With an end to the pandemic in sight, Gov. Charlie Baker has his eyes on shoring up the state's housing stock and infrastructure for the post-pandemic world.
Baker said the last round of federal funding in the American Rescue Plan Act included about $475 million dollars for rental assistance in Massachusetts, which will help programs like Father Bill's and MainSpring in Quincy provide housing for those affected by the virus. Baker was in Quincy Wednesday to announce a grant for the homeless shelter.
"Which should mean that we'll continue to be able to help people stay home, despite the fact that we're still going to have to work our way through the end of this pandemic and out of it and into a recovery," Baker said.
Looking past the pandemic, Baker hoped that cities and towns take advantage of a new law that allows for easier approval of new housing construction.
"I really do hope coming out of the pandemic, one of the things we're able to do is put a lot of shovels in the ground all over the Commonwealth to create a lot of the housing capacity that we so desperately need here in Massachusetts," he said.
The governor also welcomed news that the Biden administration is working on an extensive infrastructure bill that could spread $2 trillion throughout the country for large and small projects. Baker urged federal lawmakers to include "a pretty significant investment" in climate resiliency as part of the bill.
"Resiliency is how you save money in the long run associated with infrastructure," Baker said.
Baker recounted how Massachusetts has invested in resiliency for rebuilding and reshaping the coastline and other waterways affected by climate change and increasingly destructive storms.
"It's real. It's here. It's obvious," Baker said. "It's a great opportunity for the federal government to work with state and local governments to do things about making our infrastructure, wherever it is, whatever it is, resilient as we deal with all the issues associated with climate going forward."
