Cambridge’s Commitment to Affordable Housing Resulting in Momentum and Milestones
Thursday, October 16, 2025
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We are seeing more affordable housing developments being proposed; we are seeing projects move efficiently through permitting, then into and through construction. We are also now seeing households moving into new affordable homes, with hundreds more on the horizon.
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In July 2025, City leaders, state officials, and community members gathered at 49 Sixth Street in East Cambridge to celebrate the start of renovations at “The Rose on Sixth,” a former church rectory and school set to be converted into 46 units of affordable rental housing in an adaptive reuse project. This milestone marked just one step of many toward increased access to affordable housing in Cambridge as the City continues to lead the way in new housing construction.
Rising housing costs have become an increasing challenge for so many in Cambridge, from young people establishing local roots to families seeking more space for children, to older adults trying to remain in their community. In a 2024 resident survey, 46% of Cambridge residents said that affordable housing is the single most important issue facing the City, a sentiment seen year after year. Since 2020, rents have dramatically increased in Cambridge and Greater Boston, and homeownership has become further out of reach for far too many residents and families. Rising housing costs continue to make our amazing community unaffordable and inaccessible to many of the residents who make it so great.
As a result, affordable housing has been a longstanding priority of the City Council and City Manager, reflected in the City’s significant investments and ongoing strategies to preserve and create affordable housing. Over $48 million has been allocated toward affordable housing by the City in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. These funds will be used to support affordable housing efforts including acquisition, preservation, and construction of new affordable rental and homeownership housing, as well as the adaptive reuse of nonresidential buildings. Funding will also be used to help eligible homebuyers purchase market-rate homes that then become part of the City’s portfolio of affordable homes.
In recognition of Cambridge’s efforts to support housing production, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently renewed the City’s designation as a Housing Choice Community. Together, the Housing Choice Communities in Massachusetts have produced 77% of new housing in the Commonwealth over the past few years. Cambridge was one of the first communities designated as a Housing Choice Community in 2018. This designation underscores the importance of supporting new construction to increase housing access and highlights the impact of the City’s work.
Cambridge has been at the forefront of housing policy innovation, not only locally, but nationwide. Much of this momentum stems from important work by the City Council. In a landmark policy change, the City Council adopted the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) in 2020, allowing significant height and density increases, as well as streamlining the permitting and design review process, for proposed housing developments that contain 100% affordable units. In its first five years, the AHO has fostered a pipeline of hundreds of new affordable units that are now beginning to come on-line. Additionally, in 2025 Cambridge adopted citywide zoning for multifamily housing, which allows four-story multifamily housing as-of-right (meaning with no special permissions or zoning variances needed) in all Cambridge neighborhoods. The multifamily zoning reform also provides additional height allowances for buildings that contain at least 20% affordable units. These regulatory changes have helped Cambridge take the necessary action to address, locally, the housing crisis that exists throughout the nation.
The national recognition Cambridge has received for taking bold steps to meet the need for affordable housing has helped build momentum, encourage neighboring communities, and create an environment supportive of more housing development.
“We are also seeing other communities step up, passing new zoning, and welcoming new housing developments. It will take all of us across the region. I’m proud that, as usual, Cambridge is leading the way,” City Manager Yi-An Huang said.
Affordable Housing Milestones Across Cambridge
This past year has included several notable milestones in housing progress. Currently, there are approximately 450 new units of affordable housing being built under the provisions of the AHO. 12 active AHO developments were underway in some stage of the development process in FY25, which are expected to construct over 850 affordable units. This number will grow as projects now in the early stages develop their plans.
“The AHO has enabled development of affordable housing across the City, including in neighborhoods that historically haven’t had much affordable housing, and where previous zoning would have made new affordable housing unlikely,” said Chris Cotter, Director of the City of Cambridge’s Housing Department. “The City has worked closely with the community and with affordable housing providers to create and refine the AHO over the past few years, and we are now starting to see the impact of that work. We are seeing more affordable housing developments being proposed; we are seeing projects move efficiently through permitting, then into and through construction. We are also now seeing households moving into new affordable homes, with hundreds more on the horizon.”
Affordable Housing with Supportive Services
To support residents exiting chronic homelessness, the City has additionally invested in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) developments, and three have now begun welcoming residents. PSH developments provide both permanent and affordable housing, and long-term, voluntary supportive services to residents who have experienced chronic homelessness. These services—including life development skills, substance use recovery, and help building support networks—are a research-backed solution to chronic homelessness. Cambridge was proud to open a total of 96 PSH units across three sites in FY25.
In a major milestone, the City and Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) celebrated the opening of 62 new PSH units at 116 Norfolk Street in June 2025. This was the first development under the AHO to be occupied by residents. During the renovation of 116 Norfolk Street, Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units were converted into self-contained studio apartments. The new units include private individual bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, and allow for increased independence while accommodating older adults and residents with disabilities. Eliot Community Human Services provides in-house supportive services and case management to residents.
“In the Cambridge and Boston area, where rent is among the highest in the nation, I’m truly grateful to be part of this investment in affordable housing. The vetting process was thorough, so being accepted means a lot. It’s not lost on me how valuable this is or the positive impact it’s had on my mental and physical well-being,” Josh, a resident of 116 Norfolk Street, reflected.
In another PSH investment, CHA acquired a former college dormitory at 16-18 Wendell Street in the summer of 2024. Now, 16-18 Wendell is home to 26 people who have moved beyond chronic homelessness, with private bedrooms and shared common spaces, as well as daily fresh meals service onsite during the week. This project is unique in that units are large enough to accommodate couples, who are rarely offered housing opportunities together. Available rooms were offered to people experiencing homelessness through the City’s Cambridge Coordinated Access Network waitlist. Supportive and case management services at 16-18 Wendell are also provided by Eliot Community Human Services .
While the completion of these projects is a significant step toward combatting the housing shortage in Cambridge and beyond, there is much more to come.
The Affordable Housing Overlay Comes to Life
The AHO development at 52 New Street in North Cambridge recently just held a tenant selection lottery after accepting applications over the summer. This project was the first development permitted under the AHO and includes 106 affordable apartments, developed by Just-A-Start with funding from the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust. Residents are expected to move into the building in early 2026.
Construction on several other notable projects is currently underway in multiple other Cambridge neighborhoods. This includes the aforementioned Rose on Sixth, which will bring 46 units of affordable rental housing to East Cambridge by fall 2027. This adaptive reuse project will preserve the original character of the church while ensuring all units are affordable for residents earning below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with some deeply affordable units reserved for those making up to 30% AMI. Learn more about Housing Program Income Limits at https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/Housing/incomelimits/hudincomeguidelines.pdf.
Construction is also underway at the Jefferson Park Federal development in North Cambridge, where the CHA has demolished obsolete and deteriorating public housing, and is now rebuilding new affordable housing that will meet current design and sustainability standards. This AHO project will create 278 new affordable housing units, as well as improved open and community spaces for residents.
When applicable, the City strives to preserve historical buildings—like at the Rose on Sixth—while continuing to expand affordable housing access. This is the case at 4 Mellen Street , formerly known as 1627 Massachusetts Avenue, which is in the Baldwin neighborhood between Porter and Harvard Squares. There, the City used funding from the Affordable Housing Trust to acquire a former Lesley University property, and this AHO development will preserve the existing historical building at the site while adding a new building at the rear of the site. Construction has recently begun on 29 new affordable rental units, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Several other projects have completed the AHO process and are expected to begin construction soon. Two AHO projects, 87-101 Blanchard Road and Walden Square II, recently received commitments of low-income housing tax credits from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a primary source of funding for the majority of affordable housing developments, and key to obtaining the financing necessary for developments to begin construction.
87-101 Blanchard Road will be a new affordable housing development specifically for older adults in the Cambridge Highlands neighborhood. This development will be 100% affordable and will include 110 rental units with amenities, including multi-purpose community space and office space for resident service counselors, replacing a row of vacant commercial space.
In Neighborhood Nine, the owner of the Walden Square Apartments, a longstanding affordable housing resource, is planning the construction of two additional buildings. Walden Square II will create 95 more affordable rental units at the existing site for households making up to 80% AMI.
A number of other AHO developments are currently in the planning stages across the City. These include rental properties, including:
• 2072 Mass. Ave. which will create approximately 73 100% affordable apartment homes near Porter Square.
• 28-30 Wendell Street in the Baldwin neighborhood, where a local non-profit affordable housing provider purchased property from Lesley University and will construct approximately 95 affordable housing units, with some reserved for older adults.
• 37 Brookline, in Cambridgeport, currently includes a vacant triple-decker, previously owned by the late Cambridge artist Peter Valentine. This will be replaced with new affordable rental units.
• The Broadway Park property, in The Port neighborhood, is currently a parking lot, and this site will be used to build up to 16 affordable rental units. Both sites will be built to Passive House and Enterprise Green standards for maximum energy efficiency.
Beyond rental opportunities , two AHO homeownership properties are being planned in The Port neighborhood:
• At 35 Cherry Street, the City acquired a lot in a real estate development agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with the stipulation that this land will be used to directly benefit residents in The Port and surrounding communities. This land will be used to create 10 affordable homeownership units.
• 12-14 Laurel Street in Cambridgeport is an existing 2.5 duplex that will be donated to Just A Start and redeveloped into four affordable homeownership units.
Looking to the future, affordable housing developments have been or will be proposed in several other locations across Cambridge, and the City has been active in financing acquisition of properties where affordable housing will be proposed.
This includes:
• Developments at 1826 and 1840 Massachusetts Avenue in Neighborhood Nine.
• Frost Terrace II, a scattered-site development on Roseland Street near Porter Square.
• The redevelopment the CHA’s Corcoran Park affordable housing community in Strawberry Hill is proceeding under the provisions of the AHO. Although most details are not yet finalized, this proposed project aims to create almost 300 affordable housing units.
All of this housing momentum has been made possible by the dedication and collaboration of partners across the City. From the City Council, City Manager, Housing Department, Community Development Department, Department of Human Service Programs, and Office of Housing Liaison to outside partners like the Cambridge Housing Authority, Homeowner’s Rehab, Just-A-Start and others, the continued progress toward combatting the housing crisis and constructing affordable housing in Cambridge and beyond is a team effort.
Affordable housing is a necessity to allow people to continue to live and thrive in Cambridge, but it is also about so much more than just a place to live. For many people, affordable housing offers stability for their family and provides a foundation for health, education, connections to the community, and the opportunities that come with living in Cambridge.
“When I received the keys to our new home, I couldn’t stop crying. It was a moment of relief I’ll never forget. Affordable housing has given me the chance to provide my child with a stable home, while I pursue my education and build a better life for us. It’s more than just a roof over our heads, it’s the foundation for a better future,” reflected Daniela Cabrera Soto, a CHA resident.
Affordable Housing Resources
While the City is committed to constructing new affordable housing, it also offers support for residents in need of housing assistance or who are seeking affordable housing opportunities. The City administers several affordable rental and homeownership programs and is dedicated to supporting prospective renters and homebuyers with their housing needs through the City’s Housing Department. These programs complement other housing support and assistance through the City’s Multi-Service Center and Office of the Housing Liaison, and through external partners like CHA or non-profit housing providers.
The Housing Department holds affordable housing information sessions, which take place twice a month online. A schedule of upcoming sessions and links to register for the virtual meetings is available on https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/housing/forapplicants.
A guide to housing program income eligibility limits is available here: https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/Housing/incomelimits/hudincomeguidelines.pdf.
For prospective renters in Cambridge with incomes between 50% and 120% of the AMI, the Housing Department runs the Inclusionary Housing Rental Program.
Eligible applicants in the are referred to properties with available inclusionary rental units (affordable units located in privately-owned developments throughout the city). Rent for inclusionary units is usually set to 30% of the applicant’s gross monthly income.
The City also offers programs and support for those hoping to purchase a home in Cambridge. The HomeBridge program allows eligible first-time homebuyers who earn between 60% and 120% of the AMI to receive financial assistance with their purchase. Homes purchased through the program are subject to affordable housing deed restrictions. The Homeownership Resale Pool, open to households earning between 50% and 100% of the AMI, helps connect prospective homeowners with affordable homeownership units in Cambridge. The City also offers First-Time Homebuyer Workshops to prospective homebuyers.
More information and resources for prospective housing applicants are available at https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/housing/forapplicants. Applicants can also access the Housing Program Eligibility Tool on the website, which shows which City housing programs applicants may be eligible for based on their income and household size.
