*Above property: third St. in East Cambridge
Why housing is so expensive and so many homes here are so expensive.
Read More: It is NOT a Supply-Demand Question
Read More: It is NOT a Supply-Demand Question
QUOTE: "People are very bad at macroeconomics. Even many economists. We simply cannot see a whole system and constantly forget the first lesson of macro that someone’s spending is another’s income" (Economist Cameron Murray, author of The Great Housing Hijack; source: X/Twitter March 2, 2025).
QUOTE: "Asking for-profit developers to fix the affordable housing problem is like asking an arsonist to put out their own fire. What is their incentive?"
The Black Response Cambridge on the Upzoning Petition:"Missing Middle Fails for Housing Affordability"
QUOTE: "Asking for-profit developers to fix the affordable housing problem is like asking an arsonist to put out their own fire. What is their incentive?"
The Black Response Cambridge on the Upzoning Petition:"Missing Middle Fails for Housing Affordability"
Demolitions
NEW DEMOLITION PROJECTS:
- 745 Concord Avenue (236 units)
- 75 First Street (90 units)
- 2400 Mass Ave (56 units)
Ellery Street – 6 Stories, 29 Units ("affordable" ones by size, not number of units). Neighborhood: Mid-Cambridge
Another home to be demolished for a much larger luxury home (or two): 194-196 Lakeview in the Fresh Pond Neighborhood. The city has already approved the demolition. Most likely this beautiful home will become two $3+ million box-like single-family homes on the same property, one behind the other, losing critically needed trees and green spaces in the process.
With our now pro-developer City Council passing its radical luxury housing upzoning on February 10, relinquishing viable City Planning, and turning our future over to for-profit investors and developers, we will seem more home demolitions like this one going forward. We thank Councillor Cathie Zusy for opposing it. We are already feeling the impacts of this ordinance with higher housing prices, taxes, and energy bills, as well as the loss of critically needed mature trees and green spaces. In addition to our group, others that are unhappy with this luxury housing upzoning and voiced opposition to the 4+2 model ordained by City Council include the Cambridge Justice Coalition, the Cambridge Residence Alliance, CARE Housing, Our Revolution, and the Cambridge branch of NAACP.
WE NOW HAVE MORE EXAMPLES of now-larger multi-million dollar homes benefitting from the Feb 10, 2025 luxury upzoning. They represent generally far larger and more expensive single family homes, duplexes or luxury three-unit examples replacing triple decker rental properties:
641 Concord Avenue near Fresh Pond (still waiting to hear)
164-170 Allston in Cambridgeport (still waiting to hear)
194-196 Lakeview Ave near Fresh Pond
26 Jay Street in Riverside
24 Newell St in Area 9
121 Rindge in North Cambridge
131 Thingvalla in Strawberry Hill
161 Cushing Street in Strawberry Hill
18 Clinton St in Mid-Cambridge
- 745 Concord Avenue (236 units)
- 75 First Street (90 units)
- 2400 Mass Ave (56 units)
Ellery Street – 6 Stories, 29 Units ("affordable" ones by size, not number of units). Neighborhood: Mid-Cambridge
- A 6-story project with 29 units is being added to this already dense neighborhood and raises questions about height, shadowing, and parking in community discussion
- This stretch of Cambridgeport has seen increased development activity in recent years, and a 6-story building replacing the Spears Funeral Home could be a notable change in neighborhood fabric, especially since it will be without parking and will bring sizable shadows to nearby properties.
Another home to be demolished for a much larger luxury home (or two): 194-196 Lakeview in the Fresh Pond Neighborhood. The city has already approved the demolition. Most likely this beautiful home will become two $3+ million box-like single-family homes on the same property, one behind the other, losing critically needed trees and green spaces in the process.
With our now pro-developer City Council passing its radical luxury housing upzoning on February 10, relinquishing viable City Planning, and turning our future over to for-profit investors and developers, we will seem more home demolitions like this one going forward. We thank Councillor Cathie Zusy for opposing it. We are already feeling the impacts of this ordinance with higher housing prices, taxes, and energy bills, as well as the loss of critically needed mature trees and green spaces. In addition to our group, others that are unhappy with this luxury housing upzoning and voiced opposition to the 4+2 model ordained by City Council include the Cambridge Justice Coalition, the Cambridge Residence Alliance, CARE Housing, Our Revolution, and the Cambridge branch of NAACP.
WE NOW HAVE MORE EXAMPLES of now-larger multi-million dollar homes benefitting from the Feb 10, 2025 luxury upzoning. They represent generally far larger and more expensive single family homes, duplexes or luxury three-unit examples replacing triple decker rental properties:
641 Concord Avenue near Fresh Pond (still waiting to hear)
164-170 Allston in Cambridgeport (still waiting to hear)
194-196 Lakeview Ave near Fresh Pond
26 Jay Street in Riverside
24 Newell St in Area 9
121 Rindge in North Cambridge
131 Thingvalla in Strawberry Hill
161 Cushing Street in Strawberry Hill
18 Clinton St in Mid-Cambridge
Below: 194-196 Lakeview - Recently received a demolition permit.
194-196 Lakeview. Approved for Demolition with no design oversight or means of legal appeal. Most likely this will become a much larger three story single family home (a true McMansion) or two box-like very large three story single family homes, each going for at least $3 million.
The composite image below is 121 Rindge Avenue, one of many recent responses to the citywide upzoning.
The composite image below is 121 Rindge Avenue, one of many recent responses to the citywide upzoning.
