Natick announced at its Select Board meeting this week that it is submitting an application for a grant designed to help the town come up with a racial equity plan.
The Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan, offered through a collaboration including the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, will only be awarded to three to five municipalities. Natick is already in the midst of forming an equity task force.
The goal of the grant program is to provide cities and towns with “technical assistance to create racial equity action plans and to take meaningful action to advance racial equity,” according to MAPC. Recipients will be announced by Sept. 10.
Deputy Town Administrator James Errickson says Natick’s application will focus on “barriers to housing in regards to equity and the need to make sure that we are not unnecessarily burdening any one population.” Zoning and land use will be examined, he said.
Anything developed through such a grant would need to sync up with the town’s 2030+ master plan.
Natick is partnering with neighboring communities, including Framingham, to support each other’s submissions for this program.
Wellesley has also applied for this grant.
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