Zoning for Multifamily Housing

In March 2024, the City Council passed Policy Order 2024 #37, which asked the Community Development Department “to work with the chairs of the Housing Committee to create zoning language that effectively promotes multifamily housing, including income-restricted affordable housing with the goal of having viable housing for everyone especially lower-income residents.” The City Council's Housing Committee has been meeting to discuss the proposal in 2024. Additional information will be posted here as the proposal is developed.

The Latest
Past Materials
Documents

Upcoming Meetings

To view upcoming meetings of the City Council’s Housing Committee, please visit the City’s Streaming Video site. You can view videos of previous meetings by navigating down to the “Available Archives” section and selecting the “Housing Committee” tab.

To find meeting agendas and other materials, go to the Open Meeting Portal and select "Housing Committee" from the drop-down menu.

Recent Meetings

June 27, 2024: Housing Committee Meeting

May 8, 2024: Housing Committee Meeting

In 2021, the City Council's Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee and Housing Committee held public hearings to discuss the elimination of single and two-family only zoning and restrictions on the type of housing that can be built city-wide.

February 17, 2021 Hearing: Meeting Details and Video
August 24, 2021 Hearing: Meeting Details - Video (under "Available Archives")

The City Council and Planning Board also considered this topic in the context of two zoning petitions that were proposed by groups of Cambridge residents:

Carolyn Fuller, et al., "Missing Middle Housing" Zoning Petition - Petition Information - Legislative File
Francis Donovan, et al., "Advancing Housing Affordability" Zoning Petition - Petition Information - Legislative File

Neither of the above petitions was acted upon, but as a result of the latter petition, the City Council asked the Community Development Department to work with the Planning Board to develop concepts and principles to eliminate single family and two family only zones in the City of Cambridge. The Planning Board met in 2022 and delivered a report to the City Council, which was discussed by the Housing Committee,

Planning Board on January 4, 2022.

Planning Board on January 18, 2022.

Planning Board on March 15, 2022.

City Council Housing Committee on September 13, 2022.