Two new ordinances would measure displacement and define 'affordable' by neighborhood

"Affordable to whom?" is a question that comes up at almost every Boston neighborhood meeting about new housing. Two ordinances filed at the City Council on Oct. 21 try to answer it, and to require the city to measure whether a development will push people out before it is approved.

City Councilor Julia Mejia introduced both, with City Councilor Brian Worrell as second sponsor. Both went to the Government Operations Committee. Mejia said the filing is meant to start a public process and that the sponsors plan to return in 2027 with stronger legislation (watch at 1:12:50).

What the first ordinance would do

The Displacement Impact Mitigation Initiative and Trust Fund (docket 1959) would require the city's development review division to assess every proposed project for displacement risk, with public input and an appeal process before final approval. For projects found to pose a risk, the city would have to publish a report and identify mitigation steps. A trust fund, subject to council and mayoral approval, would pay for those steps and help affected residents, businesses and organizations. Reports would be filed with the City Clerk and placed on the council's agenda, with an annual hearing.

Mejia said the fund could be paid for by sources such as a new linkage fee on developers, which the sponsors are exploring (1:18:56). City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune was added as a third sponsor.

What the second ordinance would do

The Neighborhood-Based Affordability Standards ordinance (docket 1960) starts from the fact that "affordable" housing is usually priced off the federal regional area median income, or AMI, which covers the whole Boston area. The ordinance would set neighborhood-level income benchmarks and require them in city housing grants, loans and leases of city land where the city has legal authority to set affordability terms. It says the local measure would not replace federal income limits.

The ordinance lays out a timeline: a 180-day working group led by the Mayor's Office of Housing to draw boundaries and calculation methods, a 90-day public comment period with at least one meeting in each council district, and 90 more days to finalize rules. City Councilor Miniard Culpepper was added as a third sponsor.

What councilors said

Mejia said affordability is not only about building more housing but about keeping the people who built neighborhoods in them (1:11:48). She said incomes in Mattapan, Back Bay and Grove Hall are very different, and the city should reflect that where it can (1:19:57).

Worrell cited the city Office of Housing's displacement heat map: the citywide average score is 3.1, he said, while parts of his district score as high as 6.8 out of 7 (1:13:51). He said the proposal could complement his own work on special protection zones and a neighborhood impact commission.

Louijeune said research shows it is cheaper to keep someone in their home than to build a new unit for them, and pointed to the city's Acquisition Opportunity Program (1:15:23). Culpepper said regional AMI does not reflect what families in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan can afford (1:22:31).

What our records show

The council's record lists 12 sponsors on the trust fund ordinance and 10 on the affordability standards ordinance. City Councilor Sharon Durkan is not listed on either; Council President Liz Breadon and City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata are not listed on the second.

The same day, the council adopted City Councilor Enrique Pepén's resolution urging Congress to reverse cuts to federal public housing and voucher budgets (docket 1973), and sent the "Bad Landlords List" ordinance to the same committee (our coverage).

What's next

Both ordinances are in the Government Operations Committee with no hearing date. Because the sponsors say they want to rework them before 2027, a final vote this year is unlikely. Hearings will be listed on the city's public notices and our meetings page.