Bill
HD 2109
Massachusetts bill bans hostile architecture designed to exclude unhoused people from public spaces, establishing penalties for municipalities and property owners implementing deterrent designs.
HD 2109 would prohibit the installation or maintenance of "hostile architecture"—design features specifically intended to discourage unhoused people from occupying public or semi-public spaces, such as armrests dividing benches, spiked surfaces, or removable seating. The bill targets municipalities and property owners who implement these deterrent designs, establishing penalties for violations. It represents a direct legislative challenge to a widespread urban design practice.
Hostile architecture affects where unhoused individuals can rest, sit, or shelter, effectively using environmental design as a form of exclusion rather than addressing underlying housing shortages. The bill raises fundamental questions about public space access, municipal responsibility, and whether design-based enforcement is an appropriate policy response to homelessness. Implementation would require clear definitions and enforcement mechanisms while potentially shifting how cities approach visible homelessness.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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