Resident Power (2 of 2)

In addition, Chinatown residents in the Hudson Street for Chinatown group have been working hard over the last six months to include language about community control and deep permanent affordability for families in the Parcel 24 Vision. Residents called for land ownership by a community entity that was separate from the development entity and approval by both the CRA and the CNC over the tentative and final designation of the developer. Furthermore, residents demanded that housing on the site reflect the need for more family-appropriate units and Chinatown’s average income by making all rental units affordable to low-income families and significant ownership opportunities for low and moderate-income families. As a result, these points became part of the Hudson Street for Chinatown Vision for Parcel 24, supported by a broad consensus among community leaders.

Comprehensive Planning and Community Control
Residents know that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done and much more the community needs to learn about development. With projects like Mass Pike Towers II, Parcel 24, Kensington, and South Bay, Chinatown residents are getting inundated with multiple land development plans at the same time. While the City traditionally has considered development project-by-project, there is a desperate need for comprehensive planning in Chinatown. This comprehensive plan needs to take into consideration the effects of already existing towers such as Millenium, Metropolitan, and Liberty Place in conjunction with any new development plans. And with the ongoing, massive, ten-acre development of South Bay parcels, which the city and state are already calling “The Gateway to Boston” and slating for large commercial buildings in order to make millions of dollars, Chinatown will be faced with the daunting task of forcing the government to respect the Chinatown Master Plan and acknowledging the dramatic impact the developments will have on the residential neighborhood.

Developing Strategies
Chinatown needs to respond with more sophisticated strategies. Residents are learning to utilize political strategies such as city council hearings or legislative proposals as an important part of their organizing. CPA and CRA recently helped to initiate a citywide coalition begin working on longer-term policy reform. We are working with graduate students from UMass/Boston to document the gentrification threat and quality-of-life issues in Chinatown. CPA has also begun investigating longer-term methods for increasing community control of the land, such as through the use of a community land trust to preserve land for affordable housing or open space.

If you would like to learn more or get involved, please contact the CPA office.