Somerville Community Preservation Act Program Seeks Resident Input and Applicants for FY27 Project Funding

Have you strolled through Ken Kelly Park, ridden the elevator at West Branch Library, or heard about the Clarendon Hill redevelopment project? These are just a few examples of projects come to life with the help of Somerville’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) program, which provides $7 million in funding each year to support open space, recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects. 

With Fiscal Year 2027 approaching, the Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is once again inviting residents to help shape the next round of CPA-funded projects. Here are two ways to give feedback: 

• Complete the CPA survey online at bit.ly/cpasurvey2026 to share your thoughts on how CPA funds should be allocated. CPA survey closes Friday, April 3.
• Attend the CPA virtual public hearing to learn about survey results, areas of opportunity, and to share your input.
• Wednesday, April 22, 6 p.m. 

Meeting registration is required. To register, visit bit.ly/cpahearing2026 

How to Apply for CPA Funds 

Have a project idea? Applicants with proposals for housing projects or programs should contact the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust (somervillema.gov/sahtf). To apply for funding for open space, recreation, or historic preservation projects, follow the three steps below: 

1. Start by submitting a project idea through the CPA Screening Form. City staff will follow up with next steps and can provide application guidance as needed.
2. Next, all applicants are required to complete the Eligibility Determination Form to confirm a project is eligible to receive CPA funds. This form is due May 15, 2026.
3. Once deemed eligible, the CPA Project Manager will invite applicants to complete a Full Application, due July 15, 2026. 

All forms mentioned above can be found at somervillema.gov/cpa. For all application deadlines and complete instructions, visit bit.ly/cpa_instructions. Grant recipients are expected to be announced by December 2026.  

Fiscal Year 2026 CPA Grant Recipients 

In FY26, the Community Preservation Commission (CPC) has awarded $5,235,583 so far to projects that will create affordable housing, improve City buildings and parks, and rehabilitate and preserve valuable community assets. Recipients include: 

• City of Somerville Kennedy Schoolyard Construction Project: $3,000,000  

After receiving strong public support, this grant will fund construction of a new accessible playground at the Kennedy School located at Sartwell and Cherry. This project will implement a design developed in collaboration with the Kennedy School staff, parent groups, and the local community. It is anticipated that the new layout will incorporate space for active recreation, elements to facilitate less structured play, age-appropriate play structures, new tree plantings, green spaces, outdoor classrooms, and quiet areas for student social interaction. The grant includes $1M of current revenue and $2M which will be a CPA bond.

• Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund: $2,630,071 (with $1.2M more pending) 

The FY26 Housing allocation was transferred to the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund. SAHT awards grants to nonprofit organizations for affordable housing creation as well as housing stabilization programs. In FY26, the CPC voted to increase the proportion of spending for affordable housing to 55% of annual revenue. After adjustments to the available budget, an additional tranche of $1,167,395 is under consideration to be awarded to SAHT, pending approval. 

• Somerville Hispanic Association for Community Development: $480,000  

This grant will continue preservation of the historic Grace Baptist Church at 59 Cross Street, in which this nonprofit’s programs are housed. The FY26 grant will substantially complete the weatherproofing and stabilization of the building’s exterior, including window restoration, gutters, and repointing of masonry. 

• Elizabeth Peabody House: $420,566  

This grant will structurally reinforce this nonprofit’s historic building located at 277 Broadway. As the building’s second floor lacks adequate load-bearing capacity by current building standards, the CPA project will enable the building to be shored up and used for its intended purpose as a community gathering space, enabling Elizabeth Peabody House  to expand its community programs. 

• City of Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services: $306,250  

This grant will help restore the Veterans Memorial Cemetery and veteran’s monuments located throughout the city, implementing the recommendations of a preservation conservator who prepared a treatment plan for the appropriate preservation and restoration of monuments that honor Somerville residents who have served the country over many wars. 

• Vida Real: $150,000  

Vida Real Church, located at 404 Broadway, will undertake the first phase of recommendations provided by a historic preservation architect who prepared a condition assessment and treatment plan to preserve and restore the building’s exterior envelope. The focus of this phase will be restoration of doors and stained-glass windows that have no religious imagery, identified as the highest priority tasks to protect the structure from deterioration. 

• Blessing of the Bay Linear Path improvements: $124,331  

This grant closes a funding gap to initiate construction of Linear Path improvements that will expand recreational opportunities and open space at Blessing of the Bay Park by creating a grade-separated, shared use community path and shade tree buffer. The project will provide an additional 0.61 acres of open space reclaimed from a road right-of-way, add a community path, and address heat island issues through the addition of trees and green infrastructure. 

• Buddy’s Diner: $74,365  

The project will stabilize and preserve a beloved historic resource in Somerville, Buddy’s Diner, a 1929 Worcester Lunch Car located at 113 Washington Street. Buddy’s has occupied this location since 1951 and served as a landmark of Somerville’s working-class heritage and architectural history. CPA funds will be used to repair damage caused when utility work in front of the site crushed the sewer pipes forcing the business to close. It will also support consultation with a historic preservation architect to identify the steps needed to restore the historic structure. 

• Somerville Housing Authority: $50,000  

This grant will make improvements to the open spaces at the Mystic River/View public housing development to benefit adults and children living in the community. CPA funds will be used to initiate a three-phase project: 1) to replace an underutilized community garden site with scattered raised community garden beds, 2) make improvements to the basketball court and surrounding site, and 3) make upgrades to playground areas. 

In addition, funding decisions are still pending for grants to the Somerville Museum for preservation of artifacts in its collection, and also for a contribution to the City’s Open Space Acquisition Fund. 

For more information and to access CPA forms and the application, visit somervillema.gov/cpa. 

For any questions on CPA, contact Roberta Cameron, Community Preservation Act Manager, at rcameron@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311). 

 

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The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311) at least 7 days in advance of these events.