100 Percent Affordable Housing Overlay

100% Affordable Housing Overlay Infographic

Adopted by the City Council in October 2020, the 100%-Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) is designed to help affordable housing developers create new, permanently affordable homes more quickly, more cost effectively, and in areas of the city where there are currently fewer affordable housing opportunities. The AHO allows the creation of new, permanently affordable housing that is denser than what might be allowed under base zoning, and creates a new review process through which new affordable housing can be approved more efficiently.

Affordable housing developers often cannot compete with market-rate developers who can afford to pay more for land and buildings. There are also areas of the city where current zoning makes the creation of new affordable housing infeasible. Allowing affordable housing providers to build more densely than market-rate developers through the AHO will create new opportunities to create new, permanently affordable housing. Streamlining the approval process for new 100%-affordable housing will help reduce development costs and allow affordable housing providers to create new affordable units more quickly while using public funding more effectively.

Overlay Zoning Update in 2023

In October 2023, the City Council voted to amend the AHO, allowing taller heights for affordable housing developments in higher-density zoning districts, major squares, and mixed-use corridors, as well as reducing required setbacks citywide.

Affordable Housing Zoning Ordinance, as amended:

Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning Ordinance – see Article 11.207

Design Guidelines for Affordable Housing Overlay Developments:

AHO design guidelines

Proposed Affordable Housing Overlay Projects in the Pipeline:

Development Name/ Sponsor  Description/ # of Units

Sponsor Website

52 New Street

Just A Start Corp.

New  Construction

106 Rental Units


Jefferson Park Federal  (Jackson Place / Jackson Circle / Rindge Ave)

Cambridge Housing Authority

Preservation/New Construction

278 Rental Units 

https://cambridge-housing.org/departments/planning/planning-projects/jefferson-park-federal-modernization/ 

Walden Square II

(Walden Square Road)

WinnCompanies

New Construction

~ 95 Rental Units

www.waldensquare2.com

49 6th Street

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)

New Construction

46 Rental Units

https://sacredheartredev.org/ 

116 Norfolk Street

Cambridge Housing Authority

Historic preservation/ New Construction

62 Rental Units

 https://courbanize.com/116norfolk

1627 Massachusetts Ave

Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. (HRI)

Historic preservation/New Construction

29 Rental Units

https://www.1627massave.com/

87-101 Blanchard Road

B'nai B'rith

New Construction

# of Units TBD

 https://www.87-101blanchard.com/home

Upcoming AHO Public Meetings:

Development Name/Sponsor  Date/Time  More Information
1627 Massachusetts Ave./ 

Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. (HRI)

1627 Mass Ave. Previous Meetings.
116 Norfolk/ Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) AHO Process is Complete

 

116 Norfolk St. Previous Meetings.

 

49 Sixth Street/ Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) AHO Process is Complete 49 Sixth St.Previous Meetings
Walden Square II/ WinnCompanies AHO Process is in Progress

Walden Square II Previous Meetings

 

52 New Street/ Just A Start (JAS)

AHO Process is Complete

52 New Street Previous Meetings

 

Jefferson Park Federal/ Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA)  AHO Process is Complete Jefferson Park - Federal Previous Meetings 
87-101 Blanchard Road/ B'nai B'rith   87-101 Blanchard Road - Previous Meetings

More Information:

For updates and information, subscribe to the 100%-Affordable Housing Overlay email list

Learn more about how the idea for the 100%-Affordable Housing Overlay was generated, including materials related to the adoption of the ordinance.

For general questions about the AHO or to discuss potential AHO projects, please contact Cassie Arnaud, Senior Housing Planner at carnaud@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4617.