Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and Contract Compliance

The Contract Compliance Unit monitors federal and state prevailing wage requirements, the Minority and Women’s Participation Policy, and Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. Read BHA's Minority and Women’s Participation Policy and the BHA Section 3 Policy.

Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs)

As the largest housing provider in Boston, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is committed to fair and equitable purchasing. BHA procures various goods and services, ranging from snow removal, office supplies, to large construction projects. Through its contracting and internal purchasing, BHA is committed to supporting businesses owned by women and minorities (M/WBEs).
 
BHA has recently increased its goals for M/WBE utilization in light of a 2020 disparity study conducted by BBC Research and Consulting, which asserted a statistical disparity for M/WBE utilization in all areas of purchasing. 

BHA’s Goals for M/WBEs

BHA’s Minority and Women’s Participation Provision (MWPP) requires that both MBEs and WBEs are afforded maximum opportunity to participate as prime contractors, subcontractors, or vendors. All bidders or proposers must complete and submit the MWPP forms.
 
BHA has an overall agency goal of 20% MBE and 15% WBE participation in its purchasing and contracting.
 
All BHA general contractors for construction-related contracts must take affirmative action to expend 25% of the contract price toward MBEs and 15% toward WBEs for the procurement of supplies and/or services. For A&E contracts, adherence to the goals are specifically evaluated through the potential point breakdown detailed in the A&E RFP.
 
MBEs and WBEs must be certified by the MA Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) or the City of Boston Supplier Diversity Program (SDP).
 
In addition to increasing its M/WBE goals, BHA is also increasing outreach and relationship-building efforts toward M/WBEs and other organizations that support M/WBEs.

For contractors

Where to find M/WBEs

BHA has compiled a directory of M/WBEs that have been certified by the State of Massachusetts or the City of Boston. These businesses work in fields frequently utilized by BHA and its contractors - such as construction, design, cleaning, maintenance services, and more.
 
To view the Verified M/WBE Directory, please click here.

If your business is certified as a MBE or WBE in Massachusetts or Boston, and you would like to join BHA’s directory – or if you are already part of the directory and need to update your business information – please fill out this comment form. Anyone may also submit questions about the directory through the comment form.
 
Those searching for M/WBEs can also utilize directories from the State of Massachusetts’s Supplier Diversity Office and the City of Boston’s Certified Business Directory.
                                                                                                                                   

For M/WBEs

Where to certify as a M/WBE

To certify as an M/WBE with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office, please visit their website.
To certify as an M/WBE through the City of Boston Supplier Diversity Program, please visit their website.

Where to find BHA contract opportunities

M/WBEs can find opportunities to contract with BHA by looking at the Current Bid Opportunities webpage or by signing up for BHA’s mailing list. 

Where to find business resources

M/WBEs can download this list of resources to find different kinds of support for expanding their business, accessing funding sources, and connecting with other M/WBEs.

BHA is seeking to expand its connections with community organizations supporting the development of M/WBEs. If your organization is interested in building a partnership with BHA, please fill out the comment form and indicate that your organization provides resources to M/WBEs.