Groundbreaking Efforts in Boston to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing

April 28, 2021  

Groundbreaking Efforts in Boston to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing

The In Depth section on HUD User’s Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse (RBC) takes a closer look at innovative state and local strategies, activities, and plans to mitigate the impacts of regulations on the development of affordable housing. Each In Depth article highlights a particular plan, ordinance, or strategy in the RBC database and elaborates on aspects such as the approval process, stakeholder participation, and the progress made in reducing regulatory barriers.

The most recent In Depth highlights efforts in the city of Boston to examine fair housing in response to HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and assessment tool. Created in 2016, Boston’s fair housing assessment established 14 goals and more than 100 implementation strategies, including a plan to use zoning regulations to promote fair housing. Enacted in January 2021, Boston’s AFFH Zoning Amendment requires developers to undergo an AFFH assessment process in which they outline the size and scope of proposed developments and estimate levels of exclusion and displacement nearby proposed sites. The amendment also requires developers to commit to interventions such as providing affordable and accessible units; establishing lower income targets; adding units with two or more bedrooms; committing to host project-based voucher or Rental Assistance Demonstration units; and marketing units to existing neighborhood residents and non-English speakers.

Visit HUD User’s RBC In Depth page to learn more about zoning reform in Boston and other plans and initiatives that state and local governments have enacted to reduce impediments to affordable housing.