Formula Funding Program

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (formerly DHCD) initiated a Formula Funding (FF) Program to ensure that capital funds awarded to state-aided public housing are distributed in an equitable, transparent and predictable manner.

Program Information

LHAs can count on receiving a multi-year award of Formula Funding order to plan for and use capital projects that combine local resources and expertise with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities' (EOHLC) technical and project management assistance to meet their most urgent building preservation needs.

Each LHA's Formula Funding award is a proportional needs-based share of EOHLC's capital funding as determined by the state-wide Capital Planning System (CPS) inventory of expired building and site components.

Eligible Recipients

Using funds authorized by the Massachusetts Legislature, EOHLC will award Formula Funding to LHAs organized under MGL Chapter 121B that own and operate eligible units under the c.200, c.667, c.705, c.689, and c.167 housing programs.

LHAs with state-aided public housing which is funded under the Section 8 New Construction/Substantial Rehabilitation Program will not receive Formula Funding for those units and instead must fund capital needs through dedicated project-based Section 8 reserves.

Eligible Activities

To spend Formula Funding, LHAs must have a EOHLC-approved Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that prioritizes three years of capital projects. 

Each LHA updates its CIP shortly after submitting its annual Operating Budget. By preparing the CIP and Operating budget in tandem, the LHA can comprehensively address the use of capital, operating and maintenance resources for its state-aided portfolio. 

In their CIP, LHAs will:

• Prioritize such projects beginning with those that address core capital components and important health and safety needs.
• LHAs will also be encouraged to invest in technical innovations such as projects that generate water and energy savings.
• LHAs are encouraged to seek additional resources to help fund their CIP such as local Community Preservation Act funds and/or federal or private resources.

EOHLC will begin accepting LHA's CIP submissions on a rolling basis in 2010. In subsequent years, CIP updates and amendments must be submitted together with an LHA's annual operating budget so that they can conduct planning for use of capital, operating and maintenance resources to manage its entire state-aided public housing portfolio as a whole.

In addition to Formula Funding, EOHLC will sometimes make available funds on a competitive basis to LHAs for:

• sustainability investments
• mixed-finance and high leverage projects
• other special projects and programs as funding permits. 

The availability of such funds and the corresponding program guidelines will be announced through public housing notices as well as posted on EOHLC's website.

Additional Formula Funding Program Information

Massachusetts State-Aided Public Housing Preservation and Modernization Program Guidelines

LHA Administrative and Overhead Expenses Guidelines (revision 1/03/2022)

Accelerated Independent Modernization and Management  (AIMM) (revision 11/03/2016)

Scope of Services $25K - $100K in Construction for AIMM Authorities (revised 12/8/2016)