Somerville Community Preservation Committee Awards FY20 Funds

With recent funding approval by the Somerville City Council, the Somerville Community Preservation Commission (CPC) announces the FY 2020 projects to be funded by Community Preservation Act.

The City Council approved over $2 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding to six open space and historic preservation projects, upon the recommendation of the CPC.

This year the CPC awarded $200,000 to the Open Space Acquisition and Improvement Stabilization Fund, $300,000 for Central Hill Campus Phase 1, $122,000 to renovate the park at the former Powder House Community School, and $505,436 to the Somerville Museum to construct an elevator so that all can access its programs and collections. The Somerville Affordable Housing Trust (SAHT), as the housing arm of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), awarded $577,460 to five affordable housing projects.

To date, the Somerville CPA program has supported a total of 79 affordable housing, historic resources, and open space/recreation land projects through awards of over $26 million since its adoption in 2012. This includes $2.96 million in matching funds from the state.

“In FY20 the CPC has continued its support of affordable housing programs that include affordable rental housing, rent assistance, housing stability assistance, and housing for victims of domestic violence in coordination with the SAHT. The CPC also recognizes the importance of health and recreation benefits that open spaces provide and the importance of the history of the City”, Said CPC Chair Jane Carbone. We are excited about the work we have done in FY20, and we are looking forward to seeing what great ideas the community puts forward for projects in FY21.”

“CPA funding is making a real difference in increasing available affordable housing, improving local treasures like the Somerville Museum, and bettering places for adults and children to enjoy the outdoors like on central Hill or at the former Powder House School,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “I want to thank the Community Preservation Committee and the community for their input and recommendations on how to prudently and wisely spend this funding and to the City Council for their support of the CPA program which supports our goals of the SomerVision.”

For more information on the CPA, sign up for the CPA Email Newsletter by visiting the City’s website at www.somervillema.gov/cpa and clicking “Sign Up Now for CPA News.”