Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash is expected to address grant recipients.
Members of Haverhill’s Mount Washington Alliance are gathering in Boston today to celebrate receipt of a $475,000 Working Cities Challenge grant.
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash is expected be among those delivering remarks at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to recognize Haverhill, as well as the cities of Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield and Worcester. The local group, comprised of governmental, non-profit and private organizations, aims to close a “social and economic opportunity gap” between the Mount Washington neighborhood and the rest of the city.
As WHAV reported in June, Mount Washington Alliance will use the money and related technical assistance to “improve employment, education and an array of neighborhood conditions including housing, health and safety. Residents will play a prominent role in shaping and evaluating the work of this Alliance,” according to the federal reserve.
Grant money comes from a consortium of partners including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Barr Foundation, the Smith Family Foundation and Living Cities. The winners of the competition were selected by an independent jury that does not include the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.