For-profit and nonprofit developers looking to use any of 10 state grant programs as part of their financing packages will now be able to find them all in the same place.
The Baker administration announced the launch of the Community One Stop for Growth Tuesday morning. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito made the announcement during remarks at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual conference
The website offers a joint application process that will allow applicants to use a single portal to access a range of different financing options:
Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
Department of Housing and Community Development
- Housing Choice Community Capital Grants
- Massachusetts Downtown Initiative
- Community Planning Grants
- Rural Development Fund
MassDevelopment
“The Community One Stop for Growth represents a major shift in how our administration does business with cities and towns and others by taking the existing complex network of disparate funding sources and transforming it into a true partnership that supports communities in their local economic development strategies,” Lt. Governor Karyn Polito said in a statement. “Thanks to the invaluable feedback we got from local officials across Massachusetts, this new unified application will allow the commonwealth to better understand and support a community’s development goals and vision.”
The One Stop also incorporates direct referrals to additional programs, offers tailored guidance and features collaborative review, all organized around a single timeline, the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development said in its announcement. It also includes an optional “Expression of Interest” feature that allows an applicant to indicate economic development priorities and seek feedback from EOHED and its partner agencies prior to submitting a full application.
“Whether a community is preparing for growth, aiming to attract private investment or looking to catalyze specific projects, the One Stop application offers a streamlined, customized and coordinated process to partner with the state to advance their objectives,” Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy said in a statement. “With a simplified application process, communities will have easier access to the administration’s tools that can support recovery in the near term while also making progress toward communities’ future housing and economic development goals.”
