December 13, 2023 – BOSTON – Nine projects in the greater Boston region have received more than $300,000 to advance local climate change resilience, thanks to a new round of "Accelerating Climate Resilience” grant funding announced this week. Municipalities will implement strategies that protect people, places, and communities from the impacts of climate change.

The one-year grants range in size from $15,000 to $50,000 per project and are designed to facilitate long-term, innovative changes leading to greater readiness for climate change. In particular, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks to elevate projects that will advance climate equity, regional coordination, and social cohesion.

This is the fifth round of funding distributed through the program, part of a partnership between The Barr Foundation and MAPC. The following cities/towns were awarded grants for their projects:

• Acton: “Greening the Red House: A Living Example of Community and Climate Resilience” – $37,600
• Boston: “Building Climate Resilience Through Immersive Education and Training” – $45,000
• Braintree: “Watson Park Stormwater Retrofits” – $20,000
• Cambridge: “Community Center Resilience Hub Solar Panels” – $50,000
• Chelsea: “Urban Garden and Green Roof Design Pilot” – $15,000
• Hopkinton: “HopPlanning for Climate” – $35,000
• Hull: “Cadish Avenue Resilience Project” – $50,000
• Ipswich: “Leveraging Rainwater Harvesting to Promote Accessible Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies” – $33,000
• Wayland, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Weston: “Empowering Climate Resilience for Aging Residents” – $44,000

“Once again, we were extremely impressed by the number of projects submitted and our municipalities’ commitment to addressing and advancing climate resilience,” said MAPC Deputy Executive Director Lizzi Weyant. “Our cities and towns have carefully considered their vulnerable populations, focusing their proposals on seniors, residents living in flood-prone neighborhoods, and those who live in affordable housing. We were especially glad to see that many of these projects also involve close relationships with local nonprofits, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to achieve our shared goals.”

Full project descriptions, timelines, and local partners can be found at https://www.mapc.org/accelerating-resiliency. Grant recipients will also participate in MAPC’s Resilience Community of Practice, a peer-to-peer learning group that will bring together grantees regularly to discuss challenges and barriers to implementation, and share lessons learned for collective problem-solving.