MRPC to file housing rehab grant application for Westminster
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Montachusett Regional Planning Authority is teaming Westminster up with Lancaster, Shirley and Harvard to apply for a Community Development Block Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Shelly Hatch, of MRPC, spoke with Selectmen on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the board's regular meeting. This is the second time the town has applied for a grant, but it was denied two years ago.

The grant could be as high as $1.2 million spilt among the four towns.

The grant would pay for housing rehabilitation projects, which would be geared to help health and safety code violations, Hatch said.

The grant would also fund a community project, which would be a program on how to avoid mortgage foreclosures, in each of the four towns applying for the grant.

The grant requires a Community Development Strategy to be developed for each of the four towns applying as part of the grant application. Fairbanks asked how much work it would be to get the Community Development Strategy completed.

"MRPC helps a lot with it, we just don't know your town," Hatch said.

A draft strategy has been completed based off the one written a couple of years ago, but, Hatch said, it needs to be updated. A community forum will also be held to discuss the development strategy. The forum must be held before Dec. 15, which is two months before the grant application must be submitted.