Several City Councillors have started a push to repeal or render toothless the multifamily zoning that we all worked so hard to pass last term. They seek to block virtually all new housing in Cambridge. Losing these upcoming votes will raise rents and cause displacement and homelessness. We need your help to push back!
Please email the Council and sign up for public comment in support of housing at two crucial meetings coming up in the next two days!
The overall state of housing production in Cambridge is sadly still pretty dismal. (One notable bright spot is a strong pipeline for production under the 100% Affordable Housing Overlay that ABC fought to pass.) Cambridge has very few multifamily inclusionary buildings under construction, possibly only a single building.
We must not revert to exclusionary zoning that segregated apartment buildings by neighborhood. The focus of Tuesday's Housing Committee meeting and Wednesday's joint Housing and NLTP Committees meeting should be figuring out how to greatly increase the production of inclusionary housing without shutting down housingproduction altogether.
Instead, we expect a laundry list of NIMBY complaints and demonizing new multifamily housing that has been proposed or built—despite the positive impact all new housing has in addressing our severe housing shortage. Moreover, the new growth and property tax revenue generated by new housing can be used to offset expected federal homelessness funding cuts. Some councillors talk about challenges to Cambridge’s budget one minute while seeking to block housing that would provide much needed revenue the next.
Everyone recognizes the significant challenges to build inclusionary housing. City staff and City Council reviewed two reports last year on the limited economic feasibility of inclusionary housing, and a new nexus study is underway. The goal of the inclusionaryprogram is to produce both market-rate and inclusionary homes—failing to optimize the inclusionary program to reach that goal is a serious failure of municipal governance.
In contrast to Cambridge, Pew has a new study finding Austin lowered rents bybuilding more housing, and the biggest benefits went to lower-income tenants whose rents went down more than 11%—a life changing amount for local residents! Every Cambridge renter would hugely benefit from a broad increase in housing supply and decrease in rents.
What you can do now:
- Sign up now to speak at Tuesday's 3 pm Housing Committee meeting and sign up tomorrow to speak at Wednesday's 11 am Joint Housing and NLTPCommittee meeting.
- Email the City Council at [email protected] (cc [email protected], [email protected], bcc [email protected])
Here's a sample email you can send to City Council:
Dear Councillors,
I am a local resident/renter, and I’m writing to express strong support for more housing in Central Square and strong opposition to repealing or watering down multifamily zoning.
Like many Cambridge residents, I feel the effects of our severe housing shortage every day: rising rents and neighbors being forced to leave the neighborhoods they love. Rezoning Central Square to allow taller residential buildings willdirectly address our housing shortage by encouraging more housing near the T, including many more permanently affordable inclusionary homes, and take the pressure off adjacent neighborhoods like The Port.
Repealing or watering down Cambridge's landmark multifamily zoning ordinance will make our housing shortage and budgetary challenges WORSE, not better. Please focus on encouraging more housing, not blocking it or imposing new and costly unfunded mandates.
Thank you for your continued support of housing that meets the needs of Cambridge residents.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Working together, we can continue to demand that Cambridge lead on housing. Thank you, as always, for your strong advocacy!