Community Benefits 101

Community Benefits 101

Community Benefits are safeguards to ensure that residents of neighborhoods or communities affected by a development project actually receive the benefits the project proposes to create. These benefits address a broad range of community needs, such as school improvements or local hiring, and areas of concern about the development, such as gentrification, displacement, or job quality.

The Community Benefits process begins by identifying a project that may potentially impact a neighborhood or community, and organizing a strategic coalition, including neighborhood leaders, community advocates, experts, faith leaders, faith leaders, and elected officials to work on the project. That coalition then develops a list of Community Benefits principles to create benefits for residents and workers and to address any potential challenges the development might create. Once a list of potential benefits is determined, community members meet with the developer and, when appropriate, city representatives to negotiate community benefits.

The result of this negotiations process is often a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). A CBA is a legally enforceable contract, signed by community groups and by a developer that specifically identifies the community benefits that a project must provide in order to receive community support and often a public subsidy.

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