MASSACHUSETTS — A Massachusetts agency dedicated to affordable housing is helping people offer another necessity to state residents: Food.
MassHousing has awarded $150,000 to support community gardens, farmer’s markets and other initiatives to provide healthy food access to residents of 16 agency-financed rental housing communities across Massachusetts.
The Food and Nutrition Grant Program benefits more than 4,000 residents through community gardens on their property, mobile farmers markets that visit their property, or food vouchers or meal delivery, officials said.
The program has more than 40 partnerships, including farms, agriculture groups and meal programs. It provides garden access to more than 600 residents – including raised beds for older residents and residents with disabilities – cooking classes, nutrition workshops, youth programming and harvest events.
According to the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Fourth Annual Statewide Report approximately 34 percent of the state’s households report food insecurity.
“There is a clear and growing need to address food insecurity in the Commonwealth,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. “The financial and health impacts of food insecurity affects the housing stability of residents of multi-family communities. This program focuses on the intersection between housing stability and food security.”
Grant applications were made available in 2024 and 2025 to MassHousing-financed properties across the Commonwealth for up to $10,000 per site to create, expand or improve community gardens, farmers markets and other initiatives to provide healthy food options to residents.
The property management companies participating in the program are WinnCompanies, Schochet Companies, Peabody Properties, The Community Builders, Kent Street Elderly LP, Madison Park Development Corporation, Related Management, Beacon Communities and Housing Management Resources.
MassHousing hosted a symposium in July for leaders and key stakeholders in the housing and food systems field that included the Commissioner and staff from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, health care and public health representatives, housing finance agencies, food system representatives, property management companies and developers of multifamily housing.
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