Frequently Asked Questions

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was enacted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2000: Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 44B.

Communities vote to adopt the CPA and the level of property surcharge (up to 3%) to create the base funding for CPA-eligible projects in that city or town.  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides annual matching funds for CPA cities and towns.

CPA funds can be used for Community Housing, Historic Preservation, Open Space, and Outdoor Recreation.

The City of Framingham adopted CPA in November 2020, imposing a 1% CPA tax surcharge on Real Estate tax bills.

The CPC oversees CPA funds and administers the CPA application process. This includes soliciting, evaluating, and recommending projects to the City Council for approval of CPA funding. It is responsible for upholding a process that is accessible, ethical, transparent, and representative of Framingham's diverse geographic and demographic population.

The CPC is composed of 9 members:

• Conservation Commission: 1 member
• Framingham Housing Authority: 1 member
• Framingham Historical Commission: 1 member
• Parks and Recreation Commission: 1 member
• Planning Board: 1 member
• At large (appointed by City Council): 4 members

CPA funds are overseen by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). The CPC solicits, evaluates, and recommends projects and funding amounts to the City Council. The CPC is responsible for ensuring that the CPA process is accessible, ethical, transparent, and representative of all Framingham residents.  

CPA funds are collected through a yearly 1% surcharge on Real Estate Taxes. Additionally, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides a State Match from the Community Preservation Trust Fund as determined by the Department of Revenue.

For further information see: https://www.communitypreservation.org/funding

The 1% surcharge is based on your real estate taxes (after a $100,000 exemption). For example:

1. Your property is valued at $600,000.  In FY’24, the residential tax rate is $12.46 per thousand dollars of assessed value.   The real estate tax is: 600 X $12.46 = $7,476
2. The CPA surcharge is first calculated by subtracting $100,000 from the assessed property value.  $600,000 - $100,000 = $500,000
3. The CPA surcharge in FY24 would be 500 X $12.46 = $6,230, 1% of $6,230 = $62.30
4. Your total annual real estate taxes, with the CPA surcharge, would then be $7.476 + $62.30 = $7,538.30.

Property owners will have a separate line on their tax bill called “CPA surcharge.”  The total CPA surcharge is divided equally over the quarterly Real Estate tax bills.

The following are exempt from the surcharge:

1. Property owned and occupied as a domicile by any person who qualifies for low-income housing or low or moderate-income senior housing in the City, as defined in Section 2 of Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 44B.
2. $100,000 of the value of each taxable parcel of residential real property
3. $100,000 of the value of each taxable parcel of class three commercial property and class four industrial property as defined in Section 2A of said Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 59
4. A taxpayer receiving a regular property tax abatement or exemption will also receive a pro-rata reduction in surcharge
5. A qualified taxpayer who is 60 or older as of January 1 and who has a household annual income that is no more than the area-wide median income determined annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development can request an exemption of the entire CPA surcharge attributable to the real estate tax assessed on the residential assessed value of the property. To do so, a resident must submit appropriate exemption request paperwork with the City Assessor’s office”. State Tax Form CP-4 is available online or in hard copy at the Assessor's Office in City Hall.

All CPA projects must be in these three funding categories: Community Housing, Historic Preservation, and Open Space/Outdoor Recreation.  Each year, 10% of the funding must be allocated to these three CPA funding categories. Communities can use up to 5% of their annual funds for administrative costs. The remaining available funds (typically 65%) can be allocated for any eligible project at the discretion of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC).  

In general, the CPC meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. According to CPA law, a Public Hearing is required once a year. At the Public Hearing, residents can provide feedback on Framingham’s Community Preservation Plan and share ideas for potential projects. For the 2024 Calendar, click here.

• Email the CPC email address: cpc@framinghamma.gov
• Contact Heather O’Donnell, Community Preservation Coordinator, by email hodonnell@framinghamma.gov or call (508) 532-5683
• Attend a CPC meeting:  CPC Calendar or Public Meeting Portal

The Community Preservation Plan (CPP) is a document that:

• Guides the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) in prioritizing projects for funding
• Outlines the CPC’s processes and procedures for review of project applications. 
• Describes the four CPA funding categories: historic preservation, open space, outdoor recreation, and community housing
• Highlights the City’s priorities for funding for each of the funding categories
• The CPC reviews and updates the CPP annually

The Community Preservation Act allows funding to be spent for activities in four categories:

1. The acquisition, creation, and preservation of land for open space.
2. The acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic resources.
3. The acquisition, creation, preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of land for recreational use.
4. The acquisition, creation, preservation, and support of community housing.
5. Rehabilitation and restoration of open space or community housing can be done only if they have been acquired or created using money from the CPA fund.

CPA funds can only be used for eligible activities in the four categories.  However, funds cannot be used for operations, maintenance, programming, community events, or to replace funds already appropriated from other sources.   CPA funds must be used to advance a public purpose.  For example, CPA funds have been used for historic rehabilitation or preservation on private property, but the work must have a community benefit, and often, it will require a historic preservation restriction.

Not every project application will be funded. The Community Preservation Committee must review all CPA projects for eligibility and public benefit.  

No.  CPC members cannot submit or create CPA projects due to Framingham’s Conflict of Interest Guidelines.  Upon leaving the CPC, members must wait one year from resignation or the end of the term before presenting a project request. 

Each year, the CPC announces the deadline for submitting funding applications. The CPA application has two steps: 

1. Eligibility Form: Applicants fill out a form, which the CPC reviews to determine whether the project meets the qualifications for funding under CPA legislation.
2. Full Application: Applicants with eligible projects are invited to submit a full application. The CPC reviews applications and annually selects projects to recommend to the City Council.

1. When can I submit an Eligibility Form?
    Eligibility Forms are accepted once a year. The CPC will announce when they are available, generally starting in July.  

Once per year, the CPC will announce when Application Forms are accepted, generally from September through November.

1. Applicants attend the Public Hearing to learn about the CPC’s goals and priorities and to determine what types of projects are eligible.
2. Applicants must submit an Eligibility Form.
3. CPC reviews the Eligibility Form, deems the project eligible, or rejects the project as not eligible. 
4. If the proposed project is not eligible, the CPC may guide the applicant in defining an eligible project.
5. If a project is deemed eligible, the Applicant may submit a Full Application.
6. CPC reviews all Applications.
7. Applicants may be contacted to provide more information if needed.
8. Applicants present their projects to the CPC.
9. CPC makes recommendations for project funding to the City Council.  
10. The City Council can approve or reject the CPC’s recommendations or approve them with a smaller funding amount. It cannot change the scope or conditions of the CPC's recommendations.  
11. If a project is rejected for funding, the Applicant may resubmit in the following Application cycle.

https://framinghamma.gov/FormCenter/CPC-32/CPA-FY25-Project-Eligibility-Form-146

The Eligibility Form is an online electronic form, which can be viewed in multiple languages. The Application is a fillable PDF form that will be available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Contact Heather O’Donnell, Community Preservation Coordinator, by phone at (508) 532-5683 or by email at hdonnell@framinghamma.gov. Please note that an electronic submission is required. 

Grant recipients must sign a grant agreement with the City of Framingham before beginning work. Funds are provided on a reimbursement basis and can be spent for three years from the date the Agreement is signed.

Once projects are approved by City Council, an authorized representative must sign a grant agreement with the City of Framingham.  The grant agreement includes a disbursement schedule, with required deliverables to accomplish before receiving funding.  Some grants are subject to conditions determined by the Community Preservation Committee.  These conditions must be met before receiving funding.

Grant recipients will not receive a check for their CPA grant.  CPA projects are subject to the City of Framingham’s procurement policies and procedures.  Depending on the project amount, quotes or bids will be required prior to entering into any contract with a vendor for goods or services. Please note that all funds are provided on a reimbursement basis.  Goods and services must be provided before invoices are submitted.