FY22 Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2022

Image of Nailah Randall-Bellinger and RootsUprising's “Initiation—In Love Solidarity," was presented at the Multicultural Arts Center in 2022 as part of Cambridge Arts Ripple Festival. The presentation was a 2-part dance journey remembering the Middle Passage as a means to reclaiming Black humanity. Photo: Aaron King

Many programs and policies were created, supported, and expanded that promote and enhance Cambridge’s retail and arts environment.

Cambridge Anti-Racism, Equity & Inclusion Initiative

This community’s racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity shapes Cambridge and is what makes it a desirable and enriching place to live, work, and raise a family. In order to best serve the Cambridge community, the City must take an inclusive and equitable approach to address residents' needs.

MBTA bus in dedicated bus lane on Route 2.

Transportation & Mobility

Green Line Extension (GLX) opened the Green Line Extension Union Square Station in March 2022, dedicated bus lanes and separated bike facilities were implemented in multiple areas, new Bluebike stations were installed, an much more.

The completion of Frost Terrace in FY22 brought 40 new affordable housing units to Porter Square. Photo by Robert Benson Photography.

Access to Affordable Housing For All

Housing affordability promotes stability for our residents and allows for building the social, economic, and cultural bonds that strengthen a community. Creating and preserving affordable housing remains the City’s highest priority. In FY22, the City appropriated more than $32 million to the Affordable Housing Trust, bringing the total of City funds committed to the Trust to more than $278 million (FY92-FY22) to invest in affordable housing initiatives.

Rendering of Tobin-Montessori School entrance.

Investing in Our Community

Investments are being made in school buildings, firehouses, arts and cultural spaces, broadband, and more.

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park in East Cambridge.

Fostering Neighborhood Vitality & Open Spaces

The last two years have highlighted the importance of access to outdoor open space. In FY22, the City launched the Our Parks, Our Plan process to develop an action plan for the City’s open space network, applying an equity lens to criteria that include park access and climate resilience.

The City's Community Engagement Team and Cambridge Police collaborated on door-to-door outreach.

Redefining Community Engagement

In FY22, the Community Development Department (CDD) established a Community Engagement Advisory Group for staff to share best practices and reflect on strategies to make engagement more inclusive and equitable. This Group developed a handbook on inclusive and equitable engagement best practices which will be published in September 2022. The handbook, which uses an anti-racism and equity lens to approach planning, implementation, and reflection of community engagement strategies, will be used to increase participation in public processes and programs.

City staff hand out free at-home COVID-19 test kits.

Supporting Youth and Families, Seniors, & Veterans

Preschool, Childcare, and Afterschool programs, a part of the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), returned to in-person care and child-centered programming in September 2021.

Cambridge Community Learning Center Class

Educational Support and Workforce Development

The Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership (B3), continued its scholarship program for 3 and 4 year-olds from low-income families, adding two new programs to its menu of preschool options, and also increased its number of children accessing B3 scholarships by 13%.

Illustration of tiny people sitting and standing around an oversized computer showing a search page

Embracing Innovation and Technology

In FY22, the Information Technology Department (ITD) bolstered the resilience and protection of City systems and information amidst rising cybersecurity threats and rolled out new tools, training, and support to expand hybrid work environments as COVID-19 impacted onsite workforce availability.

Cambridge Police Department is pursing a gold standard in accreditation.

Commitment to Public Safety

The City Council approved a budget of $2.8 million for the creation of a Department of Community Safety (CDCS) that will coordinate community driven solutions to enhance safety and wellness through key services and programs targeted at our most vulnerable populations. CDCS will oversee the Cambridge Alternative Response Program and other efforts to supplement Cambridge Public Safety agencies in making the community a safer place to live, work, and experience for all.

Nurses from Cambridge Public Health Department

Promoting Community Health

Improving public health in Cambridge is a citywide effort involving many City departments and community partners. The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD), a nationally accredited health department, spearheads the City’s public health approach and programming.

Volunteers work to plant 40 native species of plants at the Miyawaki Forest at Danehy Park.

Championing Sustainability & Improving Our Community

Urban Forest Canopy. Continued implementation of the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) guides development of Cambridge’s tree assets and enables the City to expand the urban forest canopy and be more resilient to climate change.

City Manager Louis A. DePasquale and Cambridge Public Health staff at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

City of Cambridge Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Continued through FY22

Since March 2020, the City and its partners have made enormous strides in the fight against COVID-19 and its subsequent variants. As of May 2022, over 93% of Cambridge residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 77% are fully vaccinated. The City has built the necessary public health, communications, testing, and vaccine infrastructure needed to scale operations quickly to meet any emerging need in Cambridge.

Collage of headshots of the nine City Councilors arranged in a 3 by 3 grid

City Council

About The City Council

The City Council, the policy setting arm of the City, derives its powers from the City Charter and the laws and Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Aerial view of Central Square in Cambridge. Photo: Kyle Klein

FY22 Cambridge Numbers at a Glance

Some data showing the investments made in FY22 as well as program funding, benchmarks, achievement, and more.

Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale, with his family: daughter, Kristen, wife, Cheryl, and son, Louis at the unveiling of the new Universal Design playground sign.

Message from the City Manager

A message from City Manager Louis A. DePasquale on the strength of this City and how departments, leadership, and staff work collaboratively with our elected officials.

How can we help?

Service Requests