Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Urban Agenda Grant Program in Lynn

Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba, and Assistant Secretary for Communities and Programs Juan Vega were joined by state and local officials in Lynn to celebrate the Urban Agenda Grant Program awards, which total more than $2.6 million to support 31 projects in 20 communities. Among the awards, the City of Lynn received a $100,000 grant to provide free, sustained, critical assistance to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, mainly Latinx and minority-based, to strengthen the micro- and small-business sector of Lynn and surrounding areas, increase its resilience and diversity, and provide much-needed tools to build and grow successful businesses in the aftermath of COVID-19. Additionally, the Lynn-based Latino Support Network Inc. received a $50,000 grant to expand community hub spaces for local nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and micro-enterprises.

“Since taking office, we have been proud to award over $13 million in Urban Agenda grant awards to 148 projects to help empower residents, grow businesses, and advance communities across Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Local municipal and nonprofit leaders know their communities best, and this year’s grants will continue to provide additional ways for the Commonwealth to support locally identified projects aimed at achieving economic progress.”

“Our administration is pleased to deliver more than $2.6 million for 31 projects creating economic opportunities in our urban centers,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These Urban Agenda awards represent one of 12 grant programs included in the Community One Stop for Growth portfolio to advance local economic development projects at every stage, from concept to completion.”

“Congratulations to the cities, towns, and nonprofits that have been awarded Urban Agenda grant funding to advance local community and economic development priorities,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “We’re grateful for all of the local leaders driving positive change in their communities, and it was a pleasure to celebrate with them today in Lynn.”  

The Urban Agenda Grant Program is designed to support community development that is grounded in collaboration and focused on economic opportunities with local significance. Since taking office, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded $13.6 million from the Urban Agenda Grant Program to support 148 projects throughout the Commonwealth.

The program is part of Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal that provides a streamlined, collaborative review process of 12 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, and infrastructure. Altogether, this round of the One Stop is awarding more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities. The full list of grants can be found here.

Through this round of the One Stop, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development received 523 applications from 207 communities representing every region of the Commonwealth. Of the 337 applications awarded, 31% are located in a rural or small town; 32% are located in a Gateway City; and 43% are located in a Housing Choice Community. This investment is expected to directly support the creation of 6,950 new housing units across the Commonwealth, including 5,068 new market-rate units and 1,882 new affordable units.

“This funding will help spur regional economic growth in a manner that is collaborative, innovative, and community-based,” said Senator Brendan Crighton. “Thank you to Secretary Kennealy and the Baker Administration for supporting our hardworking entrepreneurs and local nonprofit leaders.”

“I want to thank the State Office of Housing and Economic Development for these two grant awards,” said Representative Peter Capano. “These grants will provide assistance and a much needed boost to small businesses and will help rejuvenate Lynn’s creative collaborative community in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“We are grateful to Sec. Kennealy for funding the Urban Agenda Grant program,” said Mayor Jared C. Nicholson. “This program represents an amazing collaboration between the state, the City, and local organizations that will drive economic development forward in our community in a truly inclusive manner.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.