The Affordable Housing Trust has worked to shape housing programs and policies, fund the purchase of residential buildings and development sites for affordable housing developments, and provide funding that preserves and creates affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families in Cambridge. 

The final Alewife Rezoning creates the framework for a multimodal, resilient, and sustainable neighborhood with strong community amenities. The adopted zoning increases the number of new homes that can be built and requires housing to be built along with new commercial buildings.

The City offers a number of rental and ownership programs that ease financial burdens, make necessary repairs, and provide educational opportunities.

There are a series of affordable housing developments underway across the city. See some of the highlights.

Over the course of the last year plus, I have worked hard to balance the many voices in our diverse community, find consensus within the City Council and follow their direction, and bring forward the professional experience and expertise of City department leaders and staff.

This December, applications will open for the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), a joint initiative of the City and Cambridge Public Schools, which will offer free school-day, school-year preschool to every 4-year-old in Cambridge and some 3-year-olds.

The Giant Deer in Inman Square is a 3,500-pound, 12-foot sculpture created and placed to serve as a landmark in the reconstructed and improved square.

Participatory Budgeting, a democratic process that empowers community members through civic engagement to decide how to spend part of a public budget, turned 10 this fall.

In 2023, the City of Cambridge designated a new position within the Emergency Communications Department; a 911 Call Center Clinician. This is a new, unique public safety position as it places a mental health professional directly inside the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) alongside dispatchers.

Through Rise Up, Cambridge became the first city in the nation to introduce a non-lottery program to provide direct cash assistance to all eligible families. Ultimately, the City was focused helping families with children to meet their basic needs.

Every year, the Fuel Assistance Program helps more than 1,200 residents in Cambridge and Somerville pay their winter heating bills between November 1 and April 30. Most residents don’t think about heating bills until temperatures drop, but for the staff managing this crucial service, planning for Fuel Assistance begins in the heat of the summer.

In 2019, the City of Cambridge completed its Urban Forestry Master Plan. Since, the city has rebranded and taken action to upkeep the Urban Forestry Master Plan through programs such as Forest Friends and Water by Bike.