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A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a legal contract between a developer and community groups that mandates which benefits a developer must provide as part of a development project (usually in or near a low-income neighborhood). These benefits depend on community needs, but may include living-wage requirements for jobs created, local hiring targets, and funding for community facilities.
CBAs grew out of the “back to the city” movement of the 1990s, where cities aggressively pursued large-scale development projects like sports stadiums, hotels, and condominiums, often in or near low-income communities. These projects created jobs and tax revenues in disinvested areas, but did not necessarily guarantee jobs or better living conditions for local residents. CBAs were created as a legal mechanism to ensure that residents receive tangible benefits from large-scale development. Similar to Hospital Community Benefits [link to definition below], CBAs hold developers and large landowners accountable to low-income communities. Many but not all local governments now require CBAs as part of agreements with developers.