FY25 MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Guidelines — File 24-1480

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Information and Guidelines Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Eligible Applicants ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Maximum Award ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Timeline of Use of Funds .............................................................................................................................. 3 Use of Funds and Project Location ............................................................................................................... 3 Project Examples ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Special Considerations .................................................................................................................................. 5 How to Submit an Application ...................................................................................................................... 5 MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................. 6 Grant Award Process..................................................................................................................................... 6

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Guidelines Page 2 MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Introduction The MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund is a new grant program of the Healey-Driscoll Administration to support its efforts to increase housing production in the Commonwealth and reward MBTA Communities with an approved 3A district compliant with M.G.L. Chapter 40A Section 3A. Grant funds may be used for a variety of activities related to housing development and infrastructure projects associated with housing development. At the time of posting, funding for this program is available for FY25, FY26, and FY27. Eligible Applicants Municipalities that are MBTA Communities and have received a determination of compliance letter from EOHLC at the time of the funding request are eligible for consideration of an MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund grant. This program will receive rolling applications per deadlines specified in these Guidelines, and municipalities that have received a letter from EOHLC deeming them compliant are eligible to apply. Eligible municipalities must be the lead applicant and recipient of grant funds; however, pass- through of funds to another entity is permissible in order to execute a proposed project. Applicants with adopted housing moratoria are ineligible for this grant. If a community has other restrictive bylaws (such as growth limitations or infrastructure moratoria), these must allow for at least a 5% increase in housing units over a single year, and applicants with such bylaws will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility at EOHLC’s discretion. Contact filipe.zamborlini@mass.gov with questions about this eligibility factor. Maximum Award Awards will typically fund projects with grant requests between $250,000 – $1M. An applicant should request funding to support a complete project or complete phase and must provide clear justification for the requested amount. Applicants are encouraged to conduct due diligence to determine accurate estimates of project costs to better understand actual costs and timing of expenditures for the proposed project. Please pay attention to the rolling deadlines and requirements for timely expenditure of funds as listed below. EOHLC reserves the right to make partial awards for amounts less than the original request and to deny an award to applicants with existing or past violations of EOHLC contractual obligations. Funding availability is subject to the final state budget and capital investment plan.

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Guidelines Page 3 September 16, 2024 Timeline of Use of Funds The MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund accepts applications on a rolling basis per outlined deadlines below. Application Deadlines for FY25 Round Early Decision 10/1/2024 – 12/1/2024 Regular Decision 12/2/2024 – 1/15/2025 Application Deadlines for FY26 Round Early Action 1/16/2025 – 10/1/2025 Early Decision 10/2/2025 – 12/1/2025 Regular Decision 12/2/2025 – 1/15/2026 Application Deadline for FY27 Round Early Action 1/16/2026 – 10/1/2026 Application deadline is 11:59 PM on the last day listed. Award and Contracting Schedule FY25 round awards will be made on a rolling basis such that all awarded contracts are executed no later than the end of January 2025. Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. FY26 round awards will be made on a rolling basis such that all awarded contracts are executed no later than January 2026. Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2027. FY27 round awards will be made on a rolling basis such that all awarded contracts are executed no later than January 2027. Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2028. Timely Expenditure Requirement All grants must spend at least 50% of awarded funds in the first fiscal year of the award. • FY25 round awards must invoice for at least 50% of awarded funds by June 30, 2025. • FY26 round awards must invoice for at least 50% of awarded funds by June 30, 2026. • FY27 round awards must spend 100% of awarded funds by June 30, 2027. Use of Funds and Project Location Grants will fund a variety of activities in eligible locations* related to housing development and infrastructure projects associated with housing development that help produce and/or preserve housing units. *To be eligible for this fund, projects must adhere to the following restrictions: • Projects that are farther than .5 of a mile away from the approved zoning district created to comply with MBTA Communities law, hereafter “3A District,” are not considered adjacent and shall not be eligible for this grant. • Infrastructure projects to support multi-family developments in a 3A District may be located within or adjacent to an approved 3A District. For the purposes of this grant, “adjacent" shall mean a parcel or right-of way that immediately abuts the approved 3A

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Guidelines Page 4 September 16, 2024 District or a parcel or right-of way documented to be associated with the approved 3A District despite not being included in it. • Eligible multi-family developments must be located within a 3A District and must have been submitted to the municipality for approval after the adoption of the 3A District. This grant program may fund projects related to the following: • Infrastructure to support housing growth and mixed-use developments to advance housing development, preservation, and/or rehabilitation related to: o Design and engineering of infrastructure projects o Construction of new or improved infrastructure, including roadway/streetscape improvements, bridge/culvert repair or replacement, water/sewer, public utilities (gas, electric, etc.) • Housing development for funding “shovel ready” or active projects, including pass- through of funds, related to: o Housing Production o Housing Rehabilitation o Housing Preservation • Acquisition of properties with the intent to develop housing units Grant funds shall not be used to support: 1. Any activities related to assertion of the General Land Area Minimum (GLAM) (1.5% of total land area) safe harbor under 760 CMR 56.03(b)(Chapter 40B); or 2. Routine administrative tasks of municipal staff including, but not limited to, grant application preparation. Project Examples Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: 1. Improvements to physical public infrastructure near a permitted housing project, such as water, sewer, sidewalks, roads, or other multi-modal infrastructure to increase safety, mobility, and accessibility, that will support and/or yield new or additional housing units. 2. Acquisition of land or property for the purpose of producing multi-family housing units. 3. Providing and/or pass-through of funds to further subsidize an affordable multi-family housing project to directly create affordable multi-family housing units or increase the number of affordable units in a new housing project. 4. Engineering designs for improvements to physical infrastructure, such as water, sewer, sidewalks, and roads, that will create capacity for increased multi-family housing production. Program Information and these grant program guidelines have been developed for MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund grant applicants. EOHLC may issue additional guidance, clarification, or revisions which shall be incorporated by reference into these grant program guidelines. This document is intended to clarify, interpret, and explain existing program requirements, and to provide guidance on EOHLC’s applicant selection process. It is not intended to be exhaustive.

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Guidelines Page 5 September 16, 2024 Special Considerations • Number of units created or supported: Projects that directly produce multi-family housing units will receive priority consideration. • Number of affordable units created or supported: Projects that directly produce affordable multi-family housing units that are deed restricted in perpetuity will receive priority consideration. • Level of affordability: Projects that explicitly increase affordability levels below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) will receive priority consideration. • Mixed-use projects: While eligible for funding, priority consideration will be given to multi-family housing components in mixed-use projects. Projects that have secured funding from other sources will be more competitive. While a cash match is not required, projects that include at least a 10% local cash match may factor into EOHLC’s project selection process. Staff time is not considered a “cash match.” How to Submit an Application Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis per deadlines below: Application Deadlines for FY25 Round Early Decision 10/1/2024 – 12/1/2024 Regular Decision 12/2/2024 – 1/15/2025 Application Deadlines for FY26 Round Early Action 1/16/2025 – 10/1/2025 Early Decision 10/2/2025 – 12/1/2025 Regular Decision 12/2/2025 – 1/15/2026 Application Deadline for FY27 Round Early Action 1/16/2026 – 10/1/2026 Application deadline is 11:59 PM on the last day listed. To be considered for the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, applicants must email a completed application form with required attachments to EOHLCMBTACommCatalyst@mass.gov. The application form is available online at www.mass.gov/how-to/mbta-communities-catalyst-fund. Applicants who recently completed a Community One Stop for Growth application in any of the eligible categories described in these Guidelines may email their full Community One Stop for Growth application to EOHLCMBTACommCatalyst@mass.gov instead of the application form for consideration to this grant program. Applications must be submitted as a single PDF document. An application that includes multiple files, or files with various formats, will be considered an incomplete application.

MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Program Guidelines Page 6 September 16, 2024 Additional Information It is the responsibility of the applicant to be aware of all requirements and deadlines, and to ensure that their application is complete and submitted in a timely manner. All applications will be logged with date and time received and kept on file as public record. EOHLC reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant or external sources as may be necessary to complete the application review. EOHLC also reserves the right to recommend partial grant awards, as deemed appropriate. MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund Evaluation Criteria Applications will be evaluated for the responsiveness to the following: • Project Eligibility: Does the project promote multi-family housing production? Is the project located within or adjacent to a compliant 3A District? • Project Readiness: Is the project achievable within the proposed timeline? Evaluation will consider planning to date with factors such as due diligence, stakeholder/public engagement, site readiness, permitting, and design completeness. • Project Financial Feasibility: Is the project’s budget reasonable? Is it clearly demonstrated that the project will invoice for at least 50% of requested funding in the first fiscal year? Evaluation will consider factors such as whether the project is fully or partially funded, match funding, schedule of expenditure, and reasonableness of cost estimates. • Project Outcomes & Impact: How will the project directly produce multi-family housing units? Evaluation will consider factors such as the number of housing units developed, the number of affordable units developed, and the level of affordability of said units. Grant Award Process Contract with EOHLC and Award of Funds: Successful applicants must be ready to enter into a contract with EOHLC within 30 days after receiving contract documents. Funding is subject to the approval of the EOHLC operating and capital budgets. Grant projects may begin as of the execution of the contract. If selected, the grantee will be required to submit the following forms to complete a contract: • Commonwealth Standard Contract Form, filled out and signed by the Respondent • Commonwealth Scope and Budget Form (available from EOHLC) • Completed Contractor Authorized Signature Verification Form Grant Distribution and Invoicing: Granted funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis. Only work completed during the period of the executed contract will be eligible for reimbursement. Upon receipt of all required deliverables, the community will be reimbursed for the balance of any outstanding grant funds.