Boston Will Urge Developers to Provide Diversity Disclosures

As reported by Yvonne Abraham in a paywalled article in the Boston Globe, the city of Boston plans to ask developers to provide diversity disclosures, which the city already requires for projects on publicly owned properties. The policy would encourage developers to consider equity and inclusion in their project teams.

While the city may not be able to mandate such disclosures for private land, “City housing chief Sheila Dillon said collecting data on developers’ diversity plans will be an invaluable tool to show both what the city is doing right and where it can improve.”

According to Abraham, “The disclosure would ask developers to ‘include economic participation, employment, and management roles by people of color, women,’ and certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises.” 

The BPDA plans to use data collected over the next six to nine months to understand disparities and eventually incorporate the policy into the city’s zoning code. “Segun Idowu, the city’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, said a policy change to BPDA’s Article 80 process — which is how most large real estate projects are reviewed by the city — would make sure that many who have been excluded from the real estate development process are able to participate in projects.”