Join the City of Boston’s Community Preservation Committee

Would you like to be a part of the decision-making process for allocating funds for affordable housing, historic preservation, and recreation? The Boston City Council’s Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act has announced the application process for recruitment of individuals to serve on the City of Boston’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC). Residents can now apply to be one of the four members that will be appointed by the Boston City Council by December 2017.

The CPC’s primary responsibilities include: approving an administrative budget for the City’s Community Preservation program; developing an annual Community Preservation Plan; reviewing project applications and making recommendations for funding approval. Further, CPC members are required to meet with regularity and engage with community groups throughout the City as needed.

The Community Preservation Committee, which was created by ordinance, is a board consisting of nine total members. Five members, by statute, are representatives of City entities. The remaining four members are appointed by the Boston City Council with the following requirements for each of the seats:

• One seat requires expertise in open space, housing, and/or historical preservation
• One seat requires expertise in development, business, finance, and/or construction
• The two remaining seats will be for individuals with a history of community involvement.

CPC members serve a three-year term in a volunteer capacity, and must be residents of Boston who are not City of Boston employees.

Michael Flaherty, Chair of the Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act, said, “I look forward to the Boston City Council appointing residents of our city to be part of the process of how we allocate the revenue that is consistent with the goals and ideals of moving Boston forward. Further, as we are going through a period of rapid growth and displacement, I want to focus on the creation of more affordable housing - particularly senior housing, veterans housing, and workforce housing.”  

Andrea J. Campbell, Vice Chair of the committee, said, “This group will be instrumental in realizing the benefits of the Community Preservation Act, and making sure those benefits reach every neighborhood in the City of Boston. I encourage residents to apply, and look forward to working with my colleagues to select a diverse group of experts and community-involved leaders to serve on the CPC.”

Alongside the Boston City Council’s Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act, the City of Boston has appointed Christine Poff as the Director of the City’s Community Preservation Program. In this role, Director Poff is responsible for determining community needs, ensuring transparency in the funding allocation process, and completing annual reports on CPA projects and expenditures.

Please click here to fill out an application. If you have any question, contact the Boston City Council’s Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act by phone at 617-635-4205 or by emailing ccc.cpa@boston.gov. The deadline to submit your application is Thursday, November 9, 2017.