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The need for affordable housing, and more housing in general, was consistently raised as a high priority in the Envision Cambridge process. The city’s strong job market and high quality of life have made demand for housing in Cambridge particularly high, driving up costs for renters and new homeowners alike. Additional actions to accelerate the construction of more affordable housing, provide housing for all stages of life, and leverage institutional partnerships to create more housing are critical to meeting the housing goals set for Envision Cambridge.
Envision indicators are updated as new data becomes available, which varies by indicator, but no more often than annually.
The community set a goal to increase housing supply in order to mitigate cost increases driven by demand. Though Cambridge cannot tackle the region’s under-supply of housing on its own, this indicator will track Cambridge’s contribution to the regional effort.
The chart shows the total number of housing units in the City over time.
The community set a goal to increase housing supply in order to mitigate cost increases driven by demand. Though Cambridge cannot tackle the region’s under-supply of housing on its own, this indicator will track Cambridge’s contribution to the regional effort.
The chart shows the total number of housing units in the City over time.
CDD annual housing inventory
Report number of housing units from annual housing inventory.
Total housing units
54713 Count
67213 Count
The development of dedicated affordable housing measures the City’s progress in ensuring the long-term availability of homes for the city’s diverse population. (Homes that are subject to rent or sales price limits and occupant income restrictions).
The development of dedicated affordable housing measures the City’s progress in ensuring the long-term availability of homes for the city’s diverse population. (Homes that are subject to rent or sales price limits and occupant income restrictions).
CDD Housing Division Affordable Housing Inventory
Ratio of affordable housing units added over year as proportion of net increase in housing inventory over same period
Share of new housing produced in Cambridge that is dedicated as affordable
12.5%
25%
The development of dedicated affordable housing measures the City’s progress in ensuring the long-term availability of homes for the city’s diverse population. (Homes that are subject to rent or sales price limits and occupant income restrictions).
The development of dedicated affordable housing measures the City’s progress in ensuring the long-term availability of homes for the city’s diverse population. (Homes that are subject to rent or sales price limits and occupant income restrictions).
CDD Housing Division Affordable Housing Inventory
Number of affordable housing units added over prior year
Number of new affordable housing units produced
0 Count
3175 Count
As costs continue to rise and funding for housing from federal and other sources becomes increasingly constrained, Cambridge must increase its support for affordable housing. This indicator tracks the City’s financial commitment to preserving and growing its affordable housing stock.
The appropriations shown reflect figures for the corresponding fiscal year.
Note that the FY 2020 figure includes a special one time appropriation for the preservation of Fresh Pond Apartments.
As costs continue to rise and funding for housing from federal and other sources becomes increasingly constrained, Cambridge must increase its support for affordable housing. This indicator tracks the City’s financial commitment to preserving and growing its affordable housing stock.
The appropriations shown reflect figures for the corresponding fiscal year.
Note that the FY 2020 figure includes a special one time appropriation for the preservation of Fresh Pond Apartments.
Housing Division
City funds appropriated to Housing Trust
Annual operating funds investment in affordable housing initiatives from City sources
13600000 Dollars
20000000 Dollars
Families are an integral part of the Cambridge community, yet their housing needs are not always adequately met by the housing market. This indicator will track overall success in retaining families in the city and allowing new families to live here.
The chart shows the share of households with children under 18 over time.
Families are an integral part of the Cambridge community, yet their housing needs are not always adequately met by the housing market. This indicator will track overall success in retaining families in the city and allowing new families to live here.
The chart shows the share of households with children under 18 over time.
One Year American Community Survey
Ratio of households with related children to all households
Percentage of Cambridge households with children under the age of 18
17.3%
20%
Cambridge has historically been a mixed-income city, but today that diversity is increasingly threatened. This indicator tracks success in maintaining Cambridge as a place for everyone, regardless of economic background or circumstance.
The chart shows the share of households from two income groups:
Cambridge has historically been a mixed-income city, but today that diversity is increasingly threatened. This indicator tracks success in maintaining Cambridge as a place for everyone, regardless of economic background or circumstance.
The chart shows the share of households from two income groups:
CHAS data set from HUDUser.gov
Percentage of households within income range
| Indicator | Baseline | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 50% AMI | 29% | 30% |
| 50%-100% of AMI | 18% | 20% |
For several decades, Cambridge has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. However, growth in the proportion of people of color in Cambridge has slowed in recent years, and the proportional size of the Black community shows indications of decreasing. This indicator measures diversity in the City's population using a statistic commonly used in ecology for measuring biodiversity, the Gini-Simpson Index. As used here, the Gini-Simpson Index is the probability that any two Cambridge residents selected at random will be members of two comparison groups.
In the chart, the three lines show the Gini-Simpson Index value for three sets of comparison groups:
For several decades, Cambridge has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. However, growth in the proportion of people of color in Cambridge has slowed in recent years, and the proportional size of the Black community shows indications of decreasing. This indicator measures diversity in the City's population using a statistic commonly used in ecology for measuring biodiversity, the Gini-Simpson Index. As used here, the Gini-Simpson Index is the probability that any two Cambridge residents selected at random will be members of two comparison groups.
In the chart, the three lines show the Gini-Simpson Index value for three sets of comparison groups:
ACS 1-Year Table DP05, except for Decennial Census years, in which case data comes from table P9.
Gini-Simpson Index
| Indicator | Baseline | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Blacks & all others | 0.2 Probability | 0.2 Probability |
| Four groups | 0.54 Probability | 0.5 Probability |
| White Non-Hispanic & all others | 0.49 Probability | 0.47 Probability |
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