Housing
City Council Asks State Legislature To Let Cambridge Ban Tenant-Paid Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to file a home rule petition requesting state approval to eliminate tenant-paid broker fees in a meeting last week, following similar petitions in Boston and Somerville.
Before Denise Jillson Became HSBA Director, She Led the Fight To End Rent Control in Cambridge
Many Cambridge residents know Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, as the heart of the local economy. But beyond her work at the HSBA, Jillson also has a deep history of political advocacy in the city.
‘Just Get to Work’: Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Focuses on Care, President Says at Forum
In the greater Boston area, where nearly 13,000 individuals can experience homelessness on a given night, many nonprofits work to address systemic housing issues. But the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program has taken a different approach — emphasizing immediate and continuous care.
Cambridge Housing Authority to Install Solar Panels on Affordable Housing Buildings, Despite Questions Over Federal Funding
The Cambridge Housing Authority will finance a $4.9 million investment to add solar panels to eight CHA properties despite funding uncertainty caused by the federal government.
After Fight Over Replacement of Allston Sound Museum, City Kicks Off Redevelopment
The city of Boston officially kickstarted a process to replace the Sound Museum on Monday. The replacement of the Brighton-based rehearsal space has been hotly contested by the musicians who once rehearsed there.
New Emergency Assistance Family Shelter To Open In Cambridgeport
Massachusetts will open a new “Rapid Track” shelter for up to 70 Emergency Assistance eligible families in Cambridgeport beginning at the end of April.
Students Left ‘Out of Commission’ From Harvard Power Outage
A power outage across Harvard campus early Thursday morning left at least seven residential Houses without hot water for several hours. The electrical outage was caused by a circuit failure on Allston’s Blackstone Street — which is home to Blackstone Steam Plant, the facility that distributes power to many of Harvard’s campus buildings.
Councilor Siddiqui Reflects On the City’s Changing Housing Landscape at PBHA Talk
After landmark zoning reform, Cambridge City Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui and A Better Cambridge co-chair Justin N. Saif ’99 unpacked its implications and encouraged students to get involved in local politics at a Phillips Brooks House Association event on Tuesday.
After Upzoning, Cambridge Wonders Where Neighborhood Conservation Districts Will Fit
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to initiate a study on the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District in light of advocates’ concerns that the body suppresses multifamily zoning projects.
In Wake of Multifamily Zoning Ordinance, Developer Postcards Urge Residents to Sell Their Homes
A local developer’s decision to mail 1500 postcards to residents across Cambridge urging them to consider selling their homes, so a taller, higher-value one can be built seems to have given the policy’s vocal group of critics — who warned that the ordinance would be a bonanza for private developers — a small “I-told-you-so” moment.
Harvard Chabad Petitions to Change City Zoning Laws
Harvard Chabad is petitioning the city of Cambridge to change its zoning laws to exempt religious buildings from certain restrictions in an apparent effort to move forward with plans to expand its headquarters, currently blocked by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
As Commercial Development Grows in Cambridge, City Looks to Increase Linkage Fee on Commercial Projects
The Cambridge City Council kickstarted a process to potentially raise linkage fees on commercial development on Monday, voting unanimously to plan a study that will recommend how much to raise the Nexus Zoning Fee.
Boston Launches Anti-Displacement Plan for Residents, Small Businesses
The City of Boston released a 41-part Anti-Displacement Action Plan last week after Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 first announced the plan at her State of the City address.
Developers Announce Proposed Affordable Development Size Will Not Be Reduced Despite Backlash
Non-profit developers in charge of a proposed eight-story affordable housing project in the Baldwin neighborhood announced Thursday that they will not be reducing the size of the building any further despite backlash from residents who believe the complex will be too large.
With an Increase in Voucher Discrimination, Cambridge Looks to Train Housing Professionals in Prevention
Cambridge human rights officials urged professionals in the real estate industry to avoid disadvantaging rental applicants with government vouchers in a webinar Tuesday, telling The Crimson in interviews after the event that the city is seeing “a rise in complaints” of voucher discrimination.
