There's not much time: reach out to your Senator before debate begins next week to encourage them to sign on!

DLTA is critical to supporting municipal needs in our region and across the Commonwealth. This funding helps cities and towns throughout the state expand what they can do, enabling them to take on projects they don’t have the capacity to complete on their own.  

At least half of Massachusetts communities don’t have professional planners to help shape their future economic development, transportation, housing, green spaces, and town facilities. Thirteen regional planning agencies (RPAs) in Massachusetts help the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns with these essential tasks, providing technical assistance on everything from updating stormwater guidelines to managing data to preparing economic development plans.  

Planning assistance funds have taken on heightened importance during the current crisis. The 13 RPAs in Massachusetts started nearly 100 projects in the first month of the outbreak, and have taken on more since then. These included everything from PPE distribution to creating unemployment and small business rapid response plans to coordinating meal access for families and first responders.

The technical assistance work of most of these RPAs is funded almost entirely by DLTA: without the $3 million in DLTA funding split between the 13 agencies, many of them won’t be able to continue providing this level of support to cities and towns. 

Your voice is essential: let your Senator know that this funding is vital.