Mission

Creating and maintaining a diversified housing stock that is accessible, affordable, and energy-efficient are important priorities for the City of Boston. The BPDA implements the City's Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) to preserve access to affordable housing opportunities in all of Boston's neighborhoods. In collaboration with the city's Department of Neighborhood Development and Office of Fair Housing and Equity, our agency works toward achieving the goals articulated in the City of Boston's 2014 Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 report. BPDA staff monitors compliance with restrictions on thousands of middle-income units throughout the City. For more information see the Inclusionary Development Policy Update. For results on the program through 2020, see the 2020 Bridging the Gap Report.

The BPDA's Housing Team: What We Do

The BPDA does not own affordable units, and our staff does not distribute applications to the general public. Instead, we assist the developers/agents who do process applications to ensure any available units are filled with eligible residents.

While we do not provide individualized assistance to people seeking housing, our team serves as a resource for leasing agents, real estate brokers, lenders, developers, community development corporations, and other municipal offices and community agencies.

Members of the Housing staff work closely with the BPDA's Legal and Development Review divisions. We provide analysis and tracking of the restrictions on our growing portfolio of affordable units. Our Compliance Managers provide guidance, referrals, and training where appropriate on IDP standards and affordable housing program protocol.

Program Overview

Members of the public must apply through the development's owner or designated agent, not through the BPDA. Our flowchart gives an overview of the process, which begins with the construction of new affordable units.

When a development finishes construction, its new units are advertised according to an approved marketing plan. Typically a plan will require the units be made available to eligible households through a lottery overseen by the city's Office of Fair Housing and Equity. Lottery results may be sorted according to applicable preferences which are designed to provide fair and equitable access to opportunity. The developer/agent reviews each applicant household's eligibility in order of the corresponding lottery rankings. After a preliminary finding of eligibility, the developer/agent submits the household's application to BPDA staff for final approval. This process repeats until all affordable units in the development are filled with eligible households.

For developments with affordable rental units, the BPDA trains leasing agents on income certification procedures. Ongoing regular reviews ensure the appropriate application of BPDA income and rent requirements. For affordable condominiums, our staff reviews documentation of occupancy, enforces limits on the amounts of mortgages secured by the units, and oversees sale and resale transactions.

For more information, please contact the Housing Information Line at 617.918.4306.

Key Documents about the Inclusionary Development Policy and the BPDA's housing program

Private developers, through the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP), provide IDP housing units affordable to moderate to middle income households. Please explore the documents below related to these opportunities. If you have questions about these documents, please review the FAQs page before contacting the BPDA. Many of your questions may be answered there.

Policy Documents

• Inclusionary Development Policy Executive Order
• Inclusionary Development Policy
• Explanation of the Inclusionary Development Policy
• Inclusionary Development Policy Zone Designations
• Inclusionary Development Policy Flow Chart/Process for Development Review
• Inclusionary Development Policy Zone Location Finder
  (To search for an address type the whole address in the search bar including street number, street name, city/town/neighborhood, and state. The locator is for guidance only. To confirm a location, please contact Development Review staff.)

Housing Program Documents

• Income Calculation Package
  (Includes instructions, worksheet, manual form, and examples. Zip folder will download directly to your computer)
• Affordable Housing Income Limits
• Notice of Intent to Sell Form (For current owners of affordable units.)
• Refinance Request (For current owners of affordable units.)
• Annual Lease Renewal and Income Verification (For development leasing office staff only.)

Looking for a housing application? Application forms are not made available online - visit our FAQ page to find out why and to learn how the program works.