Ujima Members Approve $300K Investment in Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust

June 24, 2025 — The Boston Ujima Project, Inc. is proud to share that we have successfully reached quorum and our members have approved a $300,000 investment in the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust (BNCLT)! This marks our first official vote of 2025, and our first land and real estate investment. Read the full breakdown here.

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Ballot Participation & Results

Out of 240 eligible voting members, 162 participated, a record-setting 67.5% turnout. This historic level of participation demonstrates the strength and consistency of Ujima’s democratic infrastructure and the enduring dedication of our members.

The results reflect broad support for the investment:

• 90.12% voted to approve

• 1.85% voted to disapprove

• 5.56% abstained and affirmed the majority

• 2.47% abstained and chose not to add their vote to the majority

This diversity of opinion reflects an engaged body of members actively grappling with the stakes and implications of this particular investment.

When asked why they voted to approve the investment, members said:

“Indeed, the establishment of a Land Trust is a key component to address spatial injustice in Boston. In practice, the Land Trust, particularly in housing, not only empowers residents—it prevents gentrification and/or displacement of long-time residents who identify as BIPOC.”

— Doumafis, Ujima voter

“I have benefited from affordable homeownership personally, and I think it is very important to increase affordable home ownership opportunities in Boston.”

— Anusha, Ujima voter

BNCLT is currently and has historically worked in the best interest of our community. They have built a model that is replicated across the state and the nation. In the current climate of housing disparities it's important that we continue to find ways to not only create housing and combat displacement but allow for that to be limitless in perpetuity. Community controlled land is a great avenue for this.

— Renata, Ujima voter

Supporting Beyond Investment

As part of the voting process, members were also asked how they plan to support BNCLT beyond the $300,000 investment. The responses reflect a shared vision for community accountability and ecosystem-building:

• 75.3% pledged to stay informed

• 51.9% committed to spreading the word

• 33.3% intend to attend BNCLT events

• 25.3% will become members of the land trust

• 11.1% plan to donate directly, including land and other assets

Neighborhood & Racial Representation

Votes were cast across neighborhoods, with the highest concentrations in Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and communities outside of Boston proper. Our ballot analysis includes data on racial representation and neighborhood distribution. 

This ballot reflected the depth and breadth of our membership, with over 90% of participating voters approving the $300,000 investment in BNCLT. The overwhelming majority of voters (between 84.57% and 93.83%) identified as BIPOC, with Black voters leading participation across key neighborhoods including Dorchester, Roxbury, and outside Boston proper. Income data revealed that up to 63.75% of respondents fell within working-class brackets, affirming that Ujima’s economic decisions continue to center those most impacted by extraction and displacement.

Notably, Ujima’s membership includes those who have been displaced from Boston due to gentrification and rising housing costs. This vote reaffirms their agency and right to shape the city’s future, even when excluded from its current geographies. You can view the full breakdown here.

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About Ujima

The Boston Ujima Project is a Black-led democratic organization building cooperative economic infrastructure in Boston, with a mission to return wealth to working-class communities of color. Ujima is bringing together neighbors, workers, business owners, investors, grassroots organizers, and culture-makers, to create a community-controlled economy in our city.

About the Ujima Fund

The Ujima Fund is a democratic investment vehicle raising capital to finance small businesses, real estate and infrastructure projects in Boston’s working-class Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, as part of the larger Boston Ujima Project. Ujima, named for the Swahili word for collective work and responsibility, uses a participatory budgeting process in combination with traditional underwriting to put economic development decisions in the hands of community members. 

About BCNLT

Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust (BNCLT) works to combat displacement and racial injustice by creating permanently affordable, community-controlled housing in the Boston area, with a specific geographic focus on Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.

Last year, BNCLT was invited to join the Ujima Good Business Alliance, which consists of an interview process that verifies that local organizations are operationalizing social justice through our 36 Good Business Standards.

In addition to the funding provided by the Ujima Fund, these businesses also enjoy technical assistance, business development, and marketing support as part of their acceptance into Ujima’s Good Business Alliance.