Cambridge Housing Committee Advances Citywide Six-Story Upzoning Process, No Draft Yet

CAMBRIDGE -- May 22, 2024, Cambridge Housing Committee hears sharp public divide on proposal to legalize six-story apartment buildings citywide. The committee, co-chaired by Councillor Burhan Azeem and Vice Mayor Marc McGovern, held a public hearing Wednesday on Policy Order No. 62, which would allow multi-family construction up to six stories as of right across all residential zones, eliminating most Board of Zoning Appeals discretionary review and parking minimums, though no draft zoning language has yet been written. Supporters, many of them renters and young professionals, cited a 12,000-unit housing target by 2030 that the city is failing to meet, noting only 111 units were permitted in the most recent year. Critics, including the Cambridge Residents Alliance's Lee Ferris, warned the plan contains no affordability floor for residents below 50 percent of AMI, could accelerate demolition-driven displacement, and would reduce the density advantage currently held by the Affordable Housing Overlay. Azeem told the committee that 20 percent inclusionary affordability "only pencils out at six stories," a claim she said the committee would support with data at a future hearing. The committee voted 5-0 to close public comment and adjourn, with zoning language expected months away.