populations; limited fiscal resources and staffing constraints; inadequate infrastructure and mobility options; and acute public health challenges. To help identify strategies and opportunities to address these issues, the Rural Policy Advisory Commission was created by the state Legislature in 2015 with a mission to “enhance the economic vitality of rural communities.”

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is currently managing a Housing Rehabilitation Program for the Town of Becket. The Program is being funded by a $772,800 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), written and submitted on behalf of the town by BRPC, and awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. The Program goal is to rehabilitate 20 homes, which may be located anywhere within the Town of Becket. 

BRPC Community Development Program Staff will assist the Town of Cheshire by conducting a municipal ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan during the Spring of 2023. This project is funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) and will look at ADA accessibility at all municipal facilities through the lens of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Using the survey information gathered, BRPC, the Town of Cheshire, and its residents, will then participate in the development of a transition plan that will better position the Town to apply for a variety of implementation grants in the future.

BRPC Community Development Program Staff will assist the Town of Lanesborough by conducting a municipal ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan during the Spring of 2023. This project is funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) and will look at ADA accessibility at all municipal facilities through the lens of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Using the survey information gathered, BRPC, the Town of Lanesborough, its ADA Committee, and its residents, will then participate in the development of a transition plan that will better position the Town to apply for a variety of implementation grants in the future.

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