Mayor Wu Releases Final Anti-Displacement Action Plan for the City of Boston

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BOSTON - Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - Mayor Wu today released the final anti-displacement action plan for the City of Boston, A Place to Thrive. A Place to Thrive lays out a two-year plan for City departments to help stabilize residents, small businesses, and cultural organizations that may face direct or economic displacement, helping to ensure all Bostonians can thrive and flourish here. This final plan incorporates feedback from residents, business owners, artists and cultural operators and other important stakeholders following a public comment period which began in March.

"Keeping shop doors open, lights on, and people stably housed is the work we do every day," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Over the last four years, Boston has invested more than ever before to stabilize residents, small businesses, cultural organizations, and neighborhoods. This Action Plan recognizes that we must grow the supply of housing for people of all incomes to stabilize our communities. And it shows that good growth is possible."

The City's anti-displacement efforts are grounded in four main tenets: protect, preserve, produce, and prosper. The City is working to stabilize households by protecting people – particularly lower-income and vulnerable renters and homeowners – from displacement; preserving existing housing; producing new housing for people at all income levels; and promoting prosperity through homeownership. The City is also working to stabilize small businesses and cultural operators by protecting neighborhood anchors, preserving places and spaces significant to the community, producing new commercial/cultural spaces in priority areas, and promoting prosperity through ownership and contracting opportunities.

Protect
  • Expanded condominium conversion ordinance to extend protections to residents of small buildings, where the majority of conversions occur  
  • A direct displacement disclosure so that developers can proactively address tenant impacts as part of new developments
  • A new Eviction Prevention Action Plan, developed with the community and responsive to neighborhood needs  
  • The City's first Residential Displacement Risk Map - an innovative tool for the City and community to understand and better aid residents most at risk
  • New efforts to best match residents in need with available homes, through additional lottery preferences and a single application portal
  • A Fair Housing review of the Planning Department to ensure policies and practices align with fair housing regulations
  • Priority legislation for the people of Boston, including tax relief for our homeowners, expanded personal tax exemptions for small businesses, access to legal counsel, and rent stabilization
  • Site finding assistance and space readiness supports to activate vacant storefronts

Preserve
  • A $12 million+ Boston Acquisition Fund to buy and preserve homes and the longstanding communities who reside within them    
  • Greater recognition of areas of cultural, historical, and community importance
  • Affirmative Cultural Zoning to preserve and legalize priority uses, such as cultural and entertainment venues

Produce
  • A $110 million Housing Accelerator Fund to close financing gaps for projects that have already been approved but have been unable to start construction
  • Expansion of the City's successful Office to Residential Conversion program to include workforce housing and student housing
  • Accessory Commercial Unit zoning to legalize "backyard businesses" in more areas of Boston
  • A Civic and Cultural Infrastructure plan to understand priority needs and help realize them through new developments

Prosper
  • A co-purchasing homebuyer pilot to get more people on the path to ownership
  • Estate planning support for older adults, to help ensure their homes and assets can stay in the family
  • A Commercial Acquisition Assistance Program to help small businesses buy their property and build wealth
  • A new commitment to exploring inclusive economic development financing tools for the Fairmount Corridor

"Boston residents are demanding strong protections against displacement, and this plan delivers. After decades when many public officials downplayed Boston's displacement crisis, it's exciting to see the City listen and respond to community feedback with concrete tools to keep children, families, and seniors in our homes and communities," said Noemi Mimi Ramos Executive Director New England Community Project and Homes for All Mass Co-Anchor. "The city's plan takes important steps to stabilize rents and to shift existing housing from the speculative market to permanent affordability. And as the Homes for All coalition works with more than a hundred partners across Massachusetts to pass rent stabilization legislation at the state level, we're especially glad that support for rent stabilization remains a key anti-displacement goal for the City of Boston."

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"We're encouraged to see the Mayor's final draft of the Anti-Displacement Action Plan incorporate so much feedback from residents and advocates," said Armani White, Executive Director of Reclaim Roxbury. "This plan shows a real commitment to addressing the root causes of displacement, with strong support for fair housing, inclusionary zoning, and rent stabilization, along with innovative tools like the co-purchasing pilot and prioritizing displaced and rent-burdened residents in housing lotteries. These are the bold, thoughtful policies our communities need to remain in the neighborhoods they've built. We look forward to continuing to work with the City to turn these commitments into reality.

"Seniors across the city have experienced the displacement of friends, family, and neighbors for decades, and now many of us worry about whether we will be able to afford to age in the communities we helped build," said Mack Knight, Jr, President of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council's Boston Chapter. "We are encouraged by the city's anti-displacement action plan because it goes beyond simply identifying the problem and outlines the city's commitment to taking specific steps to address the underlying causes of displacement. We appreciate Mayor Wu and her team for developing particular actions to address some of the unique needs of senior homeowners and renters."

"As both community focused developers and longtime supporters of Boston's Main Streets program, we have seen the direct positive impacts that small and local businesses can have on a neighborhood," said Steve Samuels, Chairman of Samuels & Associates. "We appreciate that the mayor's action plan takes this important segment into consideration and considers multiple strategies that balance the positive impacts of development with steps to address displacement risk."

"We are very pleased by the Administration's deep commitment to addressing displacement in Boston, developing a very comprehensive plan and developing in conjunction with community leaders and organizations focused on this critical issue," said Kathy Brown, Executive Director for the Boston Tenant Coalition. "I want to highlight a few of the critical strategies that are part of the ADAP—Rent Stabilization, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, key improvements to the City's Inclusionary Development policy and new strategies to support small businesses and prevent cultural displacement."

"After more than a year of meetings and conversations, the Chinese Progressive Association is pleased to see the City of Boston release its final Anti-Displacement Action Plan, A Place to Thrive. This plan reflects the tireless efforts of housing justice advocates across the city, and we applaud Mayor Wu and her team for taking bold steps — including support for rent stabilization and stronger protections for elders — in response to community feedback," said Karen Chen, Executive Director of the Chinese Progressive Association. "While much more must be done to stabilize Boston's working-class neighborhoods, this action plan marks a meaningful step forward in protecting those most at risk of displacement and advancing a more just and equitable city. We look forward to continuing our work with the Wu Administration to ensure development without displacement."

"The Office of Black Male Advancement remains committed to working on anti-displacement efforts with our city partners. This includes removing barriers to housing access and increasing affordable homeownership for our residents," said Frank Farrow, Executive Director of the Office of Black Male Advancement. "We know that homeownership is the most effective way to ensure housing stability, prevent displacement, and build generational wealth for Black men and families."

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"As corporate real estate investors target our neighborhoods in their search for endless profits, the city's plan takes important steps to stabilize rents and to shift existing housing from the speculative market to permanent affordability," said Denise Matthews-Turner Co-Executive Director of City Life/Vida Urbana. "Rent stabilization is a key tool to prevent the displacement of so many working class families of color facing no fault evictions and enormous rent increases who come to our meetings each week. We appreciate the City's support for rent stabilization legislation, and we look forward to working together to win strong rent stabilization for tenants in Boston and across the state."

Throughout the comment period, the City heard from residents in every corner of Boston. Bostonians expressed their broad support for the City's first comprehensive plan to address displacement. The City engaged with and listened to more than 400 stakeholders, through comment letters, an online survey, community workshops and small group discussions. While the City is committed to advancing the whole plan, comments from constituents reinforced and clarified their highest priorities when it comes to anti-displacement. Their advocacy also informed multiple changes to the final plan, including reaffirming the City's continued support for rent stabilization, and developing and advocating for new supports for older adult renters who face housing insecurity. Boston residents were also emphatic about the need to build more housing for people of all incomes, and streamline permitting processes to realize that goal.

The City will continue to adapt and evolve these tools and initiatives as circumstances and needs change for residents and business owners, and remains committed to executing A Place to Thrive over a two year period and providing a public update one year from the final approval of the plan. Constituents can review the full plan at boston.gov/anti-displacement. The BPDA Board will consider the final plan for adoption at their board meeting on Thursday, July 17.

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