Since it was first enacted in 2000, the Community Preservation Act has had a sizable impact on open space, housing, recreation and historic preservation throughout the Commonwealth. But it’s also been a victim of its own success, with increased participation putting a strain on the state's ability to match funds. -- Wicked Local article
Faced with municipal budget constraints that often leave little funding for non-essential services, nearly half the cities and towns in Massachusetts have adopted the Community Preservation Act, a 16-year-old state law that gives them access to matching funds for open space preservation, historic preservation, affordable housing and outdoor recreation projects. More than 9,400 units of affordable housing have been supported or created according to the article released June 20.
But the law hasn't been without its glitches. From 2002-07, the state matched local CPA funds 100 percent. But following the collapse of the housing market, cities and towns got matches equal to less than 68 percent of their locally raised funds in 2008. Since then, It’s been higher than 35 percent just once in the past seven years. Legislative changes enacted since 2012 have addressed some of these issues and advocates are pushing for more changes.
POAH's Aaron Gornstein is a longtime CPA supporter in his roles as executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Association and then as undersecretary for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and now as POAH President. "It’s flexible funding to meet local housing needs,” he said. “It helps communities tailor housing solutions to fit their needs.”
read the article http://weymouth.wickedlocal.com/news/20160620/special-report-preserving-...