From the City Manager: Protecting Cambridge Means Responsive and Proactive Policy

Nearly eighteen months into the Trump administration, a chilling reality has set in for local leaders: the federal government is no longer a dependable partner in protecting our communities.

Shifting national policies have cast a long shadow of uncertainty over families, municipalities, universities, and businesses. Here in Cambridge, we’re not waiting around to see how bad things get. As we build fortified protections around our residents, values, and local economy, we need forward-looking initiatives and active support to ensure our city thrives for decades to come.

When federal actions threaten our community, Cambridge doesn’t just issue statements; we head to court. We are an active plaintiff in three major federal lawsuits and have signed onto 17 amicus briefs to aggressively challenge policies that harm our community. Most recently, we joined a crucial legal filing to stop the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from altering its Continuum of Care grants. At stake is a $4 billion national lifeline that funds efforts to end homelessness. If the federal government walks away from its moral obligations to our unhoused, Cambridge is prepared to use the full weight of the law to hold them accountable.

But litigation takes time, and our families have immediate needs. As federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conduct mass deportations across the country and the Supreme Court allows for the revocation of temporary protected status, a terrifying wave of anxiety is washing over our immigrant neighbors.

I want to be unequivocal: Cambridge is a welcoming city. Our community is deeply committed to supporting immigrant rights and citizenship, and we are actively connecting families with trusted legal resources, support networks, and pathways to report discrimination.

We’re also putting our money where our mouth is. To protect families who rely on SNAP benefits, housing assistance, and victim advocacy, we’ve established a $5 million Federal Grant Stabilization Fund. If the federal government slashes funding for vital human services, this reserve ensures that a hungry child won’t go without food, a senior citizen won’t end up on the street, and a survivor of domestic or sexual violence won’t be without a lifeline.

True stability, however, requires tackling Cambridge’s most persistent, homegrown crisis: affordability. A community cannot be resilient if its residents are priced out of their own neighborhoods. We’re leaning into policy innovation to address that — our Affordable Housing Overlay is delivering tangible results, drastically accelerating the construction of new income-restricted homes. Today, we have over 1,000 units of affordable housing in development as compared to less than 65 five years ago, and we’re seeing early, encouraging signs that our expanded multifamily zoning is driving an uptick in new housing starts.

Finally, we must fiercely protect the economic engine that allows Cambridge to fund these progressive initiatives. Our innovation economy is legendary — built on a foundation of world-class research institutions, a highly-educated and global workforce, and a vibrant ecosystem of startups.

Yet, we are highly vulnerable to national headwinds. Ideological federal scrutiny of anchor institutions like MIT and Harvard has already triggered a dangerous decline in research funding and graduate student enrollment. These are attacks on the very foundation of scientific discovery. We’re counting on affiliates of the universities integral to our economic success to stand strong in the face of federal adversity and continue fighting for academic freedom.

As we protect our intellectual soul, we must remember that Cambridge didn’t just stumble into the innovation economy; we built it. Decades ago, our city leadership established the pioneering recombinant DNA protocols and forward-thinking zoning that turned Kendall Square into the most innovative square mile on the planet.

To navigate the current storm, we’re fortifying the foundations that we built years ago. We recently convened an Economic Development and University Relations Committee meeting to begin mapping out a long-term strategy for sustaining our innovation ecosystem. We’ll expand this work in the fall with robust public forums and expert input.

Continued success doesn’t happen on autopilot, and with the support of our community, we’re planning decades ahead to ensure our economic foundation remains stronger than ever.

Power brokers in Washington may be able to shift national policies at a whim, but they do not have the power to rewrite Cambridge’s values. Through innovative policy and civic engagement, we are proving that local democracy is alive, well, and deeply resilient. We know we have the legal tools, the financial strength, and the moral clarity to protect everyone who calls Cambridge home.

Yi-An Huang ’05 is the Cambridge city manager.