The state last week announced a total of $2.5 million in Urban Agenda grants to support 30 projects in 23 communities.
Launched by the Baker-Polito Administration in 2015, the Urban Agenda Grant Program promotes economic vitality in urban neighborhoods by fos-tering partnerships that capitalize on unique local assets and community-driven responses to specific challenges. Urban Agenda grants are competi-tive one-year awards that offer these partnerships flexible funding to im-plement programming and projects based on creative, collaborative work models to support economic progress in urban communities.
To address the unique challenges created by the unprecedented and far-reaching impact of the global pandemic, this year’s program primarily sought proposals that intended to develop or implement COVID-19 eco-nomic recovery strategies.
“Directing these critical resources to support community-led partnerships in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by the pandemic helps ex-pand our fight against COVID-19,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud to make these targeted investments in programs that address key needs of urban communities across our Commonwealth, providing vital support to fight the pandemic while also helping to strengthen these com-munities for the future.”
This year’s Urban Agenda grants represent the largest round of awards since the program started. Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded $8.5 million in grants through the Urban Agenda Grant Program, which is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.
The Urban Agenda Grant Program is now exclusively part of the Admin-istration’s Community One Stop for Growth, the recently established single-application portal that provides access to a variety of competitive commu-nity and economic development grant programs.
The portal will streamline the experience for the applicant and better coor-dinate the process of engagement, application review, and grant making for programs and staff. It also redefines the Commonwealth’s role as an active partner in economic development strategy, priorities, and invest-ment. Learn more about the One Stop.
Local FY2021 Urban Agenda Grant Awards:
•East Boston – Maverick Landing Community Services: $100,000 for the East Boston Resilience Project, for the creation of two to three new out-door sustainable markets that will enable immigrant cooperatives to access recycled materials, gain English language skills, and raise family incomes.
•Jamaica Plain – Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation: $80,000 for the Constructing Wealth Project, which will provide technical assistance and training to minority- and women-owned business enterprises to build long-term financial stability and create jobs in communities of col-or.
•Chelsea – La Colaborativa: $100,000 for the Good Jobs Coalition to sup-port a rapid re-employment program that will provide job assessment, soft skills training, and job navigation counseling to 400 Chelsea Latino and im-migrant residents to assist families affected by the pandemic.
•Revere – Neighborhood Developers: $100,000 for Revere Works Work-force Development Continuum. Through this initiative, 300 participants af-fected by the Covid pandemic will receive training in ESOL, job training, and computer literacy and connect to other organizations for referrals and job placements.