Gateway Cities are home to one out of four Massachusetts residents. In a future where we conserve land and reduce congestion with infill housing, they should be home to an even larger share of our population. Given this residential density, there is simply no way that Massachusetts meets its climate commitments without Gateway Cities in
Mass Broadband poised to help Gateway Cities win the future
The Gateway Cities Journal
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The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) issued a much-anticipated RFP for the Digital Equity Partnership Program last week. Drawing on resources from the state’s new Digital Equity Fund, the program will support a number of key strategies to close the digital divide, including: Digital literacy training programs to help residents build skills to use digital technologies;
State laws to blame for lack of minority contracting
Ben Forman featured in CommonWealth Magazine
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August 23, 2022 IN THE EARLY DAYS of the pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program offered a crucial lifeline for millions of suddenly desperate businesses. Yet as banks doled out nearly $1 trillion in PPP money, minority-owned businesses were at the back of the line. It was a glaring example of how even the most well-intentioned public
Bravo to Lesser and Driscoll!
The Gateway Cities Journal
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For the Gateway Cities movement, the race for Lt. Governor was by far the most notable among Tuesday’s primaries. While many believe the position has little import, the LG’s office has established itself as a meaningful envoy to Gateway Cities across the state in recent years. Both Lt. Gov. Murray and Lt. Gov. Polito spent
The Baker Administration’s Crowning Achievement
The Gateway Cities Journal
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Leaders on Beacon Hill continue to look for solutions to the stalled economic development package. Embedding the bill’s provision in a supplemental budget, which Governor Baker would take the lead in drafting, is one scenario floating around the State House. This approach has one major downside: supplemental budgets cannot contain bond authorizations. If this is
Our take on the end of the legislative session
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At the end of this extraordinary legislative session, the team at MassINC sends a note of gratitude to the many partners who contributed to our various efforts over the past year. This includes funders, who generously underwrite the research; civic leaders, who selflessly lend their time and expertise to inform our work; and most especially,
For the Good of the Commonwealth
The Gateway Cities Journal
Gateway City leaders awoke Monday morning to incredibly disheartening news: The legislature had failed to pass the economic development bill and its long-awaited increase in the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP). Session after session, the omnibus economic development bill has been the primary vehicle for economic policy in Massachusetts. Many interests are now waiting patiently
House and Senate move on HDIP, Lesser fighting for inclusive entrepreneurship provisions
The Gateway Cities Journal
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On Monday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee released its version of the biennial economic development bill. Similar to the bill passed unanimously by the House last week, S. 3018 contains provisions increasing the annual cap on the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) to $57 million for FY 2023 and $30 million each year thereafter.
50 Gateway City economic development leaders write to state legislators for HDIP
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50 Gateway City economic development leaders and developers sent a letter to state legislators calling for action to rescue the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), which is the only state program to address the unique development challenges of our small cities. Most significantly, rents remain comparatively low in most Gateway Cities compared to rising construction
22 Gateway City mayors and managers rally behind the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP)
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22 Gateway City mayors and managers weighed in with the House and Senate behind the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP). As MassINC research has shown, there is a six-year backlog of at least 41 projects totaling nearly 2,300 housing units and more than $700 million in total investment. Most Gateway Cities lack housing options for