The Baker-Polito Administration today announced an additional $11.1 million in grants to cities and towns through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. The MVP program provides communities with funding and technical support to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change. In this most recent round of funding, Malden will receive just over $150,000 for the Malden River Works project.
The Malden Rivers Works project is a coalition of community leaders of color, youth, environmental advocates, designers, and government officials working to develop accessible recreation spaces along the Malden River. Malden River Works also works to improve the Malden River's wildlife habitat and Malden’s flood resiliency. The $150,000 in Action Grants awarded to Malden River Works in this funding cycle will fund the group’s 2021 production of a complete community generated design for a park on the banks of the Malden River.
“We cannot wait to take action to mitigate climate change’s impact on our community. However, we can’t stop at taking action, we also need to ensure that the action we take is inclusive and equitable, and benefits every member of our community” said Representative Steven Ultrino (D-Malden). “Malden River Works’ intersectional approach to building climate resiliency in Malden represents exactly the kind of effort we need, and I’m proud to say that our Commonwealth will now fund that vision.”