It's tough love for the town of Milton from the Healey-Driscoll administration—comply with the law or kiss your grant money goodbye. The state government dropped the hammer, notifying Milton it's out of step with the MBTA Communities Law, consequently slashing a $140,800 grant meant for seawall and access improvements right out from under them, as reported earlier today.
In a decisive move, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus sent a letter stating that if Milton wants to see any state grant cash in the future, it had better shape up, and fast, losing out on MassWorks and HousingWorks grants along with facing disadvantages in other state grant programs is what's in store.
With the clarity and certainty of law, Augustus puts it bluntly: "The law is clear – compliance with the MBTA Communities Law is mandatory." And in case you're thinking it's just Milton, think again, as they stand alone as the only rapid transit community in Massachusetts hitting this wall of noncompliance, according to Augustus's letter, a missive that casts a striking contrast against the backdrop of the commonwealth's affordability crisis, which demands more housing to stand a chance, according to the Office of the Governor website.
The message from the administration is cut and dry: Milton's noncompliance is nobody's gain, and in these times, when the walls of an affordability crisis seem to close in tighter with each passing day, teamwork across communities hasn't just been called for, it's been demanded, lest the vision for a more livable Massachusetts remains just that—a vision, out of reach for those who need it most.
