CEDAC staff attended an event on May 7th at the Worcester YWCA, where Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced that the Baker-Polito Administration is awarding funding for the production and preservation of 147 new units of supportive housing in communities across Massachusetts. Lt. Governor Polito was joined by State Senators Harriette Chandler and Michael O. Moore, City Manag...

In late February, CEDAC attended the Baker-Polito Administration’s announcement of funding awards for nine projects that will support the creation of over 600 new rental units across the state, including nearly 400 units of affordable housing.  The administration has invested over $45 million directly and allocated over $22 million in state and federal low-income housin...

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Mel King, legendary community activist and former state representative, invoked this phrase as he concluded his remarks at our 40th anniversary celebration on March 14th.  And Mel did not just speak these words, but rather inspired the audience to chant them together with him.  This phrase sums up his philosophy on community develo...

The Facilities Consolidation Fund (FCF) is an important capital program that provides funding to build supportive housing for persons with chronic mental illness or developmental disabilities.   This program is managed through interagency collaboration among the Departments of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Mental Health (DMH), Developmental Services (DDS), an...

The Department of Mental Health (DMH) embraces a community-based approach to treatment and recovery from mental illness, which focuses on the question of how individuals can have more active control over their lives and thrive in their respective communities. DMH’s mission “assures and provides access to services and supports to meet the mental health needs of individu...

Massachusetts is fortunate in that over the last several decades, the Commonwealth has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to community development in a bipartisan way. On Thursday, May 31st, we saw the most recent example of this support when Governor Charlie Baker signed the $1.8 billion Housing Bond Bill into law. The bill will allow for new capital spending on affor...

In February, Roger Herzog described CEDAC’s long history of supporting our non-profit partners as they produce and preserve supportive housing units through three distinct capital programs, including the Facilities Consolidation Fund (FCF). FCF was created in response to an advocate-driven effort to close institutions serving Department of Mental Health (DMH) or Departme...