Reclaim Roxbury

Reclaim Roxbury Reclaim Roxbury: a process by the Roxbury community to chart their own future neighborhood developme

Reclaim Roxbury is an ongoing community-driven effort building a new community-based structure and process for Roxbury to chart its own community-led vision and course for the future of the neighborhood. This effort was convened by City Councilor Tito Jackson with the technical support of Ceasar McDowell, Ofer Lerner, and graduate students of the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning as well as Roxbury Community College.

A new name. A legacy remembered. A story that belongs to Roxbury.On July 18, Roxbury came together to celebrate the offi...
08/25/2026

A new name. A legacy remembered. A story that belongs to Roxbury.

On July 18, Roxbury came together to celebrate the official renaming of the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library as the Shaw-Roxbury Branch, honoring journalist, community leader, and Roxbury daughter Sarah-Ann Shaw.
Sarah-Ann Shaw spent her life telling stories, challenging systems, advocating for her community, and making sure voices that were often overlooked were heard. Her legacy is deeply connected to the history, culture, and future of Roxbury.
This moment was more than a name change. It was a reminder of what happens when a community shows up to honor its history, preserve its stories, and carry its legacy forward. Our organization also have a personal connection to Sarah-Ann Shaw - our board member Kai Palmer Dunning is one of Sarah Ann Shaws grandchildren and continues on the legacy of advocacy in the family through his professional work advocating for energy justice, and through his role stewarding the organization as a board member since 2017.

Reclaim Roxbury was proud to be on the ground for this historic moment.
We keep showing up for our stories, our neighborhoods, our history, and our future.
Stay engaged. Stay informed. Stay involved.


Hundreds of voices. One shared message.Tenants, homeowners, small landlords, advocates, and community members came toget...
08/06/2026

Hundreds of voices. One shared message.

Tenants, homeowners, small landlords, advocates, and community members came together at the Massachusetts State House to call for policies that help keep people in the communities they call home.
This rally was a powerful reminder that lasting change happens when people organize, show up, and make their voices heard.
Thank you to everyone across the state who stood together in support of housing stability and stronger communities.

The work continues and so does our commitment to advocating for housing justice across Massachusetts.
Stay engaged. Stay informed. Stay involved.

Have you ever wondered who decides what gets built in your neighborhood?Every new housing development, park, street impr...
08/03/2026

Have you ever wondered who decides what gets built in your neighborhood?

Every new housing development, park, street improvement, or public space starts with planning. But planning shouldn't happen to communities, it should happen with them.
The Planning Academy is a free learning opportunity that helps Boston residents better understand housing, zoning, development, and how to have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of their neighborhoods.
Whether you're passionate about affordable housing, community development, or simply want to better understand how decisions are made, this program equips you with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to get involved.

Through interactive sessions, you'll:
- Learn how planning impacts everyday life
- Understand housing and development processes
- Connect with neighbors and community leaders
- Build confidence to advocate for your community

At Reclaim Roxbury, we believe informed communities create stronger neighborhoods. If you've ever wanted to take a more active role in shaping Boston's future, this is a great place to start.
- Swipe through to learn more.
Application Deadline is today! Monday, August 3, 2026

What question do you have about planning, housing, or development?
Drop it in the comments, we'd love to hear from you.


This Juneteenth, we reflect on the legacy of slavery and the ongoing responsibility to repair the harms it created. Free...
06/19/2026

This Juneteenth, we reflect on the legacy of slavery and the ongoing responsibility to repair the harms it created. Freedom delayed was justice denied. More than 160 years later, the work of building a truly equitable future continues.

Today, we recognize Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley () for helping advance the national conversation around Reparations and for carrying forward important federal leadership on this issue. We are also proud to stand alongside advocates like Dreisen Heath, leader of the Why We Cant Wait Coalition committed to ensuring that conversations about repair are rooted in community, history, and action.

Here in Boston, we have worked to bring residents together through a Reparations community series at the Roxbury YMCA in partnership with the City of Boston () Reparations Taskforce as a Community Grassroots Partnership program, creating space for dialogue, learning, and collective visioning around what repair can look like locally. As we commemorate Juneteenth, we honor those who fought for freedom while recommitting ourselves to the work that remains. Because remembrance matters. But repair matters too. Join Reclaim Roxbury to get involved in the fight for reparations.

Protect yourselves from predatory third-party energy providers! These providers often use sketchy tactics to get their f...
06/18/2026

Protect yourselves from predatory third-party energy providers! These providers often use sketchy tactics to get their foot in the door and then profit from hiking up your bill. Swipe through to check if you're enrolled with one of these providers, and find out what you can do if you are.

We had the opportunity to present and join a panel at the 2026 BARI Conference at Northeastern, where we spoke about usi...
06/10/2026

We had the opportunity to present and join a panel at the 2026 BARI Conference at Northeastern, where we spoke about using data practices to build movements and channel community power.

Over the past two years, alongside the Roxbury Collective for Housing Affordability, we’ve worked to understand how the housing crisis is impacting the lives of Roxbury residents, not by extracting stories and disappearing, but by building relationships, deep listening, and organizing with the community at the center.

Through this work, we engaged over 1,000 residents around housing affordability and rent control. What we found was clear: our communities want policies that protect residents from displacement and keep people rooted in the neighborhoods they call home.

Many of the residents we spoke with went on to become volunteers, advocates, and organizers for the campaign, proving that community engagement is most powerful when it creates pathways for collective action.

Spaces like BARI matter because they allow organizers, researchers, and advocates to share practices that strengthen trust, deepen collaboration, and move communities toward housing justice.
This work continues because of the people committed to it every day.

06/08/2026

Housing should never be a privilege reserved for a few. We partnered with Fenway Forward at the Massachusetts State House to push for rent control and fight for housing justice to protect Roxbury / all Mass Residents from skyrocketing rent increases.
From conversations inside the halls to collective action outside them, one thing was clear:
Communities deserve stability.
Families deserve protection.
People deserve the right to stay in the neighborhoods they call home.
This movement is about accountability, dignity, and community power.
The fight continues.

Did you know you can check out books from our office library? Read all about Roxbury's organizing history in some great ...
06/04/2026

Did you know you can check out books from our office library? Read all about Roxbury's organizing history in some great books like "Chain of Change" or "People Before Highways".

And while you're here, you might as well book a *free* energy bill consultation with our Energy Navigator, Jawayne Caesar!

Office hours: 10am-4pm Wednesday & Friday, or by appointment.

Remember our last post about the Trump Administration targeting Boston for it's programs that look to close the racial w...
05/27/2026

Remember our last post about the Trump Administration targeting Boston for it's programs that look to close the racial wealth gap? The Administration recently renewed its attacks on Boston. The threats from the Trump Administration are, unfortunately, nothing new. We'll keep doing what we've always done in the face of discrimination: advocate for fair housing in Boston, fight for more affordable housing units, and keep building programs for the people who most need them. Become a member and join the movement!

The last listening session will be on May 19th at 6pm! It's not too late to show up and support housing, recovery servic...
05/18/2026

The last listening session will be on May 19th at 6pm! It's not too late to show up and support housing, recovery services, and mental health care.

We need you to join the Housing & Health on Morton Street (HHOMS) Coalition in calling for:
-Supportive housing
-Substance use recovery services
-Mental health services
A redevelopment plan that builds on the community-driven 2019 Vision Plan

RSVP + take action:
bit.ly/MortonVirtualListening
bit.ly/WeSupportMorton

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