Housing Choice designation applications open for 2026

The Executive Office of Housing and Liveable Communities announced on Jan. 13 that it has opened the application period for the 2026 Housing Choice Initiative Designation.

The program has two designations: the Housing Choice Community Designation and a new Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Community Designation. The Executive Office of Housing and Liveable Communities defines rural and small towns as communities with a population under 7,000 or with a population density of fewer than 500 residents per square mile.

The Housing Choice Initiative rewards municipalities that have built new housing units at certain rates or amounts in the last five years and have adopted housing best practices to sustain a modern workforce and increase access to opportunity for Massachusetts residents.

Housing Choice communities receive exclusive access to the Housing Choice Grant Program and receive bonus points or other considerations for other participating programs.

Application criteria and best practices for the Housing Choice Community Designation and the Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Community Designation have been made available for interested communities.

Applicants must provide their community’s total year-round housing units from the 2020 Census and the net increase in year-round housing units from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2025. Applicants must also demonstrate the best housing practices and policies their community has implemented.

Applications are due by Feb. 27.

Additional information about the designation program is available online.

The Executive Office of Housing and Liveable Communities will host two webinars on Jan. 27 offering technical assistance with designation applications — one for rural and small towns from 2-3 p.m. and one for all other communities from 11 a.m. to noon.

Applicants may also sign up for one-on-one technical assistance office hours with EOHLC staff to discuss questions prior to submitting an application.