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Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang is smiling while speaking at a podium in the Sullivan Chamber at Cambridge City Hall.

Budget Q&A with City Manager Yi-An Huang

City Manager Yi-An Huang reflects on the FY26 budget process, emphasizing transparency, fiscal moderation, and continued investment in key priorities amid growing economic uncertainty.

Aerial view of the Charles River and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, featuring modern buildings and a bridge connecting over the river.

A Deeper Look at Key City Initiatives for FY26

Cambridge’s FY26 budget outlines sustained investments in affordable housing, equity, sustainability, and safe streets while prioritizing financial flexibility amid growing economic uncertainty and the wind-down of federal pandemic aid.

Signs for the Cambridge Housing Authority and Cambridge Multi-Service Center hang on a city building, with a person walking on the sidewalk beside parked cars.

Stability and Shelter Get Financial Backing

Facing federal funding uncertainty, Cambridge adds millions to stabilize key services and launch new housing vouchers for unhoused residents.

Two children smiling and fist-bumping at a restaurant table. There are art supplies, a menu, and glasses of water on the table.

Budget

The Most Significant Budget Modifications

Cambridge’s FY26 budget reflects moderate growth, with key increases supporting schools, salaries, preschool expansion, and public safety initiatives like body cameras.

Deputy Budget Director Angela Alfred poses on the front steps of Cambridge City Hall

Personnel Profile: Angela Alfred, Deputy Budget Director

Angela Alfred, a lifelong Cantabrigian and longtime City staff member, shares how her journey from intern to Deputy Budget Director shapes her commitment to community-focused financial planning.

Principal Budget Analyst Daniel Liss standing in a hallway at Cambridge City Hall

Personnel Profile: Daniel Liss, Principal Budget Analyst

Daniel Liss, Principal Budget Analyst for the City of Cambridge, shares how his passion for public service and department collaboration drives his work to support the City's budget and community impact.

Get to Know Daniel Liss

Get to know Daniel Liss, Principal Budget Analyst with the City of Cambridge! In his role, Liss collaborates with other budget analysts, the general finance team, and departments across the City to design, monitor, and study Cambridge’s budget. Learn more about Daniel in this article.

City Manager Yi-An Huang speaking at a podium under a tent with a banner reading "Just A Start, 52 New Street." He is standing in front of a microphone at an outdoor event. There are listeners seated around him.

City Manager's Message

Hear from City Manager Yi-An Huang on this year’s budgeting process, main priorities in this year’s budget, and the city’s goals for the coming year.

Graphic of a residential street with diverse architectural styles of houses. Behind them is a blue bar graph, with each bar a bit taller and darker in hue from left to right. A rising red arrow sits atop the slope of the bar graph. Coins are also floating in front of the graph.

How the Budget Process Works

Learn how the City prepares its budget each year.

The eight members of the Cambridge City Council posing for a photo in front of the main staircase in City Hall. There's a pillar on each side of the staircase, each flanked with a long, rectangular iteration of the American flag and a green plant in front. Half-circle American flags hang from the windows in the background.

City Council Updates Goals; Forms Basis for City’s Budget

The City’s goals for this year’s budget include improved housing access, transportation, climate resilience, and other investments in the community.

A group of eleven people wearing hard hats and holding shovels participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at a construction site. They are standing on a gravel surface with a backdrop featuring construction fencing and a partially visible sign.

The Most Significant Investments in the FY25 Budget

Review the total consolidated spending by key areas of this year’s budget.

A smiling teacher supervises three students working on a classroom assignment at a table, pointing at one of their papers. The room is bright with educational posters visible in the background.

A Deeper Look at Key City Initiatives for FY25

Take an in-depth look into the City’s major initiatives for the new fiscal year--from affordable housing to traffic safety.

A young girl with curly hair smiles and holds a piece of chalk in a classroom next to another child who is seated at the table, writing with chalk. Other students, a teacher, and classroom materials are visible in the background.

The Most Significant Budget Modifications

See the major changes to this year's budget compared to last year.

The Valente Library Branch, a modern building with large glass walls and a curved, sloping roof illuminated at night, is located on a tree-lined urban street. Pedestrian crossing lines are visible in the foreground.

New Budgeted Positions

Learn about the seven new full-time positions included in this year’s budget and other changes to the City's organizational structure.

City Hall stands tall on a bright, sunny day with blue skies and a few clouds. Neighboring buildings are shown, as well as pedestrians, bikers, and cars on Mass Ave, and there are colorful crosswalks painted with Pride colors.

Cambridge Awarded Three AAA Ratings for 25th Consecutive Year

Read about the City’s favorable credit ratings and their implications for the budget.

Illustration of a vibrant cityscape featuring a variety of urban activities: people biking, walking, enjoying a picnic, and skateboarding. The backdrop includes diverse buildings under a clear sky with the sun partially visible.

Economic Success Spurs Expanded Budget

Cambridge’s economic success and strides in employment, including in the higher education and life sciences sectors, help make the City’s budget possible.

Illustration featuring a diverse group of people standing atop a green hill and joyfully raising their hands. They're set against a stylized background with illustrations of a sun and clouds as well as an overlaid image of City Hall. The background also includes the words "PRIORITIES" and "VALUES" in uppercase letters, emphasizing key themes. The overall mood is celebratory and inclusive, suggesting a community focused on shared goals and principles.

Financial Outlook Focuses on Preserving Future Financial Flexibility

Look ahead to the City’s future financial outlook and efforts to preserve flexibility and stability.

New affordable housing units under construction at 605 Concord Avenue.

Housing Data & Facts

Review some of the latest housing data about market trends, the City’s investment in affordable housing, and other local housing-related facts.

An affordable housing property under construction at 116 Norfolk Street.

Leading Priority and Key Areas of Focus

Affordable housing has long been a top priority for Cambridge, starting with the City Council. In support of this, the City commits substantial resources and works diligently to address affordable housing needs in the community.

A social worker talking to a resident at a table in the Cambridge Public Library.

Accomplishments Over the Past Year

Overall, in FY24, the City is dedicating more than $60 million from a variety of sources to address affordable housing and homelessness. The fiscal year 2023 resulted in a number of key accomplishments.

Park View: a limited equity housing cooperative organized in Cambridge in 1984. It was sponsored by the City of Cambridge as an affordable housing initiative for low- and moderate-income people and received assistance from the City’s Community Development Department. The cooperative consists of 12 units, a mix of one, one and a half and two-bedroom units.

Affordable Housing Trust Expands and Protects Affordable Housing Opportunities

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. 

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