Crimson staff writer
Summer E. Rose
Latest Content
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.
As State Resources Strain, Houses of Worship Fill the Gap To Host Unhoused Immigrants
For the past four months, an immigrant mother from Uganda and her two children have slept in the basement of an Episcopal church in the Greater Boston area.
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.
As Commercial Development Grows in Cambridge, City Looks to Increase Linkage Fee on Commercial Projects
The Cambridge City Council kickstarted a process to potentially raise linkage fees on commercial development on Monday, voting unanimously to plan a study that will recommend how much to raise the Nexus Zoning Fee.
Developers Announce Proposed Affordable Development Size Will Not Be Reduced Despite Backlash
Non-profit developers in charge of a proposed eight-story affordable housing project in the Baldwin neighborhood announced Thursday that they will not be reducing the size of the building any further despite backlash from residents who believe the complex will be too large.
‘What’s the Hold Up?’: Cambridge City Councilors Disagree on Whether Central Square is Ready for Rezoning
Cambridge City Councilors voted to prioritize the rezoning of northern Massachusetts Avenue and of Cambridge Street over that of Central in a committee meeting on Tuesday amid disagreement on whether Central Square is ready for rezoning.
With an Increase in Voucher Discrimination, Cambridge Looks to Train Housing Professionals in Prevention
Cambridge human rights officials urged professionals in the real estate industry to avoid disadvantaging rental applicants with government vouchers in a webinar Tuesday, telling The Crimson in interviews after the event that the city is seeing “a rise in complaints” of voucher discrimination.
City Council Takes Next Steps in Bid To Combat Affordable Housing Crisis
The Cambridge City Council spent more than a year debating an upzoning proposal before passing the legislation last month — marking a new phase in the fight against the housing crisis in Cambridge.
Nolan and Sobrinho-Wheeler at City Council March 3
Cambridge City Councilors Patty M. Nolan ’80 and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler sit in Sullivan Chamber during the March 3 City Council meeting.
McGovern, Zusy, and Wilson at City Council March 3
Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern and City Councilors Catherine “Cathie” Zusy and Ayesha M. Wilson sit in Sullivan Chamber for a City Council meeting Monday.
City Council March 3
Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons speaks at a City Council meeting Monday.
Cambridge City Council Considers Home Rule Petition To End Broker Fees
Cambridge city councilors will consider formal action to encourage the state-level elimination of broker fees, after hearing from city staff and Greater Boston Legal Services that the city is constrained in its ability to do so in a meeting on Tuesday.
Cambridge To Halt Funding for Transition Wellness Center Shelter as American Rescue Plan Funds Run Out
The City of Cambridge plans to halt funding to the Transition Wellness Center Shelter in June — removing the shelter’s 58 beds as the city struggles to accommodate its unhoused population. The temporary shelter was originally intended to close in 2023.
In ‘Landmark’ Vote, Cambridge Ends Single-Family Zoning
The Cambridge City Council voted 8-1 to approve a proposal eliminating single family zoning city-wide in a meeting Monday night, capping off over a year of laborious dealmaking between activist residents, experts, and councilors.