As CDAP planners become aware of relevant grant opportunities, this information is shared in a variety of communications (direct email and newsletters) with appropriate stakeholders.

For some funding sources, CMRPC may be available to assist resource development (fund raising) and grant administration. Contact Trish Settles for more details.

District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA)  Technical assistance services funded by these grants may be provided at the request of a municipality in any subject within regional planning expertise, including but not limited to: zoning and permitting; economic development; land use planning, conservation planning, and water resources; municipal management; public safety planning and emergency response; transportation; data management, information technology, geographic information systems, statistical trends and modeling; and other land use and smart growth issues.  Eligible projects will fall into two major funding categories:

• Planning for Housing,
• Planning for Growth
• Regional Collaboration in Service Delivery or Procurement.

DHCD Priority Development Fund Housing Planning Assistance: Rolling Deadline

The Priority Development Fund (PDF) was created in 2004 by MassHousing to provide funding to assist communities identify and implement strategies to increase the production of housing, both rental and homeownership. The goal of PDF Planning Assistance is to increase the supply of housing for a range of incomes in the Commonwealth by encouraging community-based planning that will lead directly to housing production. The PDF is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) on behalf of MassHousing pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement between the agencies.

PFF Planning Assistance supports housing proximate to existing infrastructure, community services and public transportation, as well as projects containing ancillary commercial facilities that are secondary to the residential use of property. Priority for funding will be given to applications that support creation of as of right zoning districts for DHCD approval; address or encourage new housing production within city or town centers, on brownfields or underutilized commercial or institutional land, or as part of a transit-oriented development opportunity; and the adaptive re-use of existing structures not currently used for housing purposes. Applications must be consistent with the Commonwealth's Sustainable Development Principles.

Communities may apply to DHCD for PDF Planning Assistance of up to $15,000. The amount of PDF funds awarded will be commensurate with the anticipated impact of the proposed activities on housing production. DHCD and MassHousing reserve the right to designate certain proposals as “Initiatives of Exceptional Merit,” and increase the amount of assistance and corresponding scope of services for such projects.