I wanted to make sure you knew about two upcoming ABC events. I hope you can join us:

CHAPA's Our Homes, Our Voices Rally  
Monday, July 31st, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in Samuel Adams Park in front of Faneuil Hall in Boston
Join ABC along with the Citizen Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), Cambridge Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and housing advocates from around our Commonwealth for a rally in support of Federal investments in affordable homes and our communities. This is the local event in a national week of action against devastating cuts proposed by Congress and the White House to programs like public housing and Section 8.
Please click here to RSVP

ABC's Greater Boston YIMBY Meet Up
Thursday, August 10th, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Cinderella's Pizza & Restaurant, 901 Mass Ave in Central Square
From Cambridge to Roslindale, Newton to Jamaica Plain, Malden to Dorchester, and points in between and far, residents are coming together to say YES In My Back Yard to more housing and sustainable development to address the housing affordability crisis in our region. Once again, ABC is devoting our regular Strictly Social event to bring together YIMBY activists from across Greater Boston. Whether you are affiliated with a YIMBY group in your community or not, we hope all pro-housing activists will join us to socialize and make connections with like-minded smart growth warriors. 
Please RSVP via the Facebook event. If you don't have Facebook RSVP via our website.

I hope you can join us for both of these events.

Please join A Better Cambridge & affordable housing advocates from around Massachusetts for a rally in support of federal investments in affordable homes and our communities.

Too many families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Nationally, only 25% of families in need receive housing assistance, which means millions of people do not have an affordable place to call home. The President and Congress are proposing devastating cuts that would increase housing instability and homelessness, including cuts to Section 8 and public housing. Our communities and state are working hard to address the challenges we face in Massachusetts. We cannot do it alone. Federal partnership is critical to creating vibrant communities.

This week MIT submitted a zoning petition for their major redevelopment of the Volpe site in Kendall Square. Their proposal includes up to 1,400 housing units, a focus on locally-owned retail, and potentially the tallest residential building in Cambridge.

We invite you to hear from and ask questions of MIT representatives about their proposed development at the next ABC General Meeting:

ABC July General Meeting
Monday, July 17th
6:30 P.M.
MIT Stata Center
Room 32-144
We will post signs at the Stata Center to direct attendees to the correct room

Let us know if you can make the meeting by RSVPing!
While RSVP is not required, it will ensure we can accommodate everyone in the room

ABC is intrigued by the development plans and have some questions we’d like to explore. Given our serious housing shortage, is 1,400 units all this site can handle? Should MIT be building grad student housing there? How much parking is included, and will it too much given the development’s proximity to the Kendall T stop?

We are also excited to be joined by a representative of Citizens for a North South Rail Link to learn about their campaign to build an efficient and integrated regional rail network by connecting North and South Stations in Boston. ABC believes that building a diverse and affordable region means creating more homes and increasing mobility for all residents, so we look forward to this discussion.

I wanted to make sure you knew about the special ABC members-only meeting coming up on Tuesday, May 16th. We are gathering our members and donors for this closed meeting to hear updates from our committees and make important decisions about the direction of our work in coming months.

1. Review and approve the proposed ABC platform
2. Hear from the Policy Committee about our proposed Policy Advocacy Agenda
3. Discuss and vote on ABC’s role in the fall City Council election

Since ABC launched a membership drive earlier this year our supporter base has grown by leaps and bounds. We now have over a hundred dues-paying members across Cambridge that have demonstrated their commitment to building a more diverse and affordable city with housing opportunities for all families and individuals. This meeting is one of the opportunities that members have to influence the direction of our organization, so I hope you will attend on May 16.

A Better Cambridge isn’t just about work...we like to have fun too! I wanted to make sure you knew about our next Strictly Social event, coming up next week:

Please RSVP via our Facebook event, or if you don’t have a Facebook account you can RSVP via our website.

ABC has been busy lately! This winter we successfully advocated for passage of the Central Square Restoration Petition. Last week we celebrated Cambridge’s updated 20% inclusionary zoning ordinance. Recently we’ve joined with housing and community groups from around the region to advocate for short term rental regulations that preserve permanent housing in Cambridge. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements about our work in coming weeks...

But next Wednesday's Strictly Social event is a time to let loose and celebrate our hard work! Whether you're a regular at ABC events, you've heard a little bit about us and want to know more, or you just like a good excuse to talk to great people over a beer or three while snacking on some delicious appetizers, this event is for you.

All are welcome! Feel free to bring a friend.

UPDATE: Please click here to view slides from Tim Reardon's presentation.

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I am happy to announce that ABC has secured a new date for our March ABC meeting that was postponed due to Tuesday's snow storm. Note that the time and location remain the same:

As MAPC detailed in regional housing projections issued in 2015, demand for housing across our region expected to grow significantly over the next 25 years. This demand is due not just to new residents moving into our region, but also changing housing preferences of many families already living here, including aging baby boomers looking to downsize from suburban homes into more urban areas near public transportation, services, and amenities.

YIMBYs including A Better Cambridge believe that housing production is critical to provide affordable housing opportunities to families and renters across the income spectrum...but just how much new housing is needed to make an impact? Join us for an insightful presentation to help us better understand housing demand in our community the critical role that housing production plays as we seek to build a more diverse, affordable and sustainable city and region.

Please note that everyone is welcome at ABC general meetings.