Envision Housing Working Group Recommendations [New/expanded only]
Strategy: Increase overall housing production.
|
Actions |
Priority |
Status |
Notes |
|
Require the creation of significant new housing in areas that are being rezoned. |
High |
Expanded |
Rezoning required. |
|
Change zoning to enable more housing, including affordable housing, to be built along major corridors and in other areas that have the capacity to accommodate growth and are well-served by transit. |
High |
New |
Rezoning required. |
Strategy: Encourage affordable housing production through regulatory and zoning incentives.
|
Offer density bonuses and relief from other dimensional regulations for fully affordable housing developments through a citywide affordable housing overlay or other regulatory mechanism. |
High |
New |
Rezoning required. |
|
Modify the development approval process for fully affordable housing projects to require design review instead of a discretionary approval. |
High |
New |
Rezoning required. |
Strategy: Encourage homeownership and assist income-eligible populations in home purchase [No new recommendations]
Strategy: Expand resources for affordable housing production and preservation.
|
Increase existing City funds and explore new revenue sources and support for dedicated affordable housing (Combined with action to establish new funding sources, such as the regular issuance of bonds and using tax increment financing) |
High |
Modified |
Capital funding. |
|
Prioritize City and other public property that is available for disposition to develop affordable housing. |
High |
Modified |
Capital funding. |
|
Establish or expand the use of taxes that provide dedicated revenue for affordable housing including a local real estate transfer tax (supplemental to state stamp tax), a speculative owner tax, and lodging tax on short- term rentals. |
High |
New |
State legislation required. |
|
Institute an incentive for owners of multifamily buildings who construct more affordable units than required by the Inclusionary Housing Program. |
Medium |
Modified |
Type of incentive would determine if it requires funding, rezoning, or change in tax law. |
Strategy: Develop a broader coalition of public and private entities and residents to support housing production, especially affordable housing, in Cambridge and the region.
|
Identify opportunities to require local academic institutions to use their assets, especially their land, to build more housing and explore new housing partnerships and models that can better serve university-affiliated populations and the community. |
High |
Modified |
|
|
Play active role in regional & state advocacy efforts to facilitate increased afd. housing production, including the development of strategies for zoning reform. |
Medium |
Modified |
|
Strategy: Maintain a range of housing options to enable households to transition to the units best-suited to them as their housing needs change.
|
Engage housing and service providers to produce quality permanent supportive housing for the homeless and other vulnerable populations. |
High |
Expanded |
Capital funding. |
|
Change base zoning to require that developers of multi-family projects of at least 10 units provide a certain number of family-sized units (i.e. units with at least 3-bedrooms). |
Medium |
New |
Rezoning required. |
|
Establish a set of family-oriented services and amenities to be encouraged in new development. |
High |
New |
Rezoning required. |
Strategy: Expand tools and resources to prevent displacement and housing insecurity and address homelessness.
|
Evaluate gaps in supportive housing services and assistance provided by the City, increase capacity and funds to address identified gaps, and increase awareness of available services |
High |
Expanded |
Operating budget. |
|
Expand homelessness prevention services, including emergency resources and support, legal and mediation services, housing search, foreclosure prevention counseling, and education on tenants’ rights. |
High |
Expanded |
Operating budget. |
Actions considered but not recommended for implementation
|
Actions |
Notes |
|
Expand tax and other incentives to encourage continued below-market rents |
State leg. approval required. Amount of incentive likely to be out of scale given difference between mkt. & afd rents. |
|
Educate the public on the benefits of how higher density development can support housing affordability, sustainability, & other com. benefits. |
City’s role is in consensus-building and not advocacy. |
|
Establish new City funding sources such as the regular issuance of bonds and using tax increment financing to support affordable housing at the project or district scale. |
Was combined with action to increase existing City funds and explore options for new revenue sources and support for dedicated affordable housing. |
|
Work with local lenders to develop financial products that support alternative housing models, such as community land trusts and limited equity cooperatives. |
Specialized products for housing cooperatives do exist, and the city plays a role similar to a community land trust in affordable homeownership. Therefore, focusing resources on other actions will have a more significant impact. |
|
Expand existing financial support to match rising costs associated with efforts to develop affordable housing or purchase multifamily residential buildings where tenants are at risk of being displaced. |
Was combined with action to increase existing City funds and explore options for new revenue sources and support for dedicated affordable housing. |
|
Provide time-limited gap financing (vouchers) for tenants facing displacement. |
Requires large resources to be done at a large scale. Investment of city funds in creating long-term affordability was the priority for city funds. |
