Cambridge Council Unanimously Backs Tenant Legal Aid, Approves Hazmat Grant

CAMBRIDGE — March 4, 2024 — Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted a tenant protection policy order and approved a nearly $1.3 million federal hazmat vehicle grant at its March 4 meeting. The policy order, led by Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui and co-sponsored by Vice Mayor Marc McGovern and Councilors Sabrina Wheeler, Jivan Azeem, and E. Denise Simmons Wilson, directs City Manager Yi-An Huang to ensure any Cambridge tenant earning under 80 percent of area median income who receives an eviction notice has access to a free attorney in court, while also expanding mediation services and requiring annual rights notices to landlords, management companies, and tenants under chapter 8.71 of the city code. CEOC Director Tina Alou testified that legal intervention "almost always" resolves eviction disputes when obtained, but that current city contracts fall short of citywide need. The council also approved an $1,266,327 federal grant for a new hazardous-materials truck replacing a 1991 vehicle, including disposal of PFAS firefighting foam. In a lengthy session, councilors referred the Central Square Lot Study to the Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee after Mayor E. Denise Simmons cited "44 years and 24 studies" of Central Square planning with little visible result, and multiple members expressed alarm at the Cambridge BID's announcement that Starlight Square will not run a full season in 2024.