Issues

Together we can build a more affordable, sustainable, and just Cambridge

End red-lining era exclusionary zoning that prevents the creation of triple-deckers, duplexes, and other more affordable types of housing in large parts of Cambridge
Push to end tenant-paid broker's fees to rent an apartment, which add thousands of dollars to the cost of finding a place to live in Cambridge
Establish a rent control ordinance to stop huge year-to-year rent increases that cause displacement

Create a Cambridge Community Land Trust, along with assistance programs and financing models, to keep housing and home-owernship affordable for future generations of Cantabrigians
Review city-wide planning and zoning to address the barriers to creating more homes that are affordable, especially in areas with a relative scarcity of housing compared to jobs such as Kendall and Alewife
Incentivize conversion of under-utilized office buildings affected by work-from-home trends to housing by streamlining city permitting

Increase funding for after-school programs and deepen the commitment to address staffing needs to ensure that all families who need after-school programs for their children are guaranteed a spot (Read the Letter to the Editor from Derek Etkin & Rebecca Bailey in North Cambridge)
Address the child care labor shortage by providing grants for early childhood educators who commit to working in Cambridge
Offer technical assistance and support to center-based and family child care providers, including support in finding space and hiring and retaining staff

Establish a fund to expand the number of available and affordable child care seats, increase child care educator pay to strengthen worker retain rates, and invest in child care facilities' improvements

Utilize federal funding available to cities via the direct payment provision of the Inflation Reduction Act to replace fossil fuel-powered city vehicles, and add municipally-owned renewable infrastructure such as solar panels and electric charging stations throughout Cambridge
Create fare-free bus routes — following models developed by Boston, Lawrence, and other cities — and add bus-priority lanes to reduce commute times
Fund and implement improvements to the resiliency and accessibility of Jerry's Pond as a space for nature and people in North Cambridge
Commit to the full Cambridge Bicycle Plan with 20+ miles of protected bike lanes, including on Mass Ave, Hampshire, and Mt Auburn Streets
Develop a public, local micro-transit service for elderly & disabled residents and work with the MBTA to fix The Ride
Work with the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to expand green space and recreation space along Memorial Drive, add bathrooms and better lighting, and open Riverbend Park on both weekend days
Expand the comprehensiveness of Cambridge’s composting services — which cost less per pound of waste than garbage collection — to offer more options to residents and save taxpayers money

Implement city-wide municipal broadband to provide an alternative to the Comcast monopoly on internet-service in Cambridge
Invest in community-based responses to public safety including affordable housing, mental and behavioral healthcare, and the Cambridge Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team (HEART)

Push for publicly financing for municipal elections and work to support efforts for citizen-funded elections state-wide
Address Cambridge’s rat problem by expanding the city’s rodent control program to buildings with more than 4 units, working with restaurants and local businesses on better waste containment strategies, and following the lead of Newton and Hartford in deploying rat birth control methods like RatX to flatten the reproduction curve