Cambridge Housing Committee Votes to Draft Citywide Six-Story Multifamily Zoning Proposal

CAMBRIDGE -- August 21, 2024, Cambridge's Housing Committee voted 4-0 to advance a proposal that would allow up to six stories of multifamily housing in every residential district in the city. The committee, co-chaired by Councillors Sumbul Siddiqui and Burhan Azeem, approved two policy orders at its August 21 meeting: one directing the Community Development Department and Law Department to produce draft zoning language by September 15, 2024, and a second requiring CDD to hold public meetings before any formal Ordinance Committee or Planning Board hearings begin this fall. Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler was absent for both votes after leaving for a medical appointment. CDD neighborhood planner Lev McCarthy presented projections showing the proposed zoning could generate approximately 5,570 total housing units in residential districts by 2040, including just under 1,000 affordable units, compared to roughly 1,440 total units and 30 affordable units under current zoning. Azeem estimated the affordable production represents approximately $900 million in housing value at no direct cost to the city. Councillor Wilson's amendment, accepted without objection, added a requirement that CDD include any available analysis of displacement impacts alongside the draft zoning language.