Victory! Language Access Compliance Agreement in Boston

Lawyers for Civil Rights helped to secure a landmark compliance agreement between the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on language access. 

This historic agreement is in direct response to the complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights on behalf of Spanish and Arabic speakers affiliated with City Life / Vida Urbana and GreenRoots in connection with development projects raising climate and housing concerns, such as Suffolk Downs in East Boston. 

Under the agreement, a new language access plan and policy will be applied to all current and future projects seeking BPDA approval. 

While our work in connection with housing affordability continues with our community allies, this language access victory will support, engage, and empower non-English speakers across the City. This will also help create a template for language access programming, accessibility, and accountability across local, regional, and national agencies. 

The compliance agreement is available here:

Suffolk-Downs-Final-Executed-VCA