On the heels of the legislature’s Gateway Cities Tour recently held in Brockton, I joined with Representatives Geri Creedon and Mike Brady today to unveil a number of their proposals aimed at revitalizing the City of Brockton and similar so-called ‘Gateway Cities’ throughout the Commonwealth.
The announcement of these measures, which were filed during the past few weeks for consideration in the 2009-10 session of the Massachusetts General Court, culminates a year-long effort by state and local leaders to better understand the challenges of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities – many of whom share a common industrial past – and recommend a number of policy reforms that would help address these challenges.
During an October 15th tour and roundtable discussion hosted by held by my colleagues and I in the Brockton legislative delegation, city officials, business leaders, and representatives from the region’s public colleges and universities, joined with members of the legislature’s Gateway Cities Caucus to discuss ongoing efforts to enhance the economic stability of the former ‘Shoe City’. This discussion touched upon the greater need for targeted state development assistance, the need for reforming housing laws and policies, as well as strengthening educational and workforce investment programs, with specific regard to the health care industry, in Brockton and all Gateway Cities.
One bill that would help Gateway Cities accomplish these goals is a proposal that I have introduced to spur investment in historic buildings by expanding the Commonwealth’s historic rehabilitation tax credit program. Buildings in Brockton, like those in so many other Gateway Cities, have unique histories which have long contributed to the fabric of these areas.
The bill would modestly raise the current cap on the credit from $50 million to $80 million, and require that 30% of the program’s funding be awarded to Gateway Cities based on a formula that includes population rates, median household income, the Commonwealth’s per capita income, and the education attainment rate of a city. The increased funds from the program would provide enhanced resources to property owners as they look to re-invest in, modernize, and improve these historic buildings within the Gateway Cities.
At the October meeting of the legislature’s Gateway Cities Caucus, those in attendance also discussed the significant partnership that many cities currently have with local hospitals, many of whom serve predominantly low-income populations. Brockton, for example, is home to four major health providers – Caritas Good Samaritan Hospital, Signature Healthcare-Brockton Hospital, Brockton VA Hospital, and the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center – that play crucial roles in the lives and employment opportunities of city residents. Under a proposal sponsored by Representative Creedon, there would be a program established entitled the ‘Strategic Investment in Chronically Distressed Hospital (SICDSH) Program’. The SICDSH Program would provide annual funding relief to hospitals located in economically distressed or tourist-based communities that consistently show a net operating margin below the Massachusetts hospital industry median due to under-funding from the MassHealth reimbursement program and losses on publicly-funded behavioral health care programs.
“Healthcare is the number one employer in Brockton and our region. We must focus on the financial wellbeing of these facilities and these institutions, within which many of the employees trained at Massasoit Community College Nursing and Radiologic Technology programs and the Brockton Hospital School of Nursing,” noted Representative Creedon.
Another bill introduced by Representative Brady would also strengthen the City of Brockton’s partnership with local colleges and universities in hopes of further revitalizing Downtown Brockton. State and local leaders throughout Greater Brockton have worked continuously with representatives from Massasoit Community College, Bridgewater State College and various other local colleges and universities to expand their programming throughout the city. This bill would create a college
collaborative with interested colleges located in Downtown Brockton that would offer for-credit courses, welfare-to-work and ESL programs.
“I feel it’s important to have a college collaboration downtown. This is crucial to help spur further economic development. I believe there is also a waiting list for thousands to be accepted into the ESL program. This will work well with our smart growth initiative,” added Representative Brady.
In addition to these proposals, members of the city’s legislative delegation have also co-sponsored a number of other measures that seek to bolster the Commonwealth’s commitment to Gateway Cities. One, sponsored by Representative Tony Cabral (D-Fall River), includes provisions that would enhance job creation incentives and strengthen homeownership programs.
