Last Wednesday (February 8), the Housing Committee of the Cambridge City Council held a hearing to discuss expanding the Affordable Housing Overlay. THANK YOU to everyone who emailed the City Council, spoke at public comment, or shared our petition or our FAQ page with friends or neighbors. Continue reading

More than 21,000 people are waiting for a home they can afford in Cambridge, but the city still isn’t building enough. When asked what affordable housing would mean to them, some of those 21,000 on the Cambridge Housing Authority waitlist said: “Working just one job and being able to be more present in my children’s lives.” “Affordable for me is not having to choose between food and a roof over my head.” “It would mean the world to my family. We can have stability. We would have our own space instead of sharing a room.” On Wednesday, the City Council will hold its first hearing on amending and expanding the Affordable Housing Overlay - and we need your help in demanding they act! Continue reading

(Published Jan 30, 2023.) The 2021 MBTA Communities Act requires 175 municipalities (including Cambridge) to update their zoning and meet minimum state targets for zoned capacity. The requirements include an imminent January 31 deadline, and are the subject of significant state-wide discussion. (Public policy researcher Amy Dain, for instance, recently released five articles in Commonwealth Magazine explaining “what the MBTA Communities law means for your town”.) However, in Cambridge, beyond a preliminary analysis in April, we have heard nothing about Cambridge’s plans for compliance. Continue reading

If you’re struggling to keep up with all of the housing news coming out of City Hall: we presented a virtual Cambridge Housing Policy Debrief on Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00pm. Slides and a recording are available. Continue reading

During 2022, Cambridge continued to chip away at its housing to-do list. Continue reading

Last month, ABC invited researchers from the Rocky Mountain Institute to share their findings on how housing policy can help slow the rate of climate change. They reported that building more housing in dense, high-income cities with jobs and access to transit can reduce greenhouse gasses from transportation, the economic sector contributing most to GHG emissions. RMI’s analysis shows that the US cannot meet its Paris Agreement target of holding warming to 1.5 degrees without shifting the amount we drive or where we build. Notes from the talk and Q&A, as well as a recording, are available. Continue reading

ABC hosted representatives from the Rocky Mountain Institute this week to discuss the intersection between the housing crisis and climate policy. If you couldn't make it, you can watch a recording of the meeting. Continue reading

(Sent on December 11, 2022 in preparation for a Dec 15 hearing.) Dear City Councilors and City Manager, Every year, resident surveys reiterate that housing affordability is the #1 issue facing Cambridge. The waitlist for CHA affordable housing is over 20,000 names long. Over half of Cambridge renters - i.e. at least 40,000 people - are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of income on market-rate rents.  Continue reading

(Sent on Monday, Nov 28.) ABC is presenting “Housing Policy is Climate Policy,” a virtual talk with Q+A, on Wednesday, December 7, at 7pm. Anna Zetkulic of the Rocky Mountain Institute will discuss how changing zoning laws to allow mixed-income housing in higher-income, urban, walkable neighborhoods can improve climate and equity. Register here to receive the Zoom link. Continue reading

(Sent Nov 20, 2022.) Several years ago, ABC successfully fought for passage of an Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) in Cambridge. We knew that this zoning change alone wouldn't solve our long-standing housing shortage, but we also knew that creating a streamlined process with relaxed dimensional standards for 100% affordable housing developments could make a big difference. It is an idea that has been recognized nationally and adopted in other cities. We’re happy that the AHO’s first two years have seen six sites applying for AHO permits, with four completing their review requirements, for a potential total of over 400 new affordable homes. Even many who opposed it at the time now applaud it today. The City Council is now weighing revisions to the zoning code to strengthen and expand the 2020 AHO. Councilors Azeem, McGovern, Simmons and Zondervan have proposed changes that would allow: Continue reading