Community Preservation Act

Overview

Community Preservation Act Improving the Quality of Life in Somerville

Adopted in 2012, the Community Preservation Act (CPA, M.G.L. c. 44B) enables Somerville to fund improvements related to affordable housing, historic preservation, open space, and outdoor recreation. The public is welcome to apply for this community resource as well as influence how the funds should be spent. An annual application process is managed by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for historic resources and open space/outdoor recreation projects. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund manages the process for awarding affordable housing applications.

The ordinance governing the CPC is available here.

Community Preservation Committee

Committee Members

• Heather Heimarck, Chair - General Public Representative
• Rose White, Vice-chair - General Public Representative
• Jahan Habib - Planning Board Representative
• Jon Bronenkant - Public Spaces and Urban Forestry Division Representative
• Joe Capuano  - Housing Authority Representative
• Ryan Kiracofe - General Public Representative
• Eric Parkes - Historic Preservation Commission Representative 
• David Turin - Conservation Commission Representative
• Laura Beresky - General Public Representative

Composition of the CPC is defined by local ordinance and state law. All members can serve up to two consecutive 3-year terms, and General Public representatives are appointed by the Mayor with City Council approval. The key duties of the Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) are to:

• Develop and maintain a Community Preservation Plan, which establishes the Committee's priorities for recommending projects to the City Council to receive the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding. The Committee's FY23 Community Preservation Plan is available here. 
• Prepare an annual budget for the City Council, which establishes how the Committee intends to allocate annual CPA revenue.
• Make project recommendations to the City Council. CPA funds can only be spent upon recommendation by the CPC and then approval by City Council. The CPC oversees an application process and deliberates on funding allocations that align with the Community Preservation Plan.

Apply for CPA Funding

¿Quiere aprender sobre el proceso de aplicación en el español? Mira una entrevista sobre el programa aquí.

For information about how to apply for CPA funds for historic preservation or open space and recreation, please see the FY24 Application Instructions.

• Intent Form for non-City applicants. May be submitted any time throughout the year to receive application support, but intent forms must be submitted by June 2 for projects requiring City partnership.
• Eligibility Determination Form required for all applicants, due July 14.
• Full Applications required for all applicants, due September 15.
   

Affordable Housing Projects

Applicants with proposals for housing projects or programs should contact the Affordable Housing Trust. The CPC has empowered the Trust to serve as the affordable housing arm of the Committee, so the Trust will receive and evaluate applications for CPA-eligible affordable housing projects and programs. Please contact Paul Goldstein at pgoldstein@somervillema.gov with questions.

CPA Results

To date, $37 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, including over $6 million in state match funds, have been awarded to projects across all of Somerville’s seven wards. Learn about these projects below.
 

Document Library
 

Meeting Packets

Community Preservation Plans and Reports

CPA Project Applications

Application Instructions