Boston's South End is a socially, racially, and economically diverse neighborhood, where real estate speculation and gentrification in the 1980s had driven the cost of housing beyond the means of many life-long residents. In 1987, the South End Neighborhood Housing Initiative (SENHI) was conceived through an extensive 15-month community planning process facilitated by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the city's planning agency, to create affordable rental and homeownership opportunities for families and to protect current residents from displacement. The program addressed the community's diverse needs through two key strategies:

- Affordability standards applicable to projects built on city property a ratio of 1/3 low-income, 1/3 moderate-income, and 1/3 market rate; and
- Preference given in the developer selection process to minority business enterprises, community development corporations, and joint ventures with these groups.

The goal of this program is to create affordable rental and home ownership opportunities for families and to protect current residents from displacement.

By 1991, the results of SENHI's work were impressive: over $50 million in private and public money had been invested in six development projects to build 307 units of mixed-income housing, of which 219 (71.3%) were reserved for low and moderate income households. This percentage exceeded the target outlined by SENHI in 1987. Boston and its South End neighborhood have also reclaimed over 146,817 square feet of vacant land and derelict buildings, which were having a negative impact on the community. In addition to the housing units, approximately 18,000 square feet of new commercial space and 160 parking spaces have been created on these development sites.