Rental Preference Point Updates 2025
Rental Preference Point Changes
The Housing Department is implementing changes to the applicant preference system used to select applicants for Inclusionary rental housing. The updated preference point criteria are based on:
- Cambridge residency
- Cambridge-based workers
- People with Emergency Need
- Families with children under 18
- U.S. Military Veterans
These changes are based on a series of discussions with the Housing Committee of the City Council about how preferences for applicants work in Inclusionary housing.
Why the changes?
- The number of affordable housing units is limited
- The need for affordable units greatly exceeds the number of available units evidenced by waiting pools
- We are working to allocate this limited resource in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner
Next Steps
Rental applicants should update their information if there have been changes to their household since they first applied to the program.
How do I know if I need to update my application? Use this Survey to determine if you need to update your records with the Housing Department. After completing the survey, it will generate a list of supporting documents you will need to provide to the Housing Department.
Applicants will receive a link to update their household information and upload their supporting documents. Applicant records will be updated and the waiting pool will be re-sorted based on the new preference point system.
Applicants who prefer to submit their updates by mail can use the paper version sent to the address we have on file. A printable version can be downloaded here. If you fill out the paper version, you will need to provide the Entity ID sent to you in the mailing.
Learn More
Information Sessions
All current applicants in the Inclusionary Housing waiting pools are invited to learn more about the preference point changes and next steps during an upcoming information session. Staff will present on the changes and provide time for Q& A.
Online Information Sessions (Zoom):
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM.
- Registration is required. To register, please follow this link:
Friday, June 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM
- Registration is required. To register, please follow this link:
In-Person Information Session:
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Additional Information
Fact Sheet & Summary on Updating Application
Preference Point Update - Presentation Slide Deck
Translated Slide Deck: Amharic | Bangla | Haitian Creole | Portuguese | Simplified Chinese | Spanish
Questions?
Contact the Housing Department at RentalUpdate2025@cambridgema.gov or 617/349-4622