Administration announces opening of Community One Stop for Growth

At the MMA’s Connect 351 conference yesterday, Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced the launch of the fiscal 2026 application for Community One Stop for Growth, an application portal that provides access for municipalities and organizations to 12 state economic development grant programs.

Programs in the One Stop offer direct funding and support to housing and economic development projects related to placemaking, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, and infrastructure.

Healey said the Community One Stop grant funds “spur economic growth, boost housing production, add jobs and revitalize downtowns across Massachusetts.”

Driscoll said Community One Stop “supports the economic development goals of cities and towns while empowering them to pursue their vision for growth.”

Community One Stop offers a streamlined process for communities, organizations, and developers to access a range of economic development grants and technical assistance across multiple agencies. One Stop grant programs are administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and the quasi-public MassDevelopment agency.

Municipalities and organizations wishing to apply for funding through the One Stop may begin by participating in an optional Expression of Interest process that opened yesterday and runs through March 26. During this time, applicants may receive guidance on priority projects from EOED staff before submitting a full application.

Applicants may begin working on their applications now in the application portal; the EOED will accept full application submissions from May 5 through June 4, with awards announced in the fall.

Grant programs accessible through Community One Stop include the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative, the Rural Development Fund, the Housing Choice Grant Program, the Community Planning Grant Program, the HousingWorks Infrastructure Program, the Underutilized Properties Program, the Site Readiness Program, the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, and the Real Estate Services Technical Assistance.

This year, Community One Stop is adding two existing state economic development programs to the portal: the Vacant Storefront Program and the Transformative Development Initiative Equity Investment Program.

The Vacant Storefront Program, administered by the EOED, offers municipalities access to up to $50,000 of refundable tax credits they can use to incentivize businesses to occupy vacant storefronts in downtown and commercial areas.

The TDI Equity Investment Program, administered by MassDevelopment, provides grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 to revive commercial spaces in and around designated TDI Districts in Gateway Cities.

The EOED’s Urban Agenda Program will not be offered through the One Stop this year, but will be offered through a new online portal opening this spring. The administration said the change will allow for greater flexibility and benefits for prospective grantees.

In another change this year, the Collaborative Workspaces Program will be paused for the fiscal 2026 One Stop application round; applicants are encouraged to apply to the Underutilized Properties Program instead when applicable.

Since its launch in 2021, the One Stop has given nearly 1,200 awards totaling more than $564 million in grant funds to 284 communities, including $170 million to Gateway Cities and $133 million to rural and small towns. Of the projects awarded to date, 30% are located in a rural or small town, 47% are located in a Housing Choice Community, 54% are located in an MBTA Community, and 32% are located in a Gateway City.

For more information and application details, visit www.mass.gov/onestop.