The Governor, joined by local elected officials, made the announcement at the Whittier Drive Community Center in Everett, a recipient of funding under today’s award. In total, the Everett Housing Authority (EHA) will receive $2,060,470 in federal stimulus funds to replace out-dated heating systems at its Russell Street and Duncan Road family developments.

“This investment will help us to strengthen communities, save money and put people back to work. Most importantly, it will allow us to improve the quality of life for residents across the Commonwealth by giving them a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Governor Patrick.

“These funds will support our administration’s efforts to improve public housing facilities so we can continue to transition low-income individuals and families into quality, affordable, and permanent housing options,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Chair of the state’s Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness.

Today’s announcement is part of $25 million set aside for public housing energy upgrades out of $122 million in stimulus funds allotted to Massachusetts last fall for weatherization services to low-income homes. Those American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds come to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program and are administered for DHCD by a statewide network of local non-profit agencies. Prior to today’s announcement, DHCD had awarded nearly $10 million in stimulus funds for energy upgrades to 20 public housing authorities across the Commonwealth.

DOE program requirements call for the $25 million in public housing funds to be used for weatherization of housing where tenants pay for their own heat and earn under 60% of area median income. The balance of program funds will provide eligible private households with full-scale home energy conservation services. In total, it is estimated that the entire $122 million will be used to weatherize an estimated 17,000 homes over the next two years.

Weatherization improvements can include air sealing and weather stripping; repairs or replacement of expired heating systems; attic, wall and floor insulation; and storm or replacement windows.

Today’s awards are:

Housing Authority Award, Amount and Location

•Everett: $2,060,470; Russell Street & Duncan Road
•Millbury: $156,030; Memorial Drive/West Main/Rivilin Street
•Nahant: $66,715: Family Housing Development (Window replacement)
•Northampton: $492,900; Hampshire Heights
•Natick: $515,160; Forest Green and scattered site housing
•Peabody: $454,075; Veteran’s Memorial Drive/ Goldberg Road
•Westborough: $88,065; Cedar Estates
•West Springfield: $660,730; Birch Park Circle
“Many of our public housing developments in Massachusetts are more than 50 years old and are in dire need of heating system and other energy efficiency upgrades,” said DHCD Undersecretary Tina Brooks. “This latest allocation of recovery funds will help us to further improve the condition of public housing in Massachusetts.”

“Making homes more energy efficient today means lower heating bills for years to come. This investment will help those hit hardest by the sluggish economy while improving public housing and creating jobs,” said Senator John Kerry.

“These vital Recovery Act funds will not only enhance the lives of public housing residents, they will also help reduce energy costs and create clean energy jobs,” said Congressman Edward Markey. “I am very pleased that these funds will help energy efficiency and other clean energy projects cross the finish line, ensuring that Massachusetts will remain at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, as we work to grow our economy and shrink our energy bills.”

“These weatherization grants will enable working families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The energy conservation resulting from these public housing energy upgrades will help the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, decrease the cost of energy for families in need, while creating sustainable jobs and improving the quality of our environment,” said Senator Marc Pacheco, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Federal Stimulus Oversight.

“The district that I represent along with many other districts around the state will be receiving these funds when the public housing authorities need it most. This funding will allow for the conservation of energy while lowering the cost of utility bills for families hit hardest by the recession,” said Representative David P. Linsky, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Federal Stimulus Oversight.

“This project will bring jobs and money to Everett, as well as improving housing in our city. I wish to thank the Governor and his staff for considering Everett for this project,” said Representative Stephen Stat Smith.

“I’m thrilled and thankful for Governor Patrick’s visit to Everett and his Administration’s commitment to the families living in our housing facilities. I personally know many of the residents living in our complexes and knowing their homes will have safe, energy efficient heating eases a lot of my concerns during the winter months. I appreciate the efforts of the Department of Housing and Community Development as well as our own Everett Housing Authority in recognizing and acting on our needs,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr.

Housing and economic development investments are critical components of Governor Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Plan, which combines state, federal and, where possible, private efforts to provide immediate and long-term relief and position the Commonwealth for recovery in the following ways:

•Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail projects that put people to work today and providing safety net services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an economic crisis;
•Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare workers for the jobs of the future and support clean energy, broadband and technology projects that cut costs while growing the economy; and
•Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and inaction.

“The PWED grant program provides our communities with infrastructure funding that spurs private investment and economic growth throughout our Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “This project in Lenox and others like it across the state demonstrate our commitment to regional equity, and promise to deliver long term economic benefits to cities and towns.”

This project will rehabilitate downtown Lenox infrastructure and revitalize the seven block area of Lenox Village. Project elements will include new sidewalks, new pocket parks, new gateways to downtown entrances and new lighting. This PWED project will support the nearby roadway reconstruction project along West Street (Route 183), the roadway that links the Village to Tanglewood. Improvements to West Street will include new sidewalks, new bicycle lanes and upgraded drainage. These two projects together are expected to create a much-improved gateway for Lenox and for Tanglewood, a critical component of the town and regional economy.

“This project will make long-awaited investments in Lenox to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and accessibility, helping people connect to a vital cultural resource,” said Secretary James Aloisi Jr. “This is a perfect example of the Patrick Administration’s commitment to regional equity and our goal of using transportation funds to support economic growth and vibrant communities.”

“This is a major step forward for Lenox’s downtown revitalization efforts,” said Senator Benjamin Downing. “This award will improve the streetscapes, and driver and pedestrian safety in Lenox Village. The new bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and green spaces will certainly increase foot traffic and economic activity to the area.”

“This is great news!” said Representative William Smitty Pignatelli. “During these tough economic times, the Town of Lenox is making a big investment in its economic future and this PWED will allow the town to complete this project.”

“Lenox is very pleased to be a recipient of a PWED grant award,” said Gregory Federspiel, Town Manager. “The funds provided through the grant will play a significant role in allowing us to complete our Village Improvement Plan which is critical to the revitalization of our historic Village. Merchants and citizens are excited about they have seen in Phase 1 which is now partially complete. With this assistance from the Executive Office of Transportation, the Town will be able to move ahead with Phase II and create a new vitality to our downtown area. The Town of Lenox appreciates the support Governor Patrick and Transportation Secretary Aloisi are able to extend to us.”

The Executive Office of Transportation provides PWED funding awards to municipalities for transportation infrastructure improvements that will spur economic development, job creation, smart growth and better pedestrian access.

The PWED program has a long history of stimulating job growth and commercial development for cities and towns. Since 2000, EOT has awarded $99.6 million in PWED contracts for 98 projects in 66 municipalities across the Commonwealth. This EOT funding has leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment and helped create thousands of local jobs, both permanent jobs and temporary construction jobs.

Created by the Legislature in the 1980s, the PWED program plays an important role in the state’s overall infrastructure investment strategy, and is meant to assist municipalities by supporting local projects that stimulate economic development. PWED is part of the Commonwealth Capital program for Fiscal Year 2009, and is coordinated with other discretionary state spending programs that affect development patterns in Massachusetts. This coordination allows the state to leverage investments, economic development, housing growth and environmental sustainability.

Infrastructure investments are key components of Governor Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Plan, which combines a range of state and federal funding sources to provide immediate and long-term economic relief. The Massachusetts Recovery Plan positions the Commonwealth for recovery in the following ways:

•Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail projects that put people to work today and provide safety net services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an economic crisis;
•Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investment and broad-based economic development;
•Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare workers for the jobs of the future and support clean energy, broadband and technology projects that cut costs while growing the economy; and
•Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and inaction.

“Increased broadband availability leads to new jobs, better health care, and stronger public education services throughout Massachusetts,” said Governor Patrick. “We appreciate the strong support from civic and industry leaders, as well as citizens throughout Massachusetts as we expand broadband access in every community in the Commonwealth.”

Joined by state and local officials at New Salem Town Hall, Governor Patrick expressed his intention to designate the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) as the “eligible entity” for broadband mapping funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Established through a law the Governor proposed and signed last year, the MBI is responsible for accelerating broadband expansion in communities without high-speed Internet access by overseeing investments in infrastructure assets such as fiber-optic cables and wireless towers.

As part of the broadband forum, Governor Patrick unveiled a new interactive mapping tool using Google mapping technology that enables users to pinpoint their homes, businesses, or schools location on a map and enter their current mode of access to the Internet. Made possible by the MBI and the Massachusetts Geographic Information System, the technology will further the Governor and Legislature’s efforts to bring broadband to every corner of the Commonwealth.

“It is critically important that decision makers have a clear understanding of exactly where broadband is accessible and where it is not,” said Congressman John Olver. “The MBI’s mapping program will provide us with the information we need to put together a thoughtful, coordinated plan of attack to ensure that all of our communities have access.”

“More accurate mapping will help us to speed deployment of broadband in unserved areas of the state,” said MBI Director Sharon Gillett. “Residents, business owners, and others can now communicate directly with the MBI regarding their access, or lack of access, to broadband at the street address level, which will help us determine how to deploy broadband infrastructure and technologies.”

In keeping with his commitment to make broadband accessible and affordable, Governor Patrick is working with Congressman Olver, members of the Congressional delegation, and leaders in the Obama Administration to bring federal recovery funding to Massachusetts. ARRA provides for $7.2 billion to improve broadband access nationwide, including $350 million for grants to states to develop comprehensive broadband maps over the next two years.

Today, the Governor also designated the MBI as the Commonwealth’s aggregator for a coordinated filing to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for broadband competitive grant applications to ensure a balanced portfolio of applications that will meet the Commonwealth’s diverse broadband needs.

Over 25,000 businesses and 221,000 households are located in the 95 Massachusetts communities that lack adequate broadband because they have either limited or no broadband availability whatsoever. Studies show that communities with broadband access experience measurable increases in jobs, business expansion, and property values. Other broadband-enabled benefits include improvements in public safety and access to health care, educational opportunities, and civic participation.

Broadband investments are critical components of Governor Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Plan, which combines state, federal and, where possible, private efforts to provide immediate and long-term relief and position the Commonwealth for recovery in the following ways:

• Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail projects that put people to work today and providing safety net services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an economic crisis;
• Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare workers for the jobs of the future, and support clean energy, broadband, and technology projects that cut costs while growing the economy; and
• Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and inaction.

For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/recovery and www.massbroadband.org.