Housing
City Council Candidates Disagree on Current Housing Crisis in Cambridge
Cambridge City Council candidates gathered at the Science Center on Tuesday to pitch their policies on housing, transportation, and relations with the federal government in the final stretch before election day.
Housing Day To Be Held Friday After Spring Recess in Break From Tradition
Harvard College will hold Housing Day on the Friday following spring break in 2025 — pushing back the annual festivities more than a week past their traditional date on the Thursday before break.
Adams Partners With HSA For Free Laundry After Machines Break Down
Harvard Student Agencies gained a new customer for its wash-and-fold laundry services: Adams House residents.
Cambridge To Consider Setting Up More Mixed-Income Housing
The Council voted unanimously to initiate the process of increasing social housing — publicly owned, mixed-income properties — during their Monday meeting. They referred the resolution to the housing committee, directing city staff to iron out logistics and deliver a report by March.
Zusy Seeks First Full Term for Cambridge City Council
Councilor Catherine “Cathie” Zusy has established herself as a moderating voice in an ambitious, pro-development Cambridge City Council — despite only serving for a year. Now, she’s running for reelection to increase affordable housing while preserving neighborhood character.
Wave of New Businesses to End Spell of Vacancies in Central Square
A wave of at least 10 new businesses is set to arrive in Central Square over the coming year, ending a prolonged period of vacancies that have dotted many prominent storefronts in Cambridge’s main downtown area since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Top Issues Defining Cambridge’s City Council Elections
Affordable housing, transportation, and standing up to the Trump administration have risen to the top of voters’ minds in the run-up to the Cambridge municipal elections.
City Council Candidates Are Embracing the Cambridge Community Land Trust. It’s a Work in Progress.
Challengers seeking seats on the Cambridge City Council are lining up behind a new proposal to address the city’s intractable affordable housing crisis: supporting a nonprofit that plans to buy up land and use it to protect and create low-cost housing.
Cambridge Historical Commission Allows Harriet Jacobs House Remodel to Continue
The Cambridge Historical Commission hesitantly voted to allow the redevelopment of the Harriet Jacobs House on Thursday, on the condition that developers continue to meet with the CHC to address “clear concerns” from neighbors over the proposed height and size.
In Feud Over Nonprofit’s Deal With BioMed, Cambridge State Reps. Take Sides
At Cambridge City Council meeting on Monday, two of the city’s state representatives weighed in on a partnership between the East End House and BioMed that sits at the center of a public dispute over transparency and nonprofit funding.
Harvard Chabad’s Path to 5-Story Expansion Plan Opens Up Following Settlement With City
Harvard Chabad’s long-running legal dispute with the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals has finally come to an end after the two groups reached a settlement agreement earlier this month — paving the way for a massive expansion of Chabad’s space.
Judge Halts Trump Admin’s Attempt to Withhold HUD Funds From Cambridge
A federal judge granted Cambridge a second temporary restraining order on Friday against the Trump administration’s attempt to tie homelessness funds to compliance with executive orders the city says violate its Welcoming City Ordinance.
As Healey Moves To Close Hotel Shelters Early, Cambridge Housing Advocates Worry About Impact
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 announced on Monday that the state will close all 32 remaining hotel shelters six months ahead of schedule — leading Cambridge housing advocates to worry about increased strain on the city’s resources.
Harvard Chabad Seeks Zoning Amendments as Expansion Plans Move Forward
Harvard Chabad appeared before the Cambridge City Council on Tuesday as a part of an ongoing effort to advance zoning changes — supporting its plans for the expansion of its building on Banks Street.
Cambridge Opts To Close Transition Wellness Center, Asks To Allocate $1 Million for Housing Vouchers
The Cambridge City Council voted to close the Transition Wellness Center on Monday, ending a monthslong debate as they requested a $1 million allocation for housing vouchers to support residents’ transitions to alternative sites.
City Council Asks State Legislature To Let Cambridge Ban Tenant-Paid Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to file a home rule petition requesting state approval to eliminate tenant-paid broker fees in a meeting last week, following similar petitions in Boston and Somerville.
Before Denise Jillson Became HSBA Director, She Led the Fight To End Rent Control in Cambridge
Many Cambridge residents know Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, as the heart of the local economy. But beyond her work at the HSBA, Jillson also has a deep history of political advocacy in the city.
‘Just Get to Work’: Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Focuses on Care, President Says at Forum
In the greater Boston area, where nearly 13,000 individuals can experience homelessness on a given night, many nonprofits work to address systemic housing issues. But the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program has taken a different approach — emphasizing immediate and continuous care.
After Fight Over Replacement of Allston Sound Museum, City Kicks Off Redevelopment
The city of Boston officially kickstarted a process to replace the Sound Museum on Monday. The replacement of the Brighton-based rehearsal space has been hotly contested by the musicians who once rehearsed there.
Cambridge Housing Authority to Install Solar Panels on Affordable Housing Buildings, Despite Questions Over Federal Funding
The Cambridge Housing Authority will finance a $4.9 million investment to add solar panels to eight CHA properties despite funding uncertainty caused by the federal government.
New Emergency Assistance Family Shelter To Open In Cambridgeport
Massachusetts will open a new “Rapid Track” shelter for up to 70 Emergency Assistance eligible families in Cambridgeport beginning at the end of April.
Students Left ‘Out of Commission’ From Harvard Power Outage
A power outage across Harvard campus early Thursday morning left at least seven residential Houses without hot water for several hours. The electrical outage was caused by a circuit failure on Allston’s Blackstone Street — which is home to Blackstone Steam Plant, the facility that distributes power to many of Harvard’s campus buildings.
Councilor Siddiqui Reflects On the City’s Changing Housing Landscape at PBHA Talk
After landmark zoning reform, Cambridge City Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui and A Better Cambridge co-chair Justin N. Saif ’99 unpacked its implications and encouraged students to get involved in local politics at a Phillips Brooks House Association event on Tuesday.
After Upzoning, Cambridge Wonders Where Neighborhood Conservation Districts Will Fit
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to initiate a study on the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District in light of advocates’ concerns that the body suppresses multifamily zoning projects.
In Wake of Multifamily Zoning Ordinance, Developer Postcards Urge Residents to Sell Their Homes
A local developer’s decision to mail 1500 postcards to residents across Cambridge urging them to consider selling their homes, so a taller, higher-value one can be built seems to have given the policy’s vocal group of critics — who warned that the ordinance would be a bonanza for private developers — a small “I-told-you-so” moment.