Housing
Cambridge City Manager Hopeful PILOT Negotiations With Harvard Will End Early
Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 said in a Friday interview he was optimistic that Cambridge’s ongoing negotiations with Harvard for a new PILOT agreement will conclude by the end of the calendar year.
Families in Cambridge Shelter Begin to Find Housing, Easing Bottleneck
The monthslong bottleneck in Massachussetts’ emergency shelter system is finally beginning to dissipate after state officials imposed a five-day limit on families’ stays in temporary respite centers.
Harvard Chabad Accuses City Zoning Board of Religious Discrimination in Lawsuit
Harvard Chabad accused the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal of religious discrimination in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Friday morning after the board denied the group’s application to significantly expand its headquarters.
Cathie Zusy To Fill Vacancy on Cambridge City Council
The Cambridge Election Commission confirmed Catherine “Cathie” Zusy will fill the vacancy on the Cambridge City Council Thursday following the sudden death of Councilor Joan F. Pickett on Aug. 30.
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Launches $10 Million Affordable Housing Capital Fund
The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority has reserved up to ten million dollars for its Housing Capital Fund to provide financial assistance for ongoing housing projects in Cambridge.
Alan Garber Will Not Move Into the Official Residence of Harvard’s President
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 will not move into Elmwood, becoming the first University leader in more than 50 years to pass up the opportunity to live at the official residence of the president of Harvard.
Harvard Yard Ops Doubles Down on Pest Control, Students Report Mice and Cockroaches
Yard Operations implemented a series of pest management and prevention strategies in freshman dorms over the summer — but students continue to report pest sightings.
Harvard Chabad Appeals Zoning Board Decision to Reject Expansion
Harvard Chabad, after twice failing to secure city approval for a large-scale expansion, appealed the decision Monday afternoon — just hours before their deadline to do so.
Sky-High Demand for Affordable Apartments in Allston Highlights Housing Crunch
As a small fraction of affordable apartments open their lotteries to prospective residents, they are inundated with applications, creating waitlists that could stretch for years.
City Council Cautiously Moves Toward Ending Single-Family Zoning
The Cambridge City Council asked City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 to draft zoning language to eliminate single-family zoning and allow six-story residential developments citywide.
With Proposal to End Single-Family Zoning, Cambridge Positions Itself as National Leader
The Cambridge City Council is nearing a decision that could once again catapult Cambridge into the national spotlight: eliminating single-family zoning across the entire city.
Historic Heat Wave Reignites Debate About Lack of AC in Harvard Housing
As a heat wave descended on Cambridge, students living on campus sought relief from the scorching temperatures — just not in their dorm rooms.
City Council Approves Nearly $1 Billion City Budget, but Cautions Against Further Growth
The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a nearly $1 billion operating budget and $74 million capital budget for the 2025 fiscal year without major modifications during a meeting Monday evening.
Dilapidated Dorms: How Harvard Undergrads Cope with Run-Down Housing
Some students say they’ve grown accustomed to living with rodents and the occasional maintenance problem in dilapidated houses. But for others, housing problems raise broader concerns about how run-down living spaces may detract from quality of life at Harvard.
Proposed Harvard Chabad Expansion Faces Opposition From Cambridge Zoning Board, Neighbors
A proposal to dramatically expand Harvard Chabad’s Banks Street headquarters failed to win approval from the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals during a contentious Thursday public hearing.
Proposal to Abolish Single-Family Zoning in Cambridge Moves Forward
The proposal to abolish single-family zoning in Cambridge is moving forward through the City Council, heralding a radical shift in the city’s housing policy.
Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Debuts Renovations To Adapt To 6-Month Stays
The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter unveiled the renovation of their space on Friday — and with it, a dramatic shift in their model to allow shelter guests to stay for the entirety of the 6-month operational season.
Cambridge City Manager Unveils Nearly $1 Billion 2025 Operating City Budget Proposal
City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 presented the city’s nearly $1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025, along with $36 million in loan order requests and an approximately $74 million capital budget.
Harvard To Install 3-Foot Barriers During Freshmen Move Out as Yard Remains Occupied
Harvard Campus Services will install three-foot orange barriers in certain locations around the pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard as part of a plan to ensure safety during freshmen move out.
Muchnik-Led Petition to Block Walden Square Development Nears 1,000 Signatures
One of Cambridge’s most vociferous opponents of high-rise affordable housing is mounting a protest against a proposal to build an additional 95 affordable units in the 240-unit Walden Square Apartments.
‘Loses the Magic’: Cabot Students Frustrated at Decrease in N+1 Housing
Cabot House students expressed frustration at this year’s upperclassmen housing lottery after extra beds were added to suites due to limited capacity.
Neville Place, Affordable Assisted Living Facility, To Receive $5.7 Million City Loan
Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Trust will loan $5.7 million to Neville Place Assisted Living at Fresh Pond — which provides assisted living services to low-income seniors — for physical repairs to the facility.
‘We Didn’t Always Have A Housing Crisis’: Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern Talk Housing at Town Hall
Three City Council members endorsed by housing advocacy group A Better Cambridge stressed the urgency of tackling housing from all angles in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by ABC on Thursday.
Housing, Government Accountability Among Top Council Priorities for New Term
The Cambridge City Council finalized term priorities with city officials and discussed ways to improve the City’s transparency and accountability at a special meeting Thursday.
As Cambridge Works to Improve Tenant Legal Protections, City Staff Raise Communication Concerns
As the City of Cambridge — where two-thirds of residents are tenants — works to increase legal protections for low-income tenants, city staff said the city has struggled to relay information about tenants’ rights to landlords.