The Community Preservation Act (CPA) supports Historic Preservation, Recreation, Open Space, and Community Housing. The CPA is a smart growth tool that helps communities preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. The CPA also helps strengthen the state and local economies by expanding housing opportunities and construction jobs for the Commonwealth's workforce, and by supporting the tourism industry through preservation of the Commonwealth's historic and natural resources.
Community preservation monies are raised locally through the imposition of a 1% surcharge. There is also a statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, which provides distributions each year to communities that have adopted CPA. Beverly created a local Community Preservation Committee (CPC), as required by the Act, that reviews project proposals and makes recommendations for funding to the Beverly City Council.
