The City of Cambridge’s Inspectional Services Department offers free exterior rodent control services through its Private Property Rodent Control Program. Since launching in 2021, the program has helped over 900 qualified residential properties by providing professional inspections, treatments, and follow-up visits. Residents also receive education on effective rodent prevention techniques. The City encourages community-wide participation, as sanitation and shared responsibility are essential to keeping neighborhoods rodent-free.

The Bridge to College Program, run by the Cambridge Community Learning Center, helps adults prepare for college by offering free evening classes in reading, writing, math, and study skills. Open to Cambridge residents and select nearby communities, the program supports students—especially immigrants and adult learners—in developing the skills and confidence to succeed in higher education.

The Cambridge Police Department offers a free Child Safety Seat Installation and Inspection service to help residents properly install car seats, booster seats, and seatbelts. Trained officers inspect seats, provide guidance, and may supply free car seats to families in need, all to ensure children are traveling safely and legally under Massachusetts law.

Discover how the Cambridge Public Library can help you trace your ancestry with free access to historical records, genealogy databases, and expert guidance. Whether you're just starting or diving deeper, explore how to connect with your past through local archives, city directories, and census data.

Baby University (Baby U) is a free 14-week program that supports Cambridge families with children age 0–3. Through Saturday workshops, one-on-one visits, and community connections, Baby U helps parents build stronger relationships with their children—and each other—while offering long-term support through the Baby U Alumni Association.

Get to know Rob Linke, Operations Manager with the Department of Public Works (DPW). Linke is involved with several important City operations, including working in the planning administration division, helping coordinate special events as the DPW representative on the special events committee, and supporting the City’s outdoor permitting program.

Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang reflects on the accomplishments of 2024, highlighting major initiatives such as the Cambridge Preschool Program and the Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) Team. He emphasizes the City's strong investments in affordable housing, climate action, public safety, and education, while reaffirming a commitment to transparency, accountability, and community engagement. Looking ahead to 2025, he expresses gratitude for the collaborative efforts of City staff, residents, and partners, and excitement for the opportunities to continue building a better Cambridge.

The City of Cambridge’s HomeBridge program recently celebrated a major milestone with its 100th home purchase, helping a local family achieve their dream of homeownership. HomeBridge provides financial assistance to eligible moderate- and middle-income buyers, enabling them to purchase homes on the open market while ensuring long-term affordability through housing restrictions. By creating new, permanently affordable homeownership opportunities across the city, the program helps families stay in Cambridge despite rising housing costs.

The College Success Initiative (CSI) celebrated 10 years in 2024, having supported over 360 Cambridge residents in pursuing higher education. Designed to assist historically underrepresented students, including immigrants, first-generation college-goers, and low-income individuals, CSI provides personalized support through dedicated College Success Coaches. The program helps students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the Community Learning Center, and Just-A-Start’s YouthBuild program complete associate or bachelor’s degrees within six years.

The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) is working to create a more equitable afterschool application and enrollment process while expanding access for Cambridge families. For the 2024-2025 school year, 1,486 students received an offer to a DHSP afterschool program, with 90% placed in their first choice, and a 7% increase in applicants from the income priority group. DHSP has also added 246 new seats across programs, launched an OST Expansion Study to support long-term growth, and continues to center caregiver perspectives through the Caregiver Council.

In 2024, the Cambridge Public Library revealed the top 10 most borrowed books, with The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride leading the fiction category, while The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt topped nonfiction. The children's book Dog Man: The Scarlett Shedder was the most popular among young readers. March saw the highest number of checkouts, contributing to a total of nearly 1.1 million books borrowed that year.

The Cambridge Room at the city’s main library holds a treasure trove of historical archives, and since 2010, Archivist Alyssa Pacy has worked to expand its collections to better reflect Cambridge’s diverse communities, preserving overlooked stories and making them accessible to the public. Learn more about Alyssa Pacy in this profile.