Housing
City Councilors Discuss Housing Goals at Town Hall Meeting
Three City Council members endorsed by housing advocacy group A Better Cambridge stressed the necessity of involving residents in discussions around housing policy in a Wednesday virtual town hall hosted by ABC.
Healey Administration Puts Limits on Stays in Overflow Homeless Shelters
For months, Massachusetts has struggled to accommodate an influx of unhoused families, who have a right to shelter under state law. Now, state officials are looking to put limits on families’ stays in some state-run shelters.
UCSF Professor Presents Homelessness Research at Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Margot B. Kushel ’89, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, gave the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ 23rd John T. Dunlop Lecture on Thursday.
Flood of Western Avenue Development Raises Questions About Allston’s Future
Seven buildings — three of them laboratory and office space and four residential — are currently planned or under construction on Western Avenue.
City Council Puts Ending Single-Family Zoning Back on the Table
On Monday, councilors discussed a new policy order requesting that City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 direct the Community Development Department to develop zoning language that “effectively promotes multi-family housing” all throughout Cambridge.
City Council Proposes Changing Zoning Code to Promote LGBTQ+ Inclusion
The Cambridge City Council’s Housing Committee unanimously endorsed a policy order proposing changes to the city’s zoning code to “allow unrelated people to live together” during a Wednesday afternoon meeting.
Housing, Transit Top of Mind as City Looks to Alewife’s Future
As new developments lead to a growth in Alewife’s population, residents and advocates are left wondering how to accommodate more riders on an already-strained transportation system.
City Council Seeks to Increase Legal Representation for Tenants
The Cambridge City Council unanimously voted in support of a policy order to increase the legal protection and right to counsel for tenants during a Monday evening meeting.
Harvard Kicks Off Public Engagement Process For 10-Year Allston Master Plan
Harvard submitted their Institutional Master Plan Notification Form to the city of Boston Thursday, formally kicking off a yearlong process of public engagement over its 10-year plan for the University’s quickly-growing Allston campus.
Harvard Proctors and Tutors Plan to Launch Unionization Push
Some Harvard residential tutors, proctors, and house aides are planning to publicly launch a campaign for unionization, an effort they have been quietly working towards since last spring.
City Council Supports Local Real Estate Tax, Discusses Municipal Housing Vouchers
The Cambridge City Council voted to support a tax on large real estate transactions and discussed the feasibility of municipally-funded housing vouchers during a Monday evening meeting.
Residents at Harvard-Owned Apartment Complex Resort to ‘Self-Policing’ Amid Increased Theft
Residents at Peabody Terrace — a Harvard-owned apartment complex — alleged Harvard University police have not done enough to address a pattern of property theft in the area, leading residents to find alternative solutions to secure their packages.
Cambridge City Council Maps Agenda For Term, Announces New Role for Climate Sustainability
The Cambridge City Council convened a special meeting Tuesday with city officials to set term priorities and announce the creation of a new position focused on climate resilience.
Cambridge’s Landmark Affordable Housing Policy, Explained
The 2019 election cycle in Cambridge was defined by the introduction of the Affordable Housing Overlay, an ambitious — and hotly contested — proposal to expand and expedite the construction of affordable housing across the city.
Cambridge Residential Survey Shows Affordable Housing is Residents’ Top Priority
Cambridge residents named affordable housing as their top priority and gave the city government a 69 percent approval rating, according to the city’s annual Resident Satisfaction Survey.
Cambridge Nonprofit Presents Plans for 110-Unit Affordable Development
Non-profit housing developer B’nai B’rith Housing presented plans to create affordable units for senior Cambridge residents at a Planning Board Meeting on Tuesday.
Healey Administration Pledges $16 Million to 3 Cambridge Affordable Developments
The Massachusetts state government dedicated funding for 26 affordable housing projects, including three in Cambridge, according to an Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities press release last Monday.
Winter Puts Strain on Resources, Housing for Cambridge Unhoused Residents
As low February temperatures pose a hazard for unhoused Cambridge residents, shelters and service organizations are having to meet a growing demand for beds and winter resources.
Boston Begins Planning New Neighborhood on Harvard-Owned Land in Allston
The city of Boston is undergoing a planning process for Beacon Park Yard – a large tract of Harvard-owned land in Allston — which is set to be the site of a large highway and transit project.
Healey Administration Opens Shelter for Unhoused Families in Cambridge Govt. Building
The Massachusetts state government opened an overnight shelter for unhoused families in the Registry of Deeds building in East Cambridge late last month.
Amid Boston Area Housing Crisis, Rent Control Gains Momentum, But Troubled Cambridge Legacy Poses Obstacles
Though flanked by three cities that have put forth rent control measures in the past year, Cambridge has seen no comparable discussion of the policy so far. The Crimson asked 10 local lawmakers and policy experts whether a rent control initiative was on the horizon in Cambridge and what the state of advocacy around the issue looks like.
Affordable Housing, Bike Lanes to Dominate Debate for New Cambridge City Council as Progressives Stalwarts Depart
With the Cambridge City Council set to lose two of its most progressive members, the November city elections may mark a shift to a more moderate direction for the 2022-24 term, as affordable housing and bike lanes are set to dominate Council debate.
As Cambridge Residents Head to the Polls, Housing Remains Top Issue
As Cambridge voters prepare to go to the polls this Tuesday, there are few doubts about the most pressing issue on their minds: housing.
Cambridge Passes Long-Debated Affordable Housing Amendments, Opening Door to Taller Developments
The Cambridge City Council voted 6-3 to pass a set of hotly debated amendments to the city’s 100%-Affordable Housing Zoning Overlay in a meeting Monday evening, setting the stage for taller, denser affordable housing developments throughout the city.
Despite Outcry, Cambridge City Council Again Rejects Significant Changes to Affordable Housing Amendments
Cambridge’s Monday City Council meeting proceeded in a familiar fashion: with a public comment portion marked by outcry over a controversial proposed expansion to the Affordable Housing Overlay and a failed effort to curtail the AHO amendments.