The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) released 2026 guidelines for its Housing Choice Designation, an initiative that rewards pro-housing municipalities with exclusive grant opportunities.
The initiative includes two designation options: the Housing Choice Community (HCC) Designation and the recently announced Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Community (RST-HCC) Designation. Communities are encouraged to learn more about the designation and its benefits, along with the HCC and RST-HCC criteria and best practices. EOHLC is also offering 1-on-1 technical assistance office hours for any city or town with questions before submitting an application.
EOHLC named CHAPA’s Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy and Housing Summit as official best practices, meaning when local officials participate in the Academy or attend the Summit, they bring their communities closer to unlocking exclusive state grants that can fund local planning, infrastructure, and the creation of new housing.
CHAPA is grateful for EOHLC’s selection of our programming, and we look forward to training many more local officials in the years to come!
Applications for the 2026 Housing Choice Initiative Designation are due by February 27, 2026. EOHLC will host two guidance webinars on January 27: an HCC Designation Guidance webinar (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM) and a RST-HCC Designation Guidance webinar (2:00 PM to 3:00 PM). Questions can be directed to McKenzie Bell at [email protected].