Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Over $3 Million in Grants to Help Communities Prepare for Extreme Weather

Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced over $3 million through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning 2.0 (MVP 2.0) grant program to help local communities take concrete steps to prepare for climate change. Twenty-one municipalities and three regional groups representing 11 additional municipalities are included in this round of grantees. These planning grants will support communities in updating local climate resilience plans and move immediately from planning to action, by funding on-the-ground projects that protect neighborhoods from flash floods, keep residents safer during heatwaves, and ensure reliable water supplies during drought. 

“Every city and town is already planning ahead to address extreme weather, and we want to give them the support they need to protect their residents and their infrastructure,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This program ensures that no community is left behind as we prepare for today’s challenges and those ahead.”

“Our communities know their unique climate challenges. MVP 2.0 empowers them to shape solutions that work for them – especially their most vulnerable,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re committed to making the process more inclusive and collaborative every step of the way.”

Nearly every municipality—about 99 percent, or 349 communities— are currently enrolled in this grant program after completing the initial planning grant process. MVP Planning 2.0 grants help cities and towns update their climate resilience plans, prioritize the needs of residents facing the greatest risks, and launch pilot projects. Due to the increased demand and strong track record, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is seeking to double funding for the MVP program to $315 million in the proposed Mass Ready Act. The bill also allows nonprofits to apply for grants and partner with cities and towns on high-impact local projects.

“Our cities and towns are dealing with climate change head-on – flooded streets that cut off neighborhoods, beaches disappearing to rising tides, and scorching days that put our students and seniors at risk,” said Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “That’s why the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program matters. We partner with communities to build stronger roads, restore wetlands, plant shade trees, and make sure everyone has a voice in shaping a safer future.”

“As climate change forces us to face heat, drought, flooding, and uncertainty, MVP 2.0 grants deliver meaningful financial resources to help our communities build resiliency,” said State Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. “These funds will enhance Dover’s efforts to develop an inclusive, community-driven plan to protect its residents from extreme weather. Thank you to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, and Secretary Tepper for your steadfast support of our towns and cities as they bolster their climate defenses.” 

"The Town of Stow will use its new MVP 2.0 grant monies to update its Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness plan with an emphasis on weathering storms of greater intensity, mitigating drinking water contamination, and addressing issues of inequity. I'm pleased that this grant also enables towns to take action; Stow's town planners will use grant money to fund an as-yet-to-be-determined resiliency-strengthening project,” said State Representative Kate Hogan (D-Stow). “We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Executive office of Energy & Environmental Affairs for helping communities across the Commonwealth take action against the threat of climate change."

MVP Planning 2.0 guides communities to prioritize the needs of those most affected by climate change, ensuring their leadership in the planning process. Cities and towns will also receive training on best practices in climate resilience and equity, allowing them to rethink their current plans based on improved community participation in the process. Each selected community will also receive $50,000 in guaranteed funding to support projects that enhance their resilience to climate impacts.

Communities will continue to have access to an updated online resource called Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience (GEAR). This tool provides important information on how local climate issues relate to community concerns like housing and health.

The municipalities receiving grants will work with experts in climate resilience and will have an Equity Partner to help keep equity at the forefront of their plans and projects. They will form a team of community liaisons with strong ties to the populations most affected by climate change.

MVP is a priority program of ResilientMass, the statewide program to reduce risk and strengthen communities in the face of climate change impacts.

The following communities will receive funding to complete MVP Planning 2.0:

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