Combating Green Gentrification

How do we make our city greener and healthier for residents without displacing those who call it home? This question frames Combating Green Gentrification, a collaboration between GreenRoots and Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust, two resident-led organizations in Chelsea, MA, exploring the potential for green roofs on community land trust (CLT) homes.

Chelsea is a low-income, immigrant, environmental justice community facing increasing development pressures. Lack of green space negatively impacts residents of Chelsea in many ways, including poor air quality, high rates of asthma, greater flood risk from impervious surfaces, higher temperatures in hot months, and limited access to open space. Green roofs have the potential to address all of these issues. However they are costly to install, require maintenance, and can increase the value and appeal of a home, making them less accessible to low-income homeowners and potentially displacing existing residents. What would it take to install them on permanently affordable homes? What are the options, costs, and benefits for homeowners? Are they desirable to future CLT homeowners?

The project team researched green roofs, developed interactive materials to share with community members, and engaged the community in conversations about green roofs on CLT homes with an enthusiastic initial response. The team will continue to engage with community members and explore implementation with partners, funders, and green roof professionals. A pilot green roof on a CLT home will inform future efforts to realize this green infrastructure strategy in Chelsea through a framework of social, environmental, and economic justice.