Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The 2022 application for Housing Choice Community designation is now available online, with a deadline of March 7.
The Housing Choice Initiative rewards municipalities that have produced certain rates or amounts of new housing units in the last five years and that adopted best practices related to housing production that will sustain a 21st century workforce and increase access to opportunity for Massachusetts residents.
Communities that achieve the Housing Choice Community designation have exclusive access to apply for the Housing Choice Grant Program and receive bonus points or other considerations to certain state grant programs.
This year, a few notable changes are being implemented:
• Housing Choice grant cool-off period eliminated: The Department of Housing and Community Development is eliminating this grant requirement, so designated communities will no longer have to wait for one year after receiving a Housing Choice Grant — they will be eligible to apply in the immediately following grant period.
• Five-year designation: The Housing Choice Designation is extended from two to five years. Currently designated communities that received designation in 2020 and 2021 will not need to re-designate and will have their designations extended until 2025 and 2026, respectively. The DHCD has reached out to these communities to inform them of their designation extension.
• Designation start and end dates: All designations will start and end on the due date for designation applications. This will ensure that no designated community will lapse in designation until their re-designation application is submitted.
Grants offered through the Community One Stop for Growth, including the Housing Choice Grant Program, are also live.