BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick on Thursday awarded $40.4 million in grants, including $16.5 million for Western Massachusetts, for improving public housing, providing social services and upgrading roads. The governor unveiled federal Community Development Block Grants for communities with populations of 50,000 or less.
Patrick said $31 million came from annual block grant financing and another $9 million from federal stimulus dollars. "By leveraging state and federal recovery funds, we can continue to move our economy forward, put more individuals back to work and fund more projects now and in the future," Patrick said.
The stimulus dollars will go to communities for projects that were turned down for funds last year... The state receives a pot of federal money and then apportions it to cities and towns, which compete for grants.
Amherst, Chester, Greenfield, South Hadley, Ware and West Springfield are among the Western Massachusetts communities that received grants. According to the state, 88 communities applied for grants and 75 received them...
South Hadley netted $800,000 to upgrade two housing units, design a senior center and improve Canal Street...
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