Written by: Mike Prokosch and Rachele Gardner

The Anti-Displacement Ambassadors and supporters at our sensemaking workshop on February 28, 2026.
Standing from left: Maria Ayala, Aryana Blake, Karla Brown, Matt Landers, Melissa Dagher, Micah Prescott, Antero Lomba. Kneeling: Mike Prokosch, Rachele Gardner. Not pictured: Maridena Rojas, Shanette Drayton, Wan Pierre-Louis.

“It feels good to talk about these things. I didn’t realize other people were struggling like I am. Now I don’t feel so alone.”

— Action Group participant

This week we are celebrating the completion of phase 1 of the anti-displacement initiative. Over the past two months, 42 residents across the neighborhood gathered in small Action Groups to share about their own experiences of housing unaffordability and displacement, and to work toward solutions together. These small group conversations, led by our Anti-Displacement Ambassadors, were powerful, insightful, and even therapeutic. Participants started as strangers, but ended as friends, sometimes even with group hugs.

In addition to sharing personal stories and observations, Action Group participants identified patterns of displacement in the neighborhood, explored existing programs and resources, named barriers they encounter, and surfaced community assets that can help strengthen our community.

These conversations confirmed that our community is abundant with strengths and assets. Codman Square residents are resourceful, supportive, and creative,already resisting displacement in many ways. They are taking in family members or tenants who face eviction, connecting families at risk with programs to keep them in their homes, pooling resources to buy homes, and supporting one another with financial coaching. One participant shared about support they received from a neighbor: “I met this lady…and she said, every Thursday night, you're gonna come to my house, we're gonna sit we're gonna have tea, and I'm gonna teach you about buying a house…about finances.”

At the same time, high financial stress and uncertainty has neighbors in constant “survival mode.” And social isolation is threatening the social fabric of the neighborhood. Someone shared about the impacts of financial uncertainty, “They’re always kind of like having to start over…If you’re afraid that the rent is going to go up next year, when your mind is not at ease, that’s where the stress comes in… and that also causes health issues…. Not even just for you, for your family, for your children, etc.”

Participants spoke longingly about the importance of neighbors knowing and supporting one another, as a critical component of fighting displacement. One participant voiced, “My main concern is that we have lost community, and I would like to… at least find a way to rebuild community. And I really feel that by rebuilding we can diminish a lot of the displacement, because a lot of people suffer in silence, and that is what creates that attitude for people to get displaced… because they don’t feel comfortable… even though they’ve been here for many years.”

We are hopeful that by strengthening community assets and getting targeted city support, we can make Codman Square a place where our families can stay and thrive. These Action Groups have been a great foundation to bring neighbors together to talk about their struggles and confront them together.

BOLD Teens testing out an activity for their focus group.

We are also engaging youth in the community to understand their unique concerns, experiences, and hopes related to this issue. BOLD Teens is leading this effort, in partnership with Artists in Action at Boston Project Ministries. They are leading a youth focus group on March 13th.

Alongside the Action Groups, we also have a task force working with small businesses to understand their experiences and concerns of displacement. This group is convening small businesses and talking with commercial landlords to identify strategies to help them stay and grow.

This update barely scratches the surface of what we’re learning and thinking about. Join us for our Community Assembly on March 26, in partnership with Union Capital and the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, where we’ll share more about what we’re learning and work together to build solutions. RSVP here. We hope to see you there!

We thank our member organizations and steering committee for making this possible: the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, Codman Square Neighborhood Council, Codman Square Health Center, Second Church, Boston Project Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, BOLD Teens.

Successful Action Groups!