Berdo 2.0
Boston’s Building Emissions Reductions & Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO 2.0) is a landmark climate policy however for residents in Boston’s economically vulnerable neighborhoods, it presents a risk of "green displacement". As building owners move to comply with emissions caps, there is a significant risk that retrofit costs will be passed to low-income tenants, or that the upgrade process will be used as a pretext for "renovictions". Residents often lack the legal literacy or technical language to engage with City Officials and contractors, leaving them vulnerable during the decarbonization transition. Action for Equity recognizes that true climate and housing justice requires a radical shift in transparency, where the City provides independent technical advocates to ensure that decarbonization projects serve existing residents rather than speculative real estate interests.
While the City of Boston’s BERDO Reporting Portal is currently designed for building owners, management companies, consultants and third party verifiers residents can still access building-level progress through several public resources. A4E is actively advocating for a more “resident friendly" public access database to help tenants and advocates monitor progress and identify non-compliance as a key protection measure.
In the summer of 2025 the City of Boston Environmental Department put out an RFP seeking an integrated data and communication management system. The process invited vendors to, “propose an optional mapping module and other complementary tools as part of their solution. If provided, the mapping module would enable public-facing, near real-time visualization of BERDO compliance data, integrated with BERDO’s systems, and capable of displaying building-level information tied to BERDO IDs”.
Current BERDO Tracking Mechanisms include a BERDO Compliance Map to search for specific buildings and view their reported energy usage, water consumption and current compliance status as well as the BERDO Emissions Calculator to review building’s estimated emissions and future reduction limits.
The Equitable Emissions Investment Fund (EEIF)
A critical piece of the BERDO framework is the Equitable Emissions Investment Fund (Equitable Emissions Investment Fund | Boston.gov). This fund is designed to to support buildings that face the greatest challenges in reaching net-zero goals, particularly in environmental justice communities.
Tenant Protections Priorities
Below are the tenant protections the Action for Equity Coalition presented to the City of Boston initially in 2023 and subsequently again in 2025.
Prohibit Capital Cost Pass-throughs: Develop policies and practices that prevent landlords from passing the costs of energy efficiency upgrades to tenants through rent increases or extra fees.
Subsidies Accompanied w/Tenant Protections: Subsidies to offset cost can be offered to landlords if they adhere to a clearly defined set of tenant protections such as, but not limited to, an inability to raise rents for a given period of time if accessing these subsidies.
Tenant Habitability Plan: This requirement ensures that permits for renovation work include a plan to minimize disruption and maintain safe living conditions. If displacement is necessary, landlords can be required to reduce or waive rent for affected tenants and cover temporary +relocation costs.
Resident Communication & Engagement: Designate budget line for tenant liaisons as a designated point of contact to keep impacted tenants informed throughout the entirety of the process. Partner with community based organizations to support a robust public education campaign.
Tenants Rights Notification Process: Formalize notification protocols so there are uniform requirements for posting mandatory notices for all projects . Create an easily digestible and identified protection notice. Information should be provided in multiple languages as appropriate to ensure all tenants understand the process and their tenant rights. Residents should receive regular updates on the project's progress, including any changes to the schedule or scope of work. This is to be provided to all potentially impacted tenants (commercial and residential; deed-restricted and market.
Enforcement & Information Sharing: Develop enforcement mechanisms and budget funding for appropriately identified city departments to ensure that tenant rights are upheld and landlords who fail to comply are held accountable.
A4E’s Public Database and recommendation to hold annual meetings on tenants rights, review and recommend changes to regulations have been adopted.
While the City of Boston’s BERDO Reporting Portal is currently designed for building owners, management companies, consultants and third party verifiers residents can still access building-level progress through several public resources. A4E is actively advocating for a more “resident friendly" public access database to help tenants and advocates monitor progress and identify non-compliance as a key protection measure.
In the summer of 2025 the City of Boston Environmental Department put out an RFP seeking an integrated data and communication management system. The process invited vendors to, “propose an optional mapping module and other complementary tools as part of their solution. If provided, the mapping module would enable public-facing, near real-time visualization of BERDO compliance data, integrated with BERDO’s systems, and capable of displaying building-level information tied to BERDO IDs”.
Current BERDO Tracking Mechanisms include a BERDO Compliance Map to search for specific buildings and view their reported energy usage, water consumption and current compliance status as well as the BERDO Emissions Calculator to review building’s estimated emissions and future reduction limits.
The Equitable Emissions Investment Fund (EEIF)
A critical piece of the BERDO framework is the Equitable Emissions Investment Fund (Equitable Emissions Investment Fund | Boston.gov). This fund is designed to to support buildings that face the greatest challenges in reaching net-zero goals, particularly in environmental justice communities.
- Source of Funds: Revenue is generated from Alternative Compliance Payments made by buildings that do not meet their emissions targets.
- Funding Priorities: The fund prioritizes projects that achieve deep carbon savings while providing local benefits, such as improved indoor air quality and lower utility bills for low-income residents.
- Tenant Connection: As part of the A4E priorities, these subsidies are intended to be tied to tenant protections, ensuring public money helps stabilize housing rather than incentivizing rent increases.
Tenant Protections Priorities
Below are the tenant protections the Action for Equity Coalition presented to the City of Boston initially in 2023 and subsequently again in 2025.
Prohibit Capital Cost Pass-throughs: Develop policies and practices that prevent landlords from passing the costs of energy efficiency upgrades to tenants through rent increases or extra fees.
Subsidies Accompanied w/Tenant Protections: Subsidies to offset cost can be offered to landlords if they adhere to a clearly defined set of tenant protections such as, but not limited to, an inability to raise rents for a given period of time if accessing these subsidies.
Tenant Habitability Plan: This requirement ensures that permits for renovation work include a plan to minimize disruption and maintain safe living conditions. If displacement is necessary, landlords can be required to reduce or waive rent for affected tenants and cover temporary +relocation costs.
Resident Communication & Engagement: Designate budget line for tenant liaisons as a designated point of contact to keep impacted tenants informed throughout the entirety of the process. Partner with community based organizations to support a robust public education campaign.
Tenants Rights Notification Process: Formalize notification protocols so there are uniform requirements for posting mandatory notices for all projects . Create an easily digestible and identified protection notice. Information should be provided in multiple languages as appropriate to ensure all tenants understand the process and their tenant rights. Residents should receive regular updates on the project's progress, including any changes to the schedule or scope of work. This is to be provided to all potentially impacted tenants (commercial and residential; deed-restricted and market.
Enforcement & Information Sharing: Develop enforcement mechanisms and budget funding for appropriately identified city departments to ensure that tenant rights are upheld and landlords who fail to comply are held accountable.
A4E’s Public Database and recommendation to hold annual meetings on tenants rights, review and recommend changes to regulations have been adopted.
Big changes in Zoning coming to our Neighborhoods
Squares + Streets (Article 26) is a new planning and zoning initiative that will focus on housing, public space, small businesses, art and culture, and transportation in neighborhood centers and along main streets throughout Boston.
Codman Square + Four Corners, located along Washington Street in Dorchester are among the first areas where this initiative is being planned. The plan, as detailed on the City of Boston's planning website, intends to tackle community needs within a 6–9 month timeframe, responding to the housing crisis and aiming to reduce participation barriers. It proposes to update zoning, preserve affordable spaces, improve transportation, enhance climate resilience, and promote community identity.
The Codman Square + Four Corners plan aims to create a vision for public investment and growth in the area's central commercial blocks and transit assets. According to information on the City of Boston's planning website, the process involves community engagement, allowing residents, workers, and visitors to participate in shaping the area's future.
Action for Equity has raised concerns about the impact of the Squares + Streets initiative on our neighborhoods. The type of zoning being used is called form-based zoning. Studies indicate that form-based zoning can cause displacement without proper protections. The plan focuses on increasing density by allowing buildings up to six stories high in an already densely populated area. According to staff at the Boston Planning & Development Agency, the proposed affordable housing would start at 60% AMI (income of a single person at 60% AMI according to the city of Boston is 68,580) , excluding lower-income individuals and families and possibly raising rent prices. The average median income for a single person in Dorchester last recorded in 2017 is 49,662. This could lead to significant displacement. Additionally, new developments have lacked family units, which are already scarce in the city. Increased density does not guarantee more diverse businesses and could exacerbate existing traffic problems on streets that have one & two travel lanes such as a lot of the ones in Dorchester. There are also concerns about how increased density will affect infrastructure, including emergency services such as police, fire, and ambulance response times. We will provide more information on this initiative as the plan unfolds. Stay tuned.
Codman Square + Four Corners, located along Washington Street in Dorchester are among the first areas where this initiative is being planned. The plan, as detailed on the City of Boston's planning website, intends to tackle community needs within a 6–9 month timeframe, responding to the housing crisis and aiming to reduce participation barriers. It proposes to update zoning, preserve affordable spaces, improve transportation, enhance climate resilience, and promote community identity.
The Codman Square + Four Corners plan aims to create a vision for public investment and growth in the area's central commercial blocks and transit assets. According to information on the City of Boston's planning website, the process involves community engagement, allowing residents, workers, and visitors to participate in shaping the area's future.
Action for Equity has raised concerns about the impact of the Squares + Streets initiative on our neighborhoods. The type of zoning being used is called form-based zoning. Studies indicate that form-based zoning can cause displacement without proper protections. The plan focuses on increasing density by allowing buildings up to six stories high in an already densely populated area. According to staff at the Boston Planning & Development Agency, the proposed affordable housing would start at 60% AMI (income of a single person at 60% AMI according to the city of Boston is 68,580) , excluding lower-income individuals and families and possibly raising rent prices. The average median income for a single person in Dorchester last recorded in 2017 is 49,662. This could lead to significant displacement. Additionally, new developments have lacked family units, which are already scarce in the city. Increased density does not guarantee more diverse businesses and could exacerbate existing traffic problems on streets that have one & two travel lanes such as a lot of the ones in Dorchester. There are also concerns about how increased density will affect infrastructure, including emergency services such as police, fire, and ambulance response times. We will provide more information on this initiative as the plan unfolds. Stay tuned.
Action for Equity, Boston Tenant Coalition, and other member organizations are leading the way to higher IDP requirements in Boston
Coalition for A Truly Affordable Boston (CTAB) is a broad based coalition of grassroots, community, homeless and CDC working together to improve the City’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP). There are about 12-15 active groups and about 10 others that have supported new demands. The Boston Tenant Coalition anchors CTAB.
Learn more at: https://www.affordableboston.org/
Most Active Groups:
- Action for Equity
- Allston Brighton CDC
- Boston Tenant Coalition
- Chinese Progressive Association
- Dot Not 4 Sale
- Fenway CDC
- GBLS
- Greater Bowdoin Geneva Neighborhood Association
- Homes for Families
- JPNDC
- Keep it 100% for Real Affordability and Racial Justice
- MAHA
- Mass Alliance for HUD Tenants
- Reclaim Roxbury
- RISE
- Sierra Club
Make 1/3 of New Housing Truly Affordable
On Monday, August 19th over 1,000 Boston residents signed postcards to Mayor Walsh asking to MAKE THE IDP MATCH COMMUNITY NEEDS. A broad coalition is demanding that the Inclusionary Development Policy be changed so that 1/3 of new housing is Truly Affordable, at 30-70% AMI for rental units (40% AMI on average) and 50-100% for ownership units.
Over 100 Dorchester residents joined Dot Not for Sale, New England United for Justice, Boston Tenant Union, Asian American Resource Workshop, Action for Equity, and others both to listen to BPDA Housing Policy Manager Tim Davis and to tell the city our point of view. Residents were clear—Boston needs affordable housing!
Over 100 Dorchester residents joined Dot Not for Sale, New England United for Justice, Boston Tenant Union, Asian American Resource Workshop, Action for Equity, and others both to listen to BPDA Housing Policy Manager Tim Davis and to tell the city our point of view. Residents were clear—Boston needs affordable housing!
