Government Relations

February 2026

MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT. The Boston Foundation’s recent report on the MBTA Communities Act outlines how the law is working to increase housing that is accessible via public transit. Key findings include:

• ~7000 new homes across 34 communities have been added to the housing pipeline
  • One in three of these homes are within walking distance of MBTA stations
• The report repeatedly identifies growth as “real but modest”
• Braintree currently leads production, with 752 projects in the pipeline

To read more about how the law bolsters the housing production pipeline and where there are still areas of improvement, visit the Boston Foundation website.

RESEARCH FUNDING UPDATES. Congress recently passed legislation increasing NIH budget by $415 million and preventing the administration from pulling financial support for research overhead. Since the original funding cuts were announced in April, NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya met with over 100 scientists, biomedical executives, and doctors advocating for the importance of this funding. Read more here.

SUSTAINABILITY/BEUDO. The Cambridge Office of Sustainability has released an interactive look into the history of BEUDO’s emissions reductions with its BEUDO Analysis Story Map. The data, which is updated through 2024, show that:

• In 2024, 94% of buildings met the emissions reductions requirements
• Universities make up the largest percentage of buildings subject to BEUDO (large, nonresidential buildings)
• Greenhouse gas emissions are down slightly from their peak in 2022

January 2026

SUSTAINABILITY/BEUDO. The Cambridge Office of Sustainability has published its proposed regulations for phase three BEUDO implementation. Tenants of BEUDO Covered Properties may apply their RECs from a renewable energy project to offset/comply with property reduction requirements

• Hardship Plans
  • For those facing hardships (financial distress, technical/operational challenges, regulatory/contractual obligations), the following forms of relief may be available:
• An alternative schedule for complying
• Exemption of specified energy use(s) from specific processes or equipment
• Allowance of an alternative baseline of two consecutive years after 2018
• Additional compliance mechanisms as determined by the BEUDO Review Board
• Deferral Plans

Property owners who seek a deferral plan may be able to temporarily reduce or eliminate the emissions reduction requirement of their covered property (for up to five years) if they:

• Produce a narrative description of the reasons for a deferral (e.g., a large renovation to a building)
• Specify the requested scope and length of the deferral
• Provide the amount of expected emissions reductions to be achieved each year through 2050

You may sign up for the City’s BEUDO newsletter here.

TRANSPORTATION. The William Reid Overpass, which connects traffic between Brookline Street, the BU Bridge, and Memorial Drive, is set to be redesigned and updated by MassDOT. This project will also have implications for the Grand Junction path, which currently runs alongside the overpass towards the Charles River.