Last week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced nearly $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awards to support housing, infrastructure, social services and economic development projects in 52 communities across Massachusetts.
Chelsea received a $850,000 grant to help with renovations to Voke Park as well as social services programs in the city.
“From our smallest hill towns to our Gateway Cities and regional hubs, we are listening to local leaders and making sure they have the resources they need to deliver for their residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These Community Development Block Grants will support housing and economic development in cities and towns across the state, and the new Rural and Small Town designation will make sure that no community is left behind. Together, these initiatives are about giving communities the tools they need to grow their economies, build more housing to lower costs, and deliver the high-quality services their people deserve.”
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said that as a former mayor, she knows how powerful it is when the state not only sends funding but also recognizes and supports the local policies that make new housing possible.
“CDBG is one of the most flexible tools that cities and towns have to respond to local needs. By pairing those dollars with a refreshed Housing Choice program — including a Rural and Small Town designation — we are making sure communities of every size can access state support, unlock new housing and strengthen their downtowns and neighborhoods,” Driscoll said.
In Chelsea, about $500,000 of the CDBG will be used for the Voke Park project, according to Housing and Community Development Director Ben Cares.
“We will be designing an accessible playground area, so this is for a smaller portion of Voke Park where the tot lot exists today,” said Cares. “We will be improving that for residents who have accessibility needs, but it won’t be exclusively for accessibility needs. It will be open for everybody, it will just have accessible features which means that it can accommodate people who need ADA accessibility, that might be differently-abled, that might have mobility issues – this park will be accessible for those residents and for all other residents.”
The project will be in the design phase for much of the winter and spring, with the potential to go out to bid next summer with the project wrapping up prior to the end of 2026, Cares said.
The remaining money from the grant will be earmarked for social services programs such as the REACH afterschool program.
“This year’s CDBG awards will fund housing rehabilitation, street and sidewalk upgrades, planning work and vital social services in dozens of communities,” said state Executive Office of Housing and Livable
Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “At the same time, our new Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation recognizes that smaller communities face different realities but are just as committed to creating housing options for their residents. These changes grew out of hundreds of conversations my team and I have had with local leaders over the past three years, and they will help more communities qualify for Housing Choice recognition and grant programs that support long term housing and community development.”
The federal fiscal 2025 CDBG awards, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC), will help small cities and towns undertake projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents. Eligible municipalities applied individually or as part of a regional application. This year, HLC is issuing 27 competitive Community Development Fund awards totaling $25.7 million, along with $7.75 million for nine Mini-Entitlement communities, for a combined $33.47 million in funding.