Ground Floor Commercial Incentive

Brookline needs housing that is affordable for people earning a variety of income levels, including “workforce” housing.

The MBTA-CA Consensus Warrant Article includes a ground floor commercial incentive that allows a developer to charge more for the building’s required affordable housing units if they build out the ground floor for a commercial tenant. This tradeoff avoids a major up-front cost for a small business seeking to occupy the ground floor, while keeping the apartments affordable at a “workforce” level.

By accepting the incentive, a developer can charge rent that is affordable for a person who earns up to 70% of the Area Median Income (AMI) instead of 50% of AMI. If the housing unit is an affordable condo, it can be sold for a price affordable for a person who earns up to 100% of AMI instead of 80%.

This incentive was reviewed and approved by the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) and the Housing Advisory Board (HAB). The proposal was laid out at an EDAB meeting on May 8, 2023 and approved at a HAB meeting on June 7, 2023. The proposal was also approved by EDAB on June 20, 2023.