ADAMS, Mass. — The town continues its efforts to address blight in the community by applying for funds through the Community Development Block Grant, as it has done years prior.  

 

The Select Board recently approved the grant application requesting $950,000 to fund the highly anticipated Winter Street reconstruction and the town's Adams Housing Rehabilitation Program. 

 

CDBG is a federally funded competitive grant program administered by the state. It can be used for activities that address blight, housing, beautification, demolition and economic development.

 

The need for these funds is substantial as towns work to balance addressing high-cost infrastructure repairs with limited state and federal funding, such as Chapter 90, said Donna Cesan, community development director. 

 

"Adams is one of the poor communities in the commonwealth.  Here in the Northern Berkshires, we're still recovering from the '60s and the loss of our manufacturing base, so it's been a slow recovery," she said. 

 

Cesan has been working with the town for more than 20 years and during that time has seen improvements but there are still setbacks, including the rising costs to address the communities needs. 

 

"To continue to work on projects like this to improve the community. So, I think Adams is very deserving of this. I think the community needs this," she said.