Housing and Community Development
Of the many challenges facing today's urban areas, providing adequate, affordable housing and fostering healthy and economic development are among the most complicated and acute. Sprawled development, gentrification and displacement, urban disinvestment, and the legacy of fewer wealth building opportunities have contributed to greater segregation, frayed social relationships, and decreased community engagement in many places. UEP students can pursue interests in housing and community development through courses, field projects, thesis topics, and internships with community partners. These offer opportunities to learn about the interplay of social, economic, and political factors and their relationships to land-use, urban design, transportation policy, and community health.
Related Programs
- MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
- MS in Environmental Policy and Planning
- Master of Public Policy
- MS Sustainability
- Combined Degree Programs (Bachelor’s/Master’s)
- Management of Community Organizations Certificate
Featured Classes
UEP 0113-01/0213-01 Housing Policy
Instructor: Goldman
UEP 0262-01 Solidarity Economy Movements
Instructor: Loh
UEP 0293-02 Community Practice
Instructor: Loh
UEP 0294-24 Housing and Inequality
Instructor: Shamsuddin
UEP 0294-24 Housing, Neighborhoods, and Schools
Instructor: Shamsuddin
Featured Faculty
Featured Alumni
- Erwin Li, City Life/Vida Urbana
- Molly Kaviar, Just a Start
- Nick Pittman, LISC Massachusetts
- Minnie McMahon, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
- Meridith Levy, Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust
- Ben Baldwin, Somerville Community Land Trust
- Monica Dean, Madison Park CDC
- Kimberly Lyle, Dorchester Bay EDC
- Rachel Garshick Kleit
- Christine Madore
- Kristine Stratton
- Ralph Willmer
Field Project & Thesis Examples
- Partner: Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network
- Partner: Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust
- 2021: Project: Public Housing in Massachusetts: Process, Implementation, and Applicant Responsiveness
- Partner: MA Department of Housing and Community Development
- Leading the Way or Not: Racial Diversity of Leadership in Community Development Organizations
- On the Ground: 40B Developments Before and After
- Analyzing Risk of Displacement and Affordable Housing Opportunities in Southwest Boston
- Josh McLinden: UEP Thesis Award Winner, 2023. Building Power: Tenant Organizing, Community Land Trusts, and the Right to the City: A Study of Housing Justice in Boston
- Katy Wassam: UEP Thesis Award Winner, 2022. Understanding the Passage and Expiration of Massachusetts’ Unprecedented Statewide Eviction Moratorium
- Affordable Housing Creation Through Regulation of the Private Market: Inclusionary Zoning and Linkage Programs (Cecilia Nardi)
- The Housing Market in Egypt After the Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for Foreign Direct Investment (Mark Attia)
- Community and Economic Development Strategies for Revitalization of Former Mill Towns in Massachusetts (Christine Madore)