Working Cities Challenge

Massachusetts Massachusetts

Completed
Competition 1

The Working Cities Challenge was launched in Massachusetts in 2013, and in January 2014, four cities spanning the eastern and western ends of the state were awarded a combined $1.6 million in funding. The multi-year grants were given to Chelsea, Holyoke, Fitchburg, and Lawrence so they could implement their vision for community improvement.

The competition concluded in fall 2018, and the four cities made significant progress toward improving the lives of residents. Their efforts included crime prevention, redevelopment and revitalization efforts in struggling neighborhoods, supporting diverse entrepreneurship, and transforming local workforce supports. Their hallmark was an approach that united local groups, some of which don’t organically interact, in pursuit of common goals.

What makes a community eligible?

What makes a community eligible?

Median family income below the median level for cities of this size

Poverty rate above the median level for cities of this size

Population between 35,000 and 250,000

Implementation Grant Winners

Chelsea
Massachusetts Competition 1

Chelsea
Fitchburg
Massachusetts Competition 1

Fitchburg
Holyoke
Massachusetts Competition 1

Holyoke
Lawrence
Massachusetts Competition 1

Lawrence

Eligible Communities

  • Brockton
  • Chelsea
  • Chicopee
  • Everett
  • Fall River
  • Holyoke
  • Lawrence
  • Lowell
  • Lynn
  • Malden
  • New Bedford
  • Pittsfield
  • Revere
  • Salem
  • Somerville
  • Springfield
  • Taunton
  • Worcester

Steering Committee

  • Tynesia Boyea-Robinson - Director of Collective Impact, Living Cities
  • Prabal Chakrabarti - Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
  • Kelsey Cintolo – Vice President, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership
  • Danielle Duplin - Vice President of Innovation, Fidelity Investments
  • Ben Forman - Research Director, MassInc.
  • Jeff Fuhrer - Executive Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
  • Jim Gomes – Director, Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise, Clark University
  • Robin Hacke - Advisor to the CEO, Living Cities
  • Marty Jones - President and CEO, MassDevelopment
  • Arthur Jemison - Assistant Secretary for Housing, Massachusetts Exec. Office of Housing and Economic Development
  • Dan O'Connell – President, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership
  • Tom Pappas - Move the World Foundation
  • Chris Pinney - Senior Vice President, The Alliance for Business Leadership
  • Susan Schlesinger – President, The Life Initiative
  • Michelle Volpe - Loan Fund President, Boston Community Capital
  • Richard Walker - Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Funding Partners

Partners