Examining Boston’s Affordable Housing Programs

Inclusionary Zoning, Linkage, and the Community Preservation Act Provide Critical Income-Restricted Housing Units

How much income-restricted housing has been created or preserved in Boston through Inclusionary Zoning, Linkage, and the Community Preservation Act? What do Boston’s affordable housing outcomes look like across these three programs by unit type, affordability level, and neighborhood? Two of the three of the City’s primary generators for affordable housing, Inclusionary Zoning and Linkage, directly depend on either residential or commercial construction to produce affordable units. How can Boston strengthen affordable housing production, funding stability, and transparency in a constrained development and revenue environment?

Report Objectives

This report provides information and insights on:

• • Boston’s three largest affordable housing programs relying on real estate development: Inclusionary Zoning, Linkage, and the Community Preservation Act
  • Differences in program requirements, unit production, and affordability levels
  • Revenue mechanisms for each program and how funds have been used for affordable housing
  • Impact of slowed real estate development on affordable housing production

To read more about Boston’s affordable housing programs, read the full report here: