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Inclusionary
Zoning
More
public resources means more affordability
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Boston
Tenant Coalition Victory
In spring of 2006 Mayor Menino announced changes to the
City's Inclusionary Zoning policy that could raise tens
of millions of dollars for affordable housing, create new
units, and better target those new resources and units for
low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
Inclusionary Zoning - also known as Inclusionary Development
Policy (IDP) - directs housing developers to set aside a
certain percentage of their new units as affordable. In
some cases, instead of building the units on site, the developer
has the option to build the units off-site or pay into a
fund for affordable housing. While the City has had an IDP
since 2000, the Boston Tenant Coalition and other housing
allies have sought reforms to the policy. The BTC advocated
for an increased percentage of affordable units and larger
pay-outs into the fund, as well as for the units and funds
generated by IDP to be truly affordable, as many of the
units created were not affordable to most Boston residents.
Part of the problem was the City's use of the area median
income, or AMI ($82,600 for a family of four), which was
almost twice the amount of the Boston city median household
income ($42,600 for a family of four). The AMI is the median
income of 142 cities and towns, many with much higher income
levels than Boston, and does not include individuals (which
are overwhelmingly elderly) or non-family households. Last
year At-Large City Councilor Felix Arroyo filed a resolution
and held a hearing about the affordability issue encouraging
the City of Boston to use the Boston city median household
income when designing affordable housing programs. The BTC
and our member groups mobilized and organized testimony
for the hearing to draw attention to this critical issue
of unaffordable 'affordable' housing.
The Massachusetts Association for Community Development
Corporations (MACDC), an important BTC ally, published a
report that examined Boston's IDP in a national context
and recommended several changes. The BTC arranged a series
of meetings with City officials about the IDP, including
tenant, homeless, and community groups spanning Boston's
neighborhoods. In addition, the BTC asked the new Housing
and Homeless Committees Chair, At- Large City Councilor
Sam Yoon to hold a hearing about IDP.
As a result of all of this advocacy by the BTC and its allies,
the City made several significant changes to the IDP including:
more than doubling the pay-out required for developers,
distributing the funds generated by IDP in a much more transparent
manner, lowering the income targets of the beneficiaries
of the program, and using the Boston median income (instead
of the area median income) as a measure in determining income
eligibility.
The BTC will monitor the implementation of these changes
to IDP and will continue to advocate for the units and funds
created by IDP to benefit low- and very low-income families
in addition to more moderate-income households.
For more information about Boston's IDP and the BTC's efforts
call the BTC at 617-423-8609.
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- What
is the Community Stabilization Act?
>> Overview
of the Community Stabilization Act
>>
Summary
of the Community Stabilization Act
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| 10,000
Homes Campaign |
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Pictures
from the rally for Clippership in Jamaica Plain >
[1] [2]
[3] [4]
[5] [6]
- Since
April of 2000, the BTC has been pushing forward with
its 10,000 Homes Campaign - a plan to create 10,000
affordable homes in Boston by the year 2005. The document
- Turning New Growth into Affordable Housing
- which explores this unique approach to confronting
the city's high-priority housing needs, may become available
online here for download.
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Take
your campaign to the top! All Mass senators and representatives
have a personal homepage - find yours today and don't
be afraid to contact them!
> Regional
index
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What
is Collective Bargaining?
When tenant associations organize around rent increases, unjust
evictions, or bad living conditions, they currently have a two-stage
process to protect the affordability of their homes. First,
they have to fight to bring the landlord to the table to negotiate.
Secondly, they have to fight to get a contract that protects
them. Organized labor unions have a law that that governs the
area of bargaining collectively once they are recognized. City
Life/Vida Urbana, a member organization of the Boston Tenant
Coalition, has proposed a similar right for tenant associations
in Boston.
The city ordinance is targeted to affect large owners who live
out-of town, and Boston owners of 20 units and more. It's an
important step to insure that there is a balance between profit
and the human need for housing. Formal recognition of the right
to collectively bargain would also help to balance the current
lack of choice (continued on next page)
Collective Bargaining
(continued from page 1)
when 'shopping' for such a basic human necessity and the very
large and hugely profitable investor owners who's selfishly
shortsighted business choices continue to create a public health
and safety, funding, moral and social crisis.
The owners of these properties, in general, never see the tenants
renting in buildings that they own. A lot of them live out of
state. One of the big differences between large investor owners
and individuals who live in Boston - owners or tenants - is
that corporate landlords view the city as a landscape of immediate
profit.
Unlike labor, tenants have no protections in place to help then
to negotiate and there is nothing legally in place to prevent
union busting. This effectively prevents any community accountability
of these large corporations.
The right for tenant associations to bargain collectively is
an important tool for Tenant Associations working to remain
in their homes. It is an important community right as well.
Setting a standard of civil, good faith dialogue and agreements
between tenant residents and corporate land owners would be
an important support in place to assist politicians and policy
makers in ending a housing crisis that doesn't have to be.
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Organizing
at the state level |
The
Citizen's Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is
"the non-profit umbrella organization for affordable
housing and community development activities throughout
Massachusetts." See what is happening in the state
house and beyond regarding these key issues.
> chapa.org
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