Truro Receives $1.2 Million MassWorks Award from Baker-Polito Admin.

Press Release

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $1.2 Million MassWorks Infrastructure Award for Truro

Grant will fund water infrastructure for the Cloverleaf area, supporting mixed income housing in North Truro

Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito

TRURO — Today, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy, and Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Janelle Chan joined Truro Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer and other local leaders to announce a MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant of $1.2 million to extend water to Truro’s 3.9-acre Cloverleaf parcel. The project will support a 40B housing project at that site, and unlock $14.2 million in private investment. 

Though originally slated for eight units of housing, by extending the municipal water line 1,500 feet, the Cloverleaf site will accommodate 42 units of new rental housing, better addressing Truro’s severe need for affordable housing. The project will be done in two phases. Phase 1 will leverage a MassHousing Planning for Housing Production grant to bring the water line to the site. Phase 2 will occur during housing construction and includes connecting the units to the new water line.  

“MassWorks is a valuable program that maximizes return on investment for capital funding, delivering vital infrastructure repairs that improve public safety while stimulating local and private development, job growth and housing production,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We will continue to collaborate closely with local leaders to identify opportunities and target public resources toward the growth and wellbeing of communities across the Commonwealth.” 

“As former municipal leaders, Governor Baker and I know firsthand the value of flexible grant programs like MassWorks, which help communities make targeted enhancements and provide opportunities for economic development,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Today’s award will fast track water lines and accelerate much needed local housing growth in Truro.” 

“This administration recognizes the importance of reliable, modern infrastructure to the safety and success of communities of all sizes,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “We are proud of the improvements to public safety, thousands of new jobs and housing units, and millions of square feet of new commercial space that the MassWorks program has delivered for residents, and we look forward to continuing to leverage every tool at our disposal to ensure all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts continue to thrive.” 

“This award actualizes Truro’s grant from MassHousing’s Planning for Housing Production Program and will support necessary infrastructure improvements to advance the creation of 42 new, mixed-income housing units,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Janelle Chan. “Truro’s success at layering multiple state resources has been critical to this project, and is a credit to the town’s commitment to supporting new housing development in the region.” 

The Cloverleaf site was formerly a surplus MassDOT parcel and was deeded to the town for affordable housing purposes as part of Governor Baker’s Open for Business Initiative. The land was officially transferred in September 2017. 

“From the beginning, the Baker-Polito Administration’s support for the Cloverleaf project has truly exemplified its commitment to partnering with local communities, and made it possible to address the extreme lack of housing faced by Truro and its neighbors,” said Truro Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer. “This MassWorks Infrastructure grant makes it possible to take the development from 8 to 40 units by expanding the existing municipal waterline, which will have a dramatic impact on our current housing stock and on the availability of workforce housing, benefitting the local and regional economy. We are grateful for this grant award and for the partnership of the State as we face the regional housing crisis head on through this project.” 

“The MassWorks grant announced today is a game changer on housing for the smallest town on Cape Cod,” said Senator Julian Cyr. “I thank Lieutenant Governor Polito and Secretary Kennealy for this investment in critical municipal water infrastructure; the grant will significantly expand the capacity of the Truro Cloverleaf housing project to 42 year-round rental units. This builds on prior state investment through the Baker-Polito Administration’s ‘Open for Business’ program, which made the land available. These 42 units will make a substantial and meaningful difference for my hometown.” 

“This MassWorks grant award for the Cloverleaf Project in Truro will make a positive difference in the lives of Outer Cape families. Because municipal water can now be brought to the property, more units can be built and most importantly, more families will be able to call Truro home. This is a game changer. I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration for their support of this project, beginning with the transfer of the land from MassDOT to the Town and now with this grant award,” said Representative Sarah Peake.

“MassHousing is proud to support the Governor’s Housing Choice Initiative, by partnering with municipalities to build local capacity, implement local planning efforts, and achieve new housing production,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “Truro has shown real leadership in identifying a vacant site for new affordable housing, and then working to maximize the development potential of the Cloverleaf site. We congratulate them on reaching this important milestone.” 

“Providing assistance to communities is our legacy,” said Clark Ziegler, MHP’s executive director. “Since 1985, we have provided support and technical assistance to over 300 cities and towns. In this work, Truro has always stood out, from providing homeownership opportunities through Habitat for Humanity to its vision for Sally’s Way, which is just north of the Cloverleaf proposal. Sally’s Way includes a library, a senior center and 16 mixed-income apartments around a shared septic system, which is a testimony to the town’s vision and master planning. We provided technical assistance and financing for Sally’s Way and are excited to be back to support and celebrate the town’s latest effort to provide year-round affordable housing for families and workers.” 

Through the 2019 MassWorks round, the Baker-Polito Administration will award more than $72 million in MassWorks awards to a diverse mix of 36 projects in 35 communities across the Commonwealth, including nine Gateway Cities and eight communities that will receive MassWorks funding for the first time. The awards will unlock a total of $2.3 billion in private investment and 4,635 new full-time jobs, along with more than 3,100 new housing units, 1,167 of which are affordable, building on the Administration’s efforts to tackle the ongoing housing shortage through complementary programs like historic funding for affordable housing and the proposed Housing Choice legislation. The transformative projects funded by the 2019 awards were selected from 92 applications, totaling $223 million in requests. 

Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded more than $383 million in MassWorks grants to support 183 shovel-ready projects in 128 communities. MassWorks funding has made possible the addition and preservation of more than 2 million square feet of commercial/retail space, 29,000 jobs, and 11,000 housing units, while leveraging about $6.9 billion in private investment.  

Governor Baker signed economic development legislation in August 2018 that included substantial new funding for municipalities, including another $250 million for MassWorks awards. The legislation built on the Baker-Polito Administration’s work to partner with communities to catalyze economic development and create new opportunities for residents across the Commonwealth, including the 2016 Job Creation and Workforce Development act, which authorized $1 billion to support economic development efforts across the state, including a $500 million authorization for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, enhanced tools and the introduction of new strategies for job-readiness efforts.  

Learn more about MassWorks at Mass.gov. 

###