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Residents and commercial tenants will get an early heads-up of proposed redevelopments in Boston under a pilot program designed to cushion the effects of displacement.
The Boston Planning Department will launch the 12-month “direct displacement” disclosure pilot in January. It applies to projects seeking approval under the zoning code’s Article 80 large and small projects reviews.
Developers will be required to provide notification 30 days in advance to arts and cultural tenants, small businesses and residents facing displacement. A review of past projects pointed to some of the strategies included in the pilot.
“In optimal cases, tenants were aware of the proposed project and could plan their lives accordingly,” said Katharine Lusk, executive director of the multi-department Planning Advisory Council.
But national chains and franchises are specifically exempt from receiving mitigation.
In “select instances,” the city will review additional mitigation for projects that would displace vulnerable populations such as disabled individuals, households with income under 80 percent of area median income and 62-and-older residents. The mitigation could include relocation payments of $15,000 per household, 12-month notice to vacate and preference to return to the property upon completion.
Displacement of beloved cultural landmarks and naturally occurring affordable housing have prompted calls for city officials to add regulations to protect tenants.
During a public outreach period, developers asked that the process be standardized through zoning language and that it not extend the permitting process, Lusk said during a presentation Thursday to the BPDA board of directors.
The regulations also reflect a potential surge in redevelopment as neighborhoods are rezoned under Boston’s Squares + Streets program, which encourages higher density multifamily development. The BPDA board also has approved the potentially transformative PLAN: Downtown rezoning, subject to final approval on Wednesday at the Zoning Commission.
“We heard from the community – including residents, arts and small business stakeholders – a strong desire for the city to implement the disclosure before rezoning is passed,” Lusk said.
Groups also asked for a focus on protecting anchor tenants that have “high community value” and an option for tenants to return once projects are completed.
The city will post tenant notification forms in 12 languages for use by developers by Jan. 1.
A survey of other cities failed to find any similar policies, Lusk said.
“We haven’t found anything comparable that is thinking as holistically about both residential and commercial and cultural displacement,” Lusk said.
The city’s anti-displacement action plan was approved in July 2025 and sets goals for preventing or mitigating effects of redevelopment on residential tenants, small businesses and cultural spaces.
Boston’s condominium conversion ordinance already provides payments starting at $10,000 for tenants facing eviction.
Image courtesy of Boston Planning & Development Agency
