An Act to establish a commission to review equitable city planning and development

This bill establishes a new Commission on Equitable City Planning and Development within the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. The commission will consist of the department director, a representative from the Commission Against Discrimination, and a tenant advocate appointed by the Attorney General. Its primary function is to require local planning agencies in cities with over 100,000 residents to regularly assess fair housing and anti-displacement issues and submit improvement plans to the state department. The legislation defines key terms such as "anti-displacement" and "fair housing" to guide these assessments, ensuring that vulnerable populations like low-income residents and immigrants are considered in urban development.