CITY COUNCIL: Seven citywide projects totaling over $1.6 million approved with Community Preservation funding

Rental assistance, affordable housing, church and park restorations, others are on the list

By Steve Freker

The Malden City Council at its regular meeting approved seven citywide projects, which ranged from assisting renters with payments to supporting affordable housing and a pair of restoration projects at two historic local churches. The projects will be funded through the Community Preservation Fund, and the total expenditure will be just over $1.6 million.

The Community Preservation Fund is accrued through a local property tax surcharge of 1% on real estate. A separate, appointed group, the Community Preservation Commission (CPC), accepts applications for potential projects from residents and agencies, reviews them and then submits recommendations to the City Council. The City Council must vote final approval for CPC-recommended expenditures.

Unanimously approved by the Malden City Council are the following:

—ABCD was granted a total of $60,000 to establish a rental assistance program in Malden. The goal of this project is to allow Action for Boston Community Development to launch a new rental assistance program that will support Malden residents earning below 80% AMI in securing housing stability by providing direct financial assistance covering rental arrears as well as personalized housing counseling and other housing support services.

—A total of $100,000 was approved for a restoration project at the former Linden Firehouse at 139 Oliver St. The goal of this project is to rehabilitate the façade of the historic fire station at 139 Oliver St. Public Facilities is seeking to ensure that the building is watertight to prepare the structure for further improvements to the interior.

—A total of $114,000 to preserve and digitize historic City Clerk records

—A total of $122,500 to restore a buttress on Saint Paul’s Parish at 26 Washington St. in Malden. The Parish is working with the building’s original architecture firm, Cram & Ferguson, to ensure that the restoration will follow the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Renovation.

—A total of $250,000 to restore the exterior masonry on the building at 2 Elm St. in Malden

—The Malden Affordable Housing Trust Fund was granted a total of $500,000 to develop Affordable Housing in Malden. Applicants will be able to apply on a rolling basis to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund using a one-stop application online portal that is managed by the City of Malden Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD).

—A total of $500,000 to design and construct a new playground at Linden Park