Community Preservation Act (question 2)

Question 2 on the ballot will ask whether or not Brookline should pass the Community Preservation Act (CPA). If passed, the CPA would generate funds for affordable housing, open space and historic preservation.

The CPA will raise property taxes for land-owning Brookline residents by 1 percent. This initial tax will generate $2.6 million per year, which will be increased to $3 million by the state of Massachusetts through the Community Preservation Trust Fund. Passing the CPA will make Brookline eligible for funds and grants related to affordable housing, open space and historic preservation on state and federal levels.

TMM and member of the Community Preservation Campaign Committee Deborah Brown said additional funds can be raised from state and local agencies on top of the CPA, especially for affordable housing.

“Now imagine if your starting point is $3 million, how much more you can raise,” Brown said. “Maybe you can leverage 10 times that from the government for housing, and maybe you can leverage an additional 20 percent, 30 percent from another state agency. It’s money on money.”

A Community Preservation Committee (CPC) will be appointed by the Select Board to make decisions and allocate the funds appropriately. This will include a member from the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Historical Commission, Housing Authority and Board of Park Commissioners. Other members of the CPC will be chosen by the Select Board.

Brown explained that examples of affordable housing would be funds for the Brookline Housing Authority, Brookline Improvement Coalition and Senior Living in Brookline. Examples of open space would be funding for public recreation spaces, and examples of historic preservation would be repairs to old buildings.