KEY TERMS
Glossary of Cambridge Public ("Affordable") Housing Lingo
Use this dictionary to understand the Cambridge City terms involved with housing. Each acronym, city and state department and program, non-profit and profit association and developer and their housing site(s) is given an explanation or description.
*Acronyms, Gov. depts. and Programs, Non-profits, proposed and ongoing Public “Affordable: Housing sites in Cambridge
* Source of lingo - CityView Newsletter Spring 2024 - Affordable Housing Edition
AHO 1 - 2020, Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning Ordinance was passed to allow affordable housing builders to build more densely than market-rate builders in order to help them compete for new development sites. - it allowed for a community and design review process to help affordable housing providers advance new proposals more efficiently and cost effectively. Also it included design regulation (thought at that time to be needed for community support to pass).
AHO 2 - 2023 Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning amendment enhances the AHO 2020 in creating new affordable housing by allowing taller heights in higher density zoning districts and reduces required setbacks citywide to help non-profit developers better compete with market-rate developers.It also removes design regulation, a factor which helped to pass the AHO - 2020.
Alewife Zoning Working Group has worked with the recommendations from the 2019 Alewife District Plan in order to provide zoning rules that would guide the creation of a vibrant new neighborhood. Includes city staff (involved with the Community Development Department) It is only advisory.
,
AMI Average Median Income
B'nai B'rith Housing A Boston area non-profit developer planning affordable senior housing units in the Cambridge Highland Neighborhood at 87-101 Blanchard Rd.
Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Created by the City Council, established in 1989 with the mission of expanding and protecting affordable housing opportunities in Cambridge. The Trust is comprised of a nine-member board that includes experts in housing policy, finance, development, design, and advocacy. The Trust serves as both a policy advisory board and a loan committee. Their project is 116Norfolk Street.
CDD Cambridge Development Department The Community Development Department is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. We work to enhance the character and diversity of the city's neighborhoods, preserve and increase affordable housing, create and promote accessible and sustainable mobility, build environmental resilience, and support sustainable economic growth.
CDD Housing Division We offer access to affordable rental and homeownership units created through City programs. We work with the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust, non-profit housing providers, and the Cambridge Housing Authority to acquire, build and preserve affordable housing. We work with private developers and owners to offer access to affordable units created by the City's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. We offer First Time Homebuyer Classes, pre-purchase counseling, and financial assistance for new homebuyers, and manage the City's stock of more than 500 affordable homeownership units. We work with nonprofits to offer low-interest loans to assist owners in making necessary home repairs and improvements. Programs include HomeBridge, Homeownership Resale Pool, Home Improvement Program HIP,Housed In Cambridge.
CHA Cambridge Housing Authority is a non-profit organization. which owns and manages public housing in the city. Established under state law in 1935, it provides long-term rental housing and assistance through its Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Programs. Not a city department, the Cambridge Housing Authority provides affordable housing options for many low-income residents. It is sponsoring a 38 unit SRO property renovation at 116 Norfolk Street. It is replacing obsolete public housing units at Jefferson Park, a Federal Public Housing development.
CHAPA Citizen Housing and Planning Association A Boston-based Massachusetts non-profit which brings stakeholders together from across the industry — lenders, developers, municipalities, community groups, tenants, and more — to build consensus around equitable solutions to our Commonwealth’s affordable housing challenges.
CoC Continuum of Care The Cambridge Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional program sponsored by the federal HUD (Housing and Urban Development Department) - a group of organizations and individuals working to address homelessness through a coordinated, community-based process of identifying needs and building a system of housing and services to address those needing help.
CPA Community Preservation Act The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created by Mass. state law (G.L. c. 44B) to help cities and towns preserve the character of their community. In 2001, Cambridge residents voted to adopt the CPA locally, which allowed the City to implement a 3% surcharge on Property Tax bills to fund eligible projects.
CPAMSA is the Massachusetts Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area. The CityView Article quotes from The Boston Foundation Housing Report Card 2023.
DHSP Department of Human Services Programs The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) provides a wide range of services for all Cambridge residents.
Healthpeak Denver-based developer of 35 acres at Alewife.
HIP Home Improvement Program offers loans to owners to cover the home repair costs. also helps with technical assistance
Housed IN Cambridge - a citywide campaign program designed as a guide to educate and inform residents about housing opportunities and housing related resources and services/ It has "Drop ins" at the Cambridge Main Public Library
HRI Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. A non-profit at 280 Franklin St. 02139, founded in 1982. Its mission is to develop safe, sustainable housing for all people, regardless of age, race, income or identity. Owning and renting. It has created and preserved affordable housing primarily in Cambridge but also Worcester, Newton, Lowell, and Somerville.
It has proposed an addition to 4 Mellen St./1627 Mass. Ave. Also it is doing rehab work at 35 Harvey St. North Cambridge and will be proposing housing at 30 Wendell St. in the Baldwin Neighborhood.
Inclusionary Housing Rental Program The program began in 1998 with the establishment of the Cambridge Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. In April 2017, the City Council unanimously passed an amendment to the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Ordinance, requiring that market-rate developments reserve 20% of the buildings' floor area for affordable units. Low, moderate and middle-income renters and middle-income income renters and buyers apply for inclusionary housing and go through a lottery.
JAS Just a Start is a non-profit, founded in 1968 to be a youth training and community revitalization program in the Welligton-Harrington neighborhood. Just A Start Headquarters is at 1035 Cambridge Street. It is constructing two buildings at 430 -432 Rindge Ave called "Rindge Commons." It is sponsoring 52 New Street near Danehy Park. It has acquired 37 Brookline St. in Cambridgeport, and 35 Cherry St. near MIT.
MAPS Mass. Ave. Planning Study 2024 is headed by the Community Development Department CDD to get residents' input for a design vision of what a redesigned Mass. Ave. between Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridge Common would look like after the installation of segregated bike lanes. It is only advisory.
MSC The Multi-Service Center of the CDHSP department helps people with housing challenges. It is located at 362 Green St.
OHL The Office of the Housing Liaison 2019 established - a division of the City Manager's Office - responds to individual, programmatic and systemic housing needs and gaps. Staff educates tenants, homeowners and landlords on housing rights and responsibilities. navigates complex housing situations such as building sales. coordinates citywide responses to support populations particularly vulnerable to housing instability or access Works with MSC.
POAH Preservation of Affordable Housing , a national organization, also a Boston-based nonprofit, is planning to convert a portion of the Sacred Heart property at 49 Sixth St. in East Cambridge into affordable rental housing. They will be partnering with Urban Spaces, a private residential developer, during the project’s initial development phase. Urban Spaces currently controls the site through a long term ground lease with the Archdiocese but will be transferring control to POAH when construction begins.
SRO Single Room Occupancy program of the Cambridge Housing Authority(CHA)provides housing for individuals in congregate living, typically with shared common spaces.
Urban Spaces LLC is a Cambridge-based company at 55 Bent St. that develops mid-sized residential and commercial projects in urban infill locations with public transportation, universities. It is involved with a project at 75 First St in East Cambridge.
Winn Development, of Boston, owner of Walden Square Apartments and Developer of Proposed Walden Squares II on Walden Square Road.
Use this dictionary to understand the Cambridge City terms involved with housing. Each acronym, city and state department and program, non-profit and profit association and developer and their housing site(s) is given an explanation or description.
*Acronyms, Gov. depts. and Programs, Non-profits, proposed and ongoing Public “Affordable: Housing sites in Cambridge
* Source of lingo - CityView Newsletter Spring 2024 - Affordable Housing Edition
AHO 1 - 2020, Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning Ordinance was passed to allow affordable housing builders to build more densely than market-rate builders in order to help them compete for new development sites. - it allowed for a community and design review process to help affordable housing providers advance new proposals more efficiently and cost effectively. Also it included design regulation (thought at that time to be needed for community support to pass).
AHO 2 - 2023 Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning amendment enhances the AHO 2020 in creating new affordable housing by allowing taller heights in higher density zoning districts and reduces required setbacks citywide to help non-profit developers better compete with market-rate developers.It also removes design regulation, a factor which helped to pass the AHO - 2020.
Alewife Zoning Working Group has worked with the recommendations from the 2019 Alewife District Plan in order to provide zoning rules that would guide the creation of a vibrant new neighborhood. Includes city staff (involved with the Community Development Department) It is only advisory.
,
AMI Average Median Income
B'nai B'rith Housing A Boston area non-profit developer planning affordable senior housing units in the Cambridge Highland Neighborhood at 87-101 Blanchard Rd.
Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Created by the City Council, established in 1989 with the mission of expanding and protecting affordable housing opportunities in Cambridge. The Trust is comprised of a nine-member board that includes experts in housing policy, finance, development, design, and advocacy. The Trust serves as both a policy advisory board and a loan committee. Their project is 116Norfolk Street.
CDD Cambridge Development Department The Community Development Department is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. We work to enhance the character and diversity of the city's neighborhoods, preserve and increase affordable housing, create and promote accessible and sustainable mobility, build environmental resilience, and support sustainable economic growth.
CDD Housing Division We offer access to affordable rental and homeownership units created through City programs. We work with the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust, non-profit housing providers, and the Cambridge Housing Authority to acquire, build and preserve affordable housing. We work with private developers and owners to offer access to affordable units created by the City's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. We offer First Time Homebuyer Classes, pre-purchase counseling, and financial assistance for new homebuyers, and manage the City's stock of more than 500 affordable homeownership units. We work with nonprofits to offer low-interest loans to assist owners in making necessary home repairs and improvements. Programs include HomeBridge, Homeownership Resale Pool, Home Improvement Program HIP,Housed In Cambridge.
CHA Cambridge Housing Authority is a non-profit organization. which owns and manages public housing in the city. Established under state law in 1935, it provides long-term rental housing and assistance through its Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Programs. Not a city department, the Cambridge Housing Authority provides affordable housing options for many low-income residents. It is sponsoring a 38 unit SRO property renovation at 116 Norfolk Street. It is replacing obsolete public housing units at Jefferson Park, a Federal Public Housing development.
CHAPA Citizen Housing and Planning Association A Boston-based Massachusetts non-profit which brings stakeholders together from across the industry — lenders, developers, municipalities, community groups, tenants, and more — to build consensus around equitable solutions to our Commonwealth’s affordable housing challenges.
CoC Continuum of Care The Cambridge Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional program sponsored by the federal HUD (Housing and Urban Development Department) - a group of organizations and individuals working to address homelessness through a coordinated, community-based process of identifying needs and building a system of housing and services to address those needing help.
CPA Community Preservation Act The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created by Mass. state law (G.L. c. 44B) to help cities and towns preserve the character of their community. In 2001, Cambridge residents voted to adopt the CPA locally, which allowed the City to implement a 3% surcharge on Property Tax bills to fund eligible projects.
CPAMSA is the Massachusetts Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area. The CityView Article quotes from The Boston Foundation Housing Report Card 2023.
DHSP Department of Human Services Programs The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) provides a wide range of services for all Cambridge residents.
Healthpeak Denver-based developer of 35 acres at Alewife.
HIP Home Improvement Program offers loans to owners to cover the home repair costs. also helps with technical assistance
Housed IN Cambridge - a citywide campaign program designed as a guide to educate and inform residents about housing opportunities and housing related resources and services/ It has "Drop ins" at the Cambridge Main Public Library
HRI Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. A non-profit at 280 Franklin St. 02139, founded in 1982. Its mission is to develop safe, sustainable housing for all people, regardless of age, race, income or identity. Owning and renting. It has created and preserved affordable housing primarily in Cambridge but also Worcester, Newton, Lowell, and Somerville.
It has proposed an addition to 4 Mellen St./1627 Mass. Ave. Also it is doing rehab work at 35 Harvey St. North Cambridge and will be proposing housing at 30 Wendell St. in the Baldwin Neighborhood.
Inclusionary Housing Rental Program The program began in 1998 with the establishment of the Cambridge Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. In April 2017, the City Council unanimously passed an amendment to the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Ordinance, requiring that market-rate developments reserve 20% of the buildings' floor area for affordable units. Low, moderate and middle-income renters and middle-income income renters and buyers apply for inclusionary housing and go through a lottery.
JAS Just a Start is a non-profit, founded in 1968 to be a youth training and community revitalization program in the Welligton-Harrington neighborhood. Just A Start Headquarters is at 1035 Cambridge Street. It is constructing two buildings at 430 -432 Rindge Ave called "Rindge Commons." It is sponsoring 52 New Street near Danehy Park. It has acquired 37 Brookline St. in Cambridgeport, and 35 Cherry St. near MIT.
MAPS Mass. Ave. Planning Study 2024 is headed by the Community Development Department CDD to get residents' input for a design vision of what a redesigned Mass. Ave. between Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridge Common would look like after the installation of segregated bike lanes. It is only advisory.
MSC The Multi-Service Center of the CDHSP department helps people with housing challenges. It is located at 362 Green St.
OHL The Office of the Housing Liaison 2019 established - a division of the City Manager's Office - responds to individual, programmatic and systemic housing needs and gaps. Staff educates tenants, homeowners and landlords on housing rights and responsibilities. navigates complex housing situations such as building sales. coordinates citywide responses to support populations particularly vulnerable to housing instability or access Works with MSC.
POAH Preservation of Affordable Housing , a national organization, also a Boston-based nonprofit, is planning to convert a portion of the Sacred Heart property at 49 Sixth St. in East Cambridge into affordable rental housing. They will be partnering with Urban Spaces, a private residential developer, during the project’s initial development phase. Urban Spaces currently controls the site through a long term ground lease with the Archdiocese but will be transferring control to POAH when construction begins.
SRO Single Room Occupancy program of the Cambridge Housing Authority(CHA)provides housing for individuals in congregate living, typically with shared common spaces.
Urban Spaces LLC is a Cambridge-based company at 55 Bent St. that develops mid-sized residential and commercial projects in urban infill locations with public transportation, universities. It is involved with a project at 75 First St in East Cambridge.
Winn Development, of Boston, owner of Walden Square Apartments and Developer of Proposed Walden Squares II on Walden Square Road.
