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State awards $925,000 CDBG grant to Chelsea as part of $39 million statewide distribution
Summary
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary Augustus announced $39,000,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant awards to 65 Massachusetts communities and said Chelsea will receive $925,000 to upgrade sidewalks and expand social services benefiting seniors, people with disabilities and low-income residents.
Chelsea City Hall — Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary Augustus announced that the state will distribute $39,000,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to 65 Massachusetts communities, with Chelsea receiving a $925,000 award for infrastructure and social-service work.
Driscoll, the lieutenant governor, said the grants are intended to give towns and cities flexible resources to support low- and moderate-income residents. “I’m really grateful to be here in this role helping distribute $39,000,000 in federal CDBG dollars to 65 communities across Massachusetts,” she said, citing partnerships with federal and legislative offices that helped secure the funding.
The administration said the statewide awards will support the rehabilitation of 189 units of affordable housing and 22 infrastructure projects. In Chelsea, officials said the $925,000 grant will pay for sidewalk improvements on Bloomingdale Street intended to improve access to bus stops and safety around a Chelsea Housing Authority building that houses more than 200 seniors and residents with disabilities. City officials also said the grant will help fund local social services including English-for-speakers-of-other-languages classes, youth retention programs and senior food delivery.
Secretary Augustus framed the program as a federal-state-local partnership that routes federal resources to local projects. “This program really is federalism incarnate,” Augustus said, thanking local staff who manage applications and noting the diverse ways communities use CDBG funding. “Right here in Chelsea, $925,000 grant will help to improve… sidewalks for the safety of our disability community, our seniors,” Augustus added.
Officials at the event named several other projects statewide that will receive awards, including housing rehabilitation in multiple towns and infrastructure work ranging from storm-damage repairs to park and sidewalk improvements. Driscoll and Augustus both emphasized that CDBG funds are flexible and can be combined with other state resources such as Chapter 90 and the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program to leverage investments.
The ceremony closed with recognition of local mayors and legislators in attendance and a group photo of award recipients. Officials said they look forward to continuing partnerships to implement the awarded projects.
