Housing
Committee Reduces Proposed Height Limit in Contentious Upzoning Proposal
Following months of contentious debate, the Cambridge City Council’s Ordinance Committee presented a set of amendments to the proposal to allow multifamily housing citywide — significantly reducing the proposed maximum height and density requirements.
Cambridge Planning Board Punts on Proposal to End Single-Family Housing in Final Vote
After hours of back-and-forth, the Cambridge Planning Board voted on Tuesday not to take a stance on a hotly contested proposal to allow six-story apartment buildings, instead passing a general statement of support for multifamily housing to the Cambridge City Council.
‘I Am Really Sorry’: Khurana Apologizes for International Student Winter Housing Denials
Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana apologized for the confusion and outrage sparked after many international students on financial aid were initially denied winter housing but clarified the reasoning behind the decision in a Monday interview with The Crimson.
Cambridge Is Nearing a Massive Zoning Overhaul. Here’s What That Means.
Cambridge officials are considering a dramatic change to the city’s zoning code in an effort to spur housing development and address what local politicians and advocates have described as a severe and far-reaching housing shortage.
GSAS Student Council Criticizes Harvard Housing Affordability
Members of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Student Council criticized the Harvard administration for the high off-campus housing prices at a meeting Thursday night.
In Allston’s Brazilian Community, New Arrivals Suffer in Overcrowded Apartments
Dozens of people, including 10 Brazilian immigrants who live or lived in overcrowded apartments in Allston-Brighton, described dangerous physical conditions and an overwhelming mental toll that came with their housing situation. They see few other options.
Na comunidade brasileira de Allston-Brighton, recém-chegados sofrem em apartamentos superlotados
Dezenas de pessoas, incluindo 10 imigrantes brasileiros que vivem ou viveram em apartamentos superlotados em Allston-Brighton, descreveram condições físicas perigosas e um imenso impacto mental como resultado da sua condição habitacional. Eles veem poucas opções para sua situação.
In Reversal, Harvard Offers International Students Winter Housing
The Harvard College Housing Office offered campus winter recess housing in emails to dozens of international students on Monday afternoon, reversing its initial decision to reject the housing applications and subsequent appeals.
Denied Winter Campus Housing, International Students Scramble to Find Alternative Options
Many international students on financial aid at Harvard are scrambling to find lodging over winter break after the College Housing Office unexpectedly denied their housing applications, sparking outrage among undergraduates.
Cambridge City Council Takes First Step Toward Eliminating Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council took the first step in forcing landlords rather than tenants to pay broker fees, unanimously voting at a Monday meeting to hold a future hearing to discuss its feasibility.
Cambridge City Councilors Float Proposal to Force Landlords to Pay Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council will discuss a proposal to force landlords, rather than tenants, to pay broker fees at its next meeting on Monday, according to the Council’s meeting agenda.
Harvard Files 10-Year Master Plan for Allston, Kicking Off Next Phase of Negotiations
Harvard filed its 2025-2035 Institutional Master Plan for its Allston campus on Tuesday, officially marking the next phase of negotiations with Boston officials over the University’s planned decade of development.
The Fight to Preserve Harriet Jacobs’ Legacy in Cambridge
A historical preservation committee wants to maintain the home of a formerly enslaved woman as a memorial and museum. The owner wants to build a boutique hotel. It’s a tenuous marriage.
Cambridge Budget Growth May Require 8% Property Tax Increase, City Officials Say
City staff are projecting that even if Cambridge’s operating budget grows at a conservative rate, the city may need to raise property taxes by at least 8 percent in the future, according to officials at a Tuesday City Council hearing.
Cambridge Planning Board Appears Sympathetic to Upzoning But Punts Vote
The Cambridge Planning Board punted a vote on their official recommendation for a proposal to eliminate single-family zoning in Cambridge on Tuesday.
Cambridge Residents Satisfied With City Hall but Give Low Marks on Housing
Cambridge residents said they were highly satisfied living in the city and with the quality of government services, but gave local officials low marks on housing and transportation issues in the 2024 iteration of the Cambridge Resident Satisfaction Survey.
Structural Issues Prompt Evacuation of High-End Cambridge Condo
A little slice of serenity along the Charles River was disrupted last week as the residents of 66 units in the high-end Riverview Apartments were told to evacuate the building for at least a year owing to issues in the building’s concrete and steel structure.
Proposed Affordable Wendell Street Development Draws Backlash at Tense Meeting
Tensions ran high in the Baldwin School cafeteria Thursday night as more than 40 Cambridge residents sparred over a proposed eight-story affordable housing development set to be built in the Baldwin neighborhood.
‘Radical and Irresponsible’: Residents Blast Zoning Upheaval at Planning Board Hearing
A Cambridge Planning Board hearing Tuesday became an eruption of frustration as more than 35 residents raised objections to a city proposal to eliminate single-family zoning city-wide.
Despite Resident Fears, City Officials Optimistic About Impact of Multifamily Zoning
Cambridge officials said they were optimistic about the city’s ability to accomodate the population growth that could accompany eliminating single-family zoning.
‘Neighborhood Representatives’ Urge Cambridge City Council to Hit Brakes on Upzoning
For months, Cambridge officials and politicians have worked to advance a proposal to eliminate single-family zoning citywide. But pushback from neighborhood leaders suggest that the policy may be headed for rockier waters.
With ‘Soul-Sucking’ Housing Costs, Young Cambridge Residents Wonder if They Can Stay
In interviews, young Cambridge residents said they have watched as their home city has grown costlier and more gentrified, and they said there needs to be more housing — and affordable housing — to make the city a place where young people can forge a life of their own.
Cambridge Officials Present Proposal for City-Funded Housing Vouchers
Cambridge’s Community Development Department proposed a new model for city-funded housing vouchers that would aid cost-burdened tenants, particularly those ineligible for federal assistance, during a City Council committee meeting Tuesday.
City Planners Propose Allowing 18-Story Housing Developments in Central Square
The Cambridge Community Development Department presented their recommendations to upzone Central Square up to 18 stories to the City Council on Thursday.
Residents Weighs in as Developers Propose Affordable Housing Development at Maximum Height
Capstone Communities and Hope Real Estate Enterprises — the firms behind two existing 100 percent affordable developments in Cambridge — offered residents preliminary details of their first project, 2072 Massachusetts Ave., developed under Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Overlay on Wednesday.