BLDUP
Update
05/02/22
Boston Mayor to Reform City IDP and Linkage Program
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has announced a reform of the Inclusionary Development Policy and city Linkage Program. A critical tool in the development of affordable housing projects throughout the city, Mayor Wu's administration intends to direct reforms at its use in life science development projects.
“Safe, affordable housing is the foundation of our City’s recovery,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we work to address Boston’s housing crisis, I’m grateful to this team and committee who will drive these critical steps forward to ensure Boston is a city for everyone.”
The city has hired California-based David Paul Rosen & Associates as well as an 11-member Technical Advisory Committee to guide the study of the program reform.
"The study will look at a range of options to update the policy, including increasing the proportion of units that are income-restricted to at least 20 percent, deepening affordability requirements, increasing contribution fees to the IDP Fund, and other reforms so as to better meet Boston’s housing needs," said the administration.
The administration has enacted several significant policy changes within the Boston Planning & Development Agency, the city's planning/development arm. In April, BPDA director Brian Golden stepped down from his position, which was swiftly replaced with a newly created "chief of planning" position headed by HUD official James Arthur Jemison II.
Both the IDP and the Linkage studies are expected to be completed over the next several months and make policy recommendations to the Mayor’s Office of Housing in September.