Governor Maura Healey Awards $17.9 Million to Improve Community Health Across Massachusetts

Governor Maura Healey Awards $17.9 Million to Improve Community Health Across Massachusetts 

 Funding for 31 communities and organizations will expand access to healthy food, housing, behavioral health resources and supports for older adults

BOSTON- Governor Maura Healey today announced $17.9 million in grants to 31 community organizations, cities, towns and regional planning commissions to improve health and help people live healthier lives across Massachusetts.

The funding will support locally driven efforts focused on issues including access to healthy food and housing, behavioral health, healthy aging and other factors that have a direct impact on the health and well-being of residents.

“Where you live, whether you can afford healthy food and housing, and whether you can get the support you need all have an impact on your health,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These investments put resources directly into communities to tackle those challenges and help people live healthier lives. We’re proud to support local organizations that know their communities best and are doing this work every day.”

“Some of the best ideas for improving people’s health come directly from the communities we serve,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants give local leaders and organizations the resources to turn those ideas into action — from making healthy food and housing more accessible to helping older adults stay healthy and independent in their communities.”

This represents the fourth round of funding awarded through the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds (The Funds). The grants will be distributed over three to five years among the 31 awardees. Since its launch in 2020, The Funds has invested $63 million in community health initiatives statewide through 113 organizations and communities. These initiatives support locally driven efforts to create healthier communities and expand opportunities for people of all ages to live healthy lives.  

The Funds are a collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE), and Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA), which serves as the fiscal agent and facilitates the planning and implementation of the investments.

“The strongest solutions come from the people who know their communities best, and these investments will help transform that knowledge into action,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “This funding will mean healthier places to live, work, and age, and it will enable people to access the resources and opportunities they need to be healthy – and to stay healthy.  When we listen to and lift up the voices of people who live in these communities, we can build something that is more meaningful, more equitable, and more lasting.” 

“These partners bring fresh ideas and strong community connections that will help expand healthy aging practices across the Commonwealth,” said Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson. “We look forward to seeing their work take shape and to the meaningful impact these initiatives will have in supporting older adults to live well, age well, and thrive in their communities.”

The goal of The Funds is to provide grantmaking and capacity-building resources in partnership with communities to identify inequities, address the impact of structural and institutional racism on population health, and create long-term, meaningful changes in health outcomes.

The 31 awardees will advance work in three areas:

• Building healthier communities by advancing community-driven policies, systems and environments that make it easier for residents to lead healthy lives;
• Coordinating community health improvement planning by bringing local partners together to identify health priorities and develop solutions; and
• Supporting healthy aging through age-friendly policies, systems and community supports that help older adults live safely and independently.

The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds were established in 2017 following revisions to the Department of Public Health’s Determination of Need regulations. The Funds are supported by contributions from hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care entities through the Determination of Need Community Health Initiative. 

Previous investments have supported projects including affordable housing and green space, efforts to improve behavioral health access for immigrant, refugee and culturally diverse communities, and a community-driven food hub in Springfield. 

Round 4 grant awardees:

Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) Grant

• Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (Worcester County, $600,000) 
• Collaborative Resolutions Group (Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, $1,000,000) 
• Franklin County Community Development Corporation (Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, $994,290) 
• Harborlight Community Partners (Essex County, $752,886) 
• Latino Support Network (Essex County, $999,999)
• Massachusetts Food System Collaborative (statewide, $999,948) 
• Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance (statewide, $992,172) 
• Massachusetts Public Health Association (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, $1,000,000) 
• Merrimack Valley Project (Essex and Middlesex counties, $1,000,000)
• Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund (Essex, Hampden, and Worcester counties, $840,000)
• Old Colony Planning Council (Plymouth County, $525,000) 
• South Asian Workers' Center, Boston (Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties, $999,947)
• The Marion Institute, Inc. (Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties, $997,363)
• Worcester Rise for Health (Worcester County, $1,000,000)
• Groundwork Southcoast (Bristol County, $100,000) 
• Luminosity Behavioral Health Services, Inc. (Plymouth County, $100,000)

Healthy Aging Grant

• Health Care for All (Bristol, Essex, Hampden, and Suffolk counties, $500,000) 
• MAB Community Services, Inc./MA Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties, $400,000)
• Nuestras Raíces, Inc. (Hampden County, $499,953) 
• United Way of Franklin and Hampshire Region (Franklin County, $472,845) 
• Friends of Indian Senior Citizens Organization, Inc. (Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester counties, $100,000)
  
  

Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) Grant 

• Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (Berkshire County, $375,000) 
• City of New Bedford Health Department (Bristol County, $375,000) 
• Collaborative for Educational Services (Hampshire County, $375,000) 
• Community Health Network for North Central Mass (Middlesex and Worcester counties, $375,000)
• Greater Lowell Health Alliance (Middlesex County, $375,000)
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (Hampden County, $374,736) 
• Town of Ware (Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties, $375,000) 
• Worcester Community Action Council (Worcester County, $375,000) 
• The Food Project (Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties, $100,000)
• IFSI-USA Immigrant Family Services Institute (Plymouth County, $100,000)