Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit Grant Program

Health Resources in Action, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to inform the promulgation of regulations by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development that guide the release of funding for community development corporations under the Community Investment Tax Credit Grant Program. The HIA examined the connections between community development activity and public health and aimed to contribute to the development of criteria that the state housing agency can use to screen projects according to their potential impacts on health. It addressed, for example, links between the design of community development projects and factors such as indoor air quality, injury risk, and access to safe places to exercise; and the links between the siting of community development projects and access to neighborhood amenities important to health, such as grocery stores and clinics.