Many CPA communities are issuing bonds against their future CPA revenue stream in order to fund larger projects. In fact, over 40 communities have issued bonds for 71 different CPA projects, raising roughly $112M through bonding (note: figures include projects approved through end of FY07).

The majority of these projects are open space projects, resulting in the protection of over 3,000 acres of open space. Many bonds have also been issued to fund projects in the other CPA categories: approximately $29M for historic preservation, $18M for community housing, and $13M for recreation.

Many CPCs encourage project applicants to leverage CPA funds with other funding sources, in order to expand the money available for community preservation. These efforts have paid off. The effectiveness of the CPA is multiplied through matches from state and federal grant programs, other local funds, non-profit assistance, and private fundraising.

This article shows how three CPA communities (Belchertown, Plymouth and Randolph) have been successful at leveraging non-CPA funding sources. We also highlight some potential sources of other funds and information on how to apply.

If you want to follow the month-by-month progress of revenue received by the state's CPA Trust Fund, the Department of Revenue (DOR) publishes the "Blue Book" of monthly collections. Through January 2008, trust fund receipts totalled $13,651,289, down approximately 16% from FY07. The Community Preservation Trust is listed in the reports under "Miscellaneous Funds." To view the reports for FY08, click here.

DOR also maintains a webpage of CPA information, including complete data on CPA adoption, matching funds distributed, and a spreadsheet of CPA surcharge reports (click here).

The state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs maintains a very helpful and informative website on the CPA (click here). The site includes basic information about the CPA including all DOR bulletins as well as a CPA status map, the low and moderate income worksheet, and links to the three DOR reports that must be filed annually on CPA.

Coalition Honored as "Conservationist of the Year"
The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) honored the Community Preservation Coalition at its recent annual meeting. The Coalition accepted the award on behalf of the 127 CPA communities in the state, whose projects have made CPA a true success story.
View the award speech on CPA and The Coalition by TTOR's Wesley Ward

TTOR Joins Coalition
The Coalition is delighted to welcome The Trustees of Reservations as a Coalition member, joining The Trust for Public Land (TPL), Mass Audubon, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Massachusetts, The Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA), and Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA).

2007 Year in Review
The Coalition has published a short review of its accomplishments in 2007, detailing our legislative activities, technical assistance stats, conferences and other projects. View the 2007 Year in Review

CPA at Work in Small Towns is a brochure published by the Highland Communities Initiative (HCI), a program of the Trustees of Reservations. The brochure focuses on what small towns can do with CPA funds and features projects in Bedford, Leverett, Georgetown, Rowley, Southampton, Stow, and Upton, among others.

View HCI website and follow the link for CPA at Work in Small Towns

The CPA project featured in this issue is a community housing project in the Town of Lincoln. The photo shows Lincoln's Sunnyside Lane housing project which created four units of town-owned affordable rental housing. CPA funded the $119K acquisition of two lots from the state and $673K for construction of an accessory apartment on the rear of an existing unit as well as a new duplex. Lincoln's Housing Committee spearheaded the project just after the Town's adoption of the CPA.

Under the leadership of the Housing Committee, the Town accomplished this project through resourceful means including labor from the Minuteman Regional High School, landscape donations from a local nursery, and modular housing for the duplex, which was built off-site in a factory and shipped to Lincoln. In addition, the project received private contributions from the Lincoln Foundation.