City Council Public Hearing

• Date: March 09, 2026
• Governing Body: Cambridge City Council
• Meeting Type: Public Hearing
• Councilors Present: Ayah Al-Zubi, Burhan Azeem (Vice Mayor), Timothy Flaherty, Marc McGovern, Patricia Nolan, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Catherine Zusy, Sumbul Siddiqui (Mayor).
• Councilors Absent: Denise Simmons.
• City Staff Present: Yi-An Huang (City Manager), Chris Cotter (Housing Director), Maura Pensack (Housing Liaison), Maria Mello (Multi-Service Center Director), Cassie Arnault, Anna Dolmach, Alexis Buckley.

The following residents provided testimony regarding the proposed housing department reorganization:

• Carolyn Magid (Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition): Suggested the city adopt models from Somerville and Boston by creating an independent Office of Housing Stability. She stated, "Separate the housing office that advocates for and helps to meet individual housing needs in Cambridge from the office that looks at what housing gets built and where."
• Lee Farris (Cambridge Residents Alliance): Supported the creation of an Office of Housing Stability to focus on anti-displacement work and policy support for tenant rights. She requested a delay in the decision to allow for more public input.
• Dan Totten: Supported the "one-stop shop" concept but expressed concern regarding the potential tension between upzoning goals and vulnerable resident support. He noted, "I would really hate for the support to play second fiddle to the zoning."
• Henry Wardus (Our Revolution): Proposed a dual-mission structure: one unit for housing advocacy/stability and another for the creation of affordable housing. He suggested a new committee populated by tenants to facilitate communication.
• Heather Hoffman: Questioned if the reorganization would truly serve residents or was merely an "efficiency thing," arguing that those overseeing housing should not also decide zoning rules.
• James Williamson (Alliance of Cambridge Tenants): Criticized the process as "top-down" and "disgraceful," stating that the people most affected were not invited to participate in the preceding discussions.

City Manager Yi-An Huang presented a plan to align all housing and homeless services into a unified department.

Key Components of the Plan:

• Unified Structure: Consolidates the Office of the Housing Liaison, the Housing Department (Community Development), and the Multi-Service Center (Human Service Programs).
• Organizational Areas: The department will consist of three areas with five divisions:
  1. Housing and Services: Includes housing support services and homelessness program planning.
  2. Affordable Housing Programs: Manages affordable rental and homeownership programs.
  3. Affordable Housing Development and Planning: Focuses on new affordable housing development and the Affordable Housing Trust.
• Zoning Separation: Zoning will remain a separate team within the Community Development Department (CDD).

Legal Framework: Mayor Siddiqui read from Charter Section 5-1, noting that reorganization plans must originate from the City Manager via administrative order. The Council may only approve or disapprove the plan within 60 days; they cannot amend or alter it.

• Service Integration: Councilor McGovern and Councilor Flaherty emphasized the need for a physical "one-stop shop" where residents can access all services under one roof to reduce trauma and confusion for vulnerable populations.
• Reporting Structure: City Manager Huang clarified that the Housing Department will report to Housing Director Chris Cotter, who reports to the Assistant City Manager for Community Development.
• Nomenclature: Several councilors, including Councilor Al-Zubi and Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, discussed the merits of the "Office of Housing Stability" name used in other cities. Maura Pensack noted that Cambridge's Multi-Service Center already performs these functions and often exceeds the capacity of those offices.
• Vision and Policy: Councilor Zusy urged Director Cotter to maintain a focus on "visioning" and assessing middle-class housing needs and social housing models despite the increased administrative burden.

The Council took the following official actions:

1. Motion to Close Public Comment: Moved by Councilor Nolan. Passed by voice vote.
2. Motion to Pull Calendar Item #3: Moved by Councilor McGovern. Passed by voice vote.
3. Motion to Approve the Reorganization Plan: Moved by Councilor Nolan to approve the administrative order for the unified housing department.

Roll Call Vote on Approval:

• Councilor Al-Zubi: Yes
• Vice Mayor Azeem: Yes
• Councilor Flaherty: Yes
• Councilor McGovern: Yes
• Councilor Nolan: Yes
• Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler: Yes
• Councilor Zusy: Yes
• Mayor Siddiqui: Yes
• Absent: Councilor Simmons

Outcome: The reorganization plan was APPROVED with 8 votes in the affirmative and 1 absent.