Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Over $3 Million in Grants to Help Local Communities Tackle Climate Change

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Over $3 Million in Grants to Help Local Communities Tackle Climate Change 

Thirty-three municipalities receive funding to enhance climate resilience planning while prioritizing equity  

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced it’s awarding over $3 million through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning 2.0 (MVP 2.0) grant program to assist local communities in preparing for climate change. A total of 23 municipalities and three regional groups, representing another 10 municipalities, will benefit from these funds. The goal is to provide financial support and resources so that communities can create actionable strategies to address climate challenges.   

Nearly every municipality in Massachusetts – about 99 percent, or 349 communities – are currently enrolled in this grant program after completing the original MVP Planning Grant process. Additionally, 32 cities and towns and one Tribe are already updating their resilience plans in a pilot project awarded in 2023.  

"These grants are crucial because they empower communities to include voices that have often been overlooked in discussions about climate resilience,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This funding will help ensure that everyone can contribute to and benefit from climate action, making our response to climate change more equitable and effective.”  

“As a former mayor, I have seen firsthand how important the MVP program is for local efforts to climate change,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By collaborating, these cities and towns can share valuable insights and develop stronger strategies. This approach not only enhances their climate resilience but also fosters a sense of community and belonging for everyone involved.”  

MVP Planning 2.0 guides communities to prioritize the needs of those most affected by climate change, ensuring their voices are heard in the planning process. Cities and towns will also receive training on best practices in climate resilience and equity, allowing them to rethink their current plans based on what they learn from community input. Each of the selected communities will also get $50,000 in guaranteed funding to support projects that enhance their resilience against climate impacts.  

Communities will have access to a new online resource called Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience (GEAR). This tool provides important information on how local climate issues relate to everyday concerns like housing and health.  

The municipalities receiving grants will work with experts in climate resilience and will have an Equity Partner to help keep equity at the forefront of their plans. They will form a team of community liaisons who have strong ties to populations most affected by climate change.  

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has been collecting feedback from the 33 MVP 2.0 pilot communities to improve the program. This feedback has led to updates that enhance training on climate justice and bring more support for addressing community needs. Communities with older MVP plans had to apply for this round MVP Planning 2.0 to continue qualifying for future funding.  

“I am excited to award this round of MVP Planning 2.0, which will connect six seasoned Equity Partners with municipalities to ensure they receive focused support for effective, inclusive and community-driven resilience planning,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “MVP Planning 2.0 reinforces our commitment to environmental justice and drives meaningful impact through our grant initiatives.”  

“Climate change will bring extreme heat, severe storms, and increased flooding risk, and the Commonwealth and its communities need to be prepared,” said Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “Brookline has been carefully planning to build resilience against those impacts, particularly for its most vulnerable residents. This MVP 2.0 grant will bolster the town's efforts to translate its plans into action.”  

“Lexington has continued to lead the way in climate planning, and thanks to the funds provided in the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness 2.0 grant program, Lexington will be able to develop concrete action steps to respond and address the climate crisis with an emphasis on equity,” said State Representative Michelle Ciccolo (D-15th Middlesex).  

The following communities will receive funding to complete MVP Planning 2.0 in 2025-2027: 

Applicant	MVP Program Region	Total Award
Boston	Greater Boston	$75,000.00
Brookline	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Cambridge	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Canton	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Colrain & Charlemont	Berkshires & Hilltowns	$175,000.00
Conway & Ashfield	Berkshires & Hilltowns	$175,000.00
Devens Enterprise Commission	Central	$ 100,000.00
Duxbury	Southeast	$100,000.00
Holyoke	Greater Connecticut River Valley	$102,420.00
Lexington	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Martha's Vineyard Commission (on behalf of Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, & West Tisbury)	Southeast	$408,000.00
Melrose	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Natick	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
New Bedford	Southeast	$105,000.00
Newburyport	Northeast	$100,000.00
Pelham	Greater Connecticut River Valley	$100,000.00
Princeton	Central	$100,000.00
Salem	Northeast	$105,000.00
Scituate	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Sherborn	Greater Boston	$100,000.00
Spencer	Central	$100,000.00
Springfield	Greater Connecticut River Valley	$103,780.00
Swampscott	Northeast	$100,000.00
Swansea	Southeast	$100,000.00
Ware	Greater Connecticut River Valley	$100,000.00
Wrentham	Greater Boston	$ 100,000.00
Total (26)		Total: $3,049,200

  

MVP supports the implementation of the statewide ResilientMass Plan released in 2023, which provides a national model of integrating hazard mitigation priorities with forward-looking climate change data and solutions. The plan is implemented within state government by the ResilientMass Action Team (RMAT), an inter-agency team led by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and staffed by designated Climate Change Coordinators from each Executive Office. The ResilientMass Action Team provides guidance and decision-making for Plan implementation, further refines priority actions, and ensures actions are integrated into agency practice and policy.