Renters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, prefer City Council candidates focused on increasing housing construction by more than 3 to 1, according to an Embold Research poll. The findings come as the city considers changes to its multifamily zoning rules amid widespread concerns over housing costs.
Here's what to know
The Embold Research poll, released by A Better Cambridge and Abundant Housing Massachusetts, found that 64% of Cambridge voters support the multifamily zoning ordinance passed in February 2025, while 28% oppose it, the Cambridge Somerville Independent reported.
Embold Research surveyed 442 Cambridge voters between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4. Researchers recruited 133 respondents through Facebook and Instagram and another 309 through text messages, directing all participants to the same online survey.
Among renters, 65% favored council candidates focused on increasing housing construction, compared with 19% who did not. That preference reached 72% among voters ages 18-34.
Over 80% of voters ranked affordability as the council's foremost concern or among its leading priorities, while 8 in 10 reported personally experiencing the effects of housing costs or availability.
More background
The ordinance permits residential structures as tall as four stories, or six with affordable homes, on parcels measuring at least 5,000 square feet across broad additional areas of Cambridge, according to the Independent. It also reduces open-space and setback requirements around new buildings.
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Among voters ages 18-34, 86% backed the measure, compared with 66% of those ages 35-49. Support among renters reached 79%.
Critics have raised concerns that redevelopment could remove existing lower-cost homes. City councilor Cathie Zusy said the ordinance was encouraging teardowns of naturally affordable units while producing mostly market-rate housing.
"Most aspiring homeowners and individuals can't compete with developers for properties, who will pay $300,000 to $500,000 more," she said.
What's being done?
City councilor Tim Flaherty called for neighboring municipalities to coordinate housing efforts and improve public transit, arguing that the ordinance could displace working- and middle-class families. His proposed revisions to the multifamily zoning rules, introduced in June, had Zusy as co-sponsor.
After development activity surged following the zoning change, Zusy and the city created websites to track projects and document their progress.
A Better Cambridge is pushing to preserve the multifamily approach. Ahead of deliberations on Flaherty's proposed changes, the organization described opposition heard at public meetings as coming from "a small but vocal minority of people."
"While a few residents want to stop building multifamily housing, this poll indicates that most Cambridge residents want it to speed up," said Becca Schofield, co-chair of A Better Cambridge.
For Coco Rhum, a young renter and Cambridge resident, the issue comes down to whether settling in the city is financially possible.
"Cambridge is a wonderful place to live, but as a young renter, it's hard to imagine being able to afford to put down roots here," Rhum said. "Building more housing, including permanently affordable housing, is a key part of making that happen."
Where can I learn more?
The push to build more housing is stirring debate in Cambridge and across Massachusetts. These stories examine construction targets, developer incentives, affordable-unit requirements, and neighborhood concerns about new development.
• Boston has cut its homebuilding target and added tax breaks as rents keep climbing.
• Boston could cover developers' infrastructure costs to help restart housing projects that have stalled.
• Greater Boston builders say affordable-unit rules stall housing, while Boston officials resist changing requirements.
• Massachusetts has reached 15.6% of its goal for 222,000 homes as officials back review reform.
• Cambridge residents say the city's housing overhaul has brought boxy buildings and parking disputes.
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