Cambridge City Council Devotes Funds to Housing

The Cambridge City Council voted Monday to continue funding affordable housing units with money set aside for community preservation. The policy order, which was proposed by City Manager Richard C. Rossi, stipulates that 80 percent of community preservation funds be spent on housing, 10 percent on open spaces, and 10 percent on historic preservation.

The plan, which has been abbreviated as the 80-10-10 plan, draws from money provided by the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) and local and state resources. The issue of affordable housing has been one of constant interest for the councilors, and nearly all of them expressed support for the plan, including Cambridge Mayor David P. Maher.

“I support the 80-10-10,” Maher said during the meeting. “Affordable housing should be in every neighborhood of the city.”

All in all, the plan's total expenditures exceed $12.5 million for fiscal year 2015, with $1.25 million spent on historical preservation and open spaces and $10 million allocated to the Affordable Housing Trust. Of the $12.5 million, $7.8 million will come from local funds, $1.7 million will come from the state, and the CPA fund will contribute $3.01 million.

The Trust was established in 1989 and is comprised of a nine-member board that is in charge of policy advice and loan distribution.

Councillor Marc C. McGovern noted that although over $130 million had been spent on affordable housing in Cambridge since 2002, there was a need for even more to combat the current “housing crisis.” He cited a study conducted in the local area which identified the minimum family income required to live “service-free” in Cambridge as $89,000.

Vice Mayor Dennis A. Benzan expressed his support for the concrete steps taken by the council, noting that Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Trust has helped countless families.

“We have long been talking about affordable housing in the abstract. It’s time to commit to affordable housing,” he said.

Still, Benzan expressed reservations about the fact that this proposal did not necessarily call for the development of new housing units. He noted the density of affordable housing developments in certain areas of town and lack thereof in others, adding that he hoped for more integration of affordable housing moving forward.

The plan was also favored by Cambridge residents, young and old, who appeared during the public comment portion of the meeting. Cambridge resident Sonia Anduya echoed the idea that increasing affordable housing creates a more diverse and inclusive Cambridge community.

“For us, the community preservation act is exactly that; about preserving diverse communities,” Anduya said.

The open spaces to which the funds will be allocated include the Cambridgeport School Playground and the Sennott Park Basketball courts. The historic spaces that will receive funding include the YWCA homeless shelter and O’Connell Branch of the Cambridge Public Library.

—Staff writer Arjun S. Byju can be reached at arjun.byju@thecrimson.com.