🎉 The 100% Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) amendments were passed out of Ordinance Committee this past Thursday! Thank you to everyone who emailed and gave public comment—and thank you to the Councillors who voted in favor, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, and Councillors Azeem, McGovern, Simmons, and Zondervan. 🎉  Continue reading

Please join A Better Cambridge for our 2023 City Council Candidate Forum to learn about the candidates and their plans to build more homes, create more affordable housing, and enhance tenant protections.  RSVP Here Continue reading

Proposals to expand the 100% Affordable Housing Overlay went before the Ordinance Committee this past Monday for public comment and a second Ordinance hearing without public comment is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, August 3, for Councillor discussion. Notably, Michael Johnston, Executive Director of the Cambridge Housing Authority, said that at the current rate, even if CHA closed its affordable housing waitlist today, it would take 20 years to provide affordable homes just for the 6,500 households on the waitlist with a local preference. Continue reading

Important amendments to the 100% Affordable Housing Overlay need your support THIS MONDAY (July 31), when the City Council’s Ordinance Committee holds its first public hearing on them. Continue reading

Homeowners Rehab Inc. has filed for an Affordable Housing Overlay permit to turn a parking lot into 25 apartments of permanently affordable housing. The proposal includes a renovation of the historic mansion – landmark designation pending – at 1627 Mass Ave to provide an additional four apartments. When this development is complete, the 1863 Charles Hicks Saunders mansion – previously owned by Lesley University – will return to its original residential use. The Planning Board will take emailed comments on the plan until 5:00 pm on Monday, July 17 and live comment at a Zoom hearing at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, July 18. The HRI project team will also answer questions at an Open House in the Saunders building on Wednesday, July 26, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Continue reading

After five months, amendments to strengthen the 100% Affordable Housing Overlay have achieved a step forward. Continue reading

Monday’s City Council meeting will decide the future of affordable housing in Cambridge for the coming years.  With your help, we can ensure that our local non-profit affordable homebuilders can acquire new sites and that the funding for them to build on these sites is available. Continue reading

ABC urges you to lend your support to a City Council policy order to expand and improve the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) -- preferably by speaking this Monday evening, May 1, at 5:30pm (in person or remotely; sign up here starting at 9 am Friday, referring to Policy Order #1), or by emailing the Council and the Clerk ([email protected], [email protected]). If you have a relationship with individual Councilors (other than the four sponsors), please speak to them personally about the importance of this proposal. Continue reading

ABC strongly opposes transitioning from at-large proportional representation to any ward-based system because of the negative effects on political representation and housing production. Continue reading

Come out to Lamplighter CX (near Lechmere T station) on March 30! A Better Cambridge and Abundant Housing MA are having a party at 6:30pm with free food and drinks, great company and lots of exciting pro-housing policy to discuss. RSVP here!   Continue reading