Council Updates, Happy International Women’s Day, and More

Sanctuary City Policy Order
I was proud to support and vote for a policy order Monday night reaffirming the City of Cambridge as a Sanctuary City, not only for immigrants, but also for all marginalized communities, including transgender and nonbinary people. In this time of attacks on all marginalized groups, and an intense attack on transgender people, it is important to stand up and stand for welcoming and support. The fear in our community is heartbreaking, and I know that people are hurting and scared. I have friends and family members directly affected by this concerted effort to discriminate against transgender people and I am glad the city council unanimously passed the resolution in strong support of declaring our city a safe place. It is up to all of us to be good neighbors, take care of those around us, and protect the most vulnerable from bigotry and discrimination. For a little more depth on our discussion and decision, read The Crimson article.

Eversource Price Hikes
Many residents have been struggling to deal with the rising prices of gas utilities this winter. In November 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) approved natural gas rate increases for Eversource and National Grid users. That, combined with the particularly cold winter this year resulted in gas bill increases over 25%. These higher prices began to affect ratepayers last month and left many residents confused and in a difficult financial position. The Council passed a policy order on Monday that asked the City Manager to reach out to Eversource to understand the changes and work to mitigate the effect on residents as well as hold a Public Utilities Committee meeting. The state has already taken some action since the rate hikes began affecting customers. DPU announced a new ratepayer agreement with utilities, but it’s important to note that the new agreement also resulted in $500mil in budget cuts for MassSave and will be balanced by rate increases in summer. This is a complicated issue and I would hope that the legislature would also be able to step in to add more funding for MassSave and prevent unnecessary rate hikes for ratepayers. Rising rates for utility customers is a less progressive funding mechanism than just funding programs like MassSave through income taxes. Again, largely a state-level issue, but in terms of our local response, we should also indicate that funding for MassSave is essential for energy reduction efforts and we should advocate for the legislature to continue to fund that without additional expense to ratepayers. In addition, everyone should be aware of the Cambridge Fuel Assistance Program for low income residents and we should continue to do regular outreach to ensure residents are taking advantage of that.

Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
On Monday the City Council passed a policy order that asks the City Manager to look into an incentive program for landlords who rent residential units below market rate. I have been working on this idea for several weeks after Boston passed a similar order, and I was surprised that the City was not already looking into this possibility. The state law that allowed for this kind of tax incentive was passed in 2023. In addition to deed restricted affordable housing created and preserved through the Affordable Housing Trust and Inclusionary Zoning, it is essential that the City continues to work towards affordable housing costs for all families. Naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) is a small and important part of properties rented in the city and we should work to encourage and support private property owners to rent housing units at reasonable rates. By opting into this local property tax exemption program, Cambridge can incentivize landlords to keep their rents below market rate and support landlords who are renting units at affordable rates and can encourage more affordable housing opportunities for tenants across the City. We should understand how this program would affect our property tax revenue of course, but if this program allows us to encourage lower housing costs without directly spending money, that would be a good tradeoff.

City Hall Facade Inscription
After the restoration of the city hall facade I noticed the inscription on the balcony after being so long covered by signs and then scaffolding. I was struck by the language, both in terms of its reference to religion and the gendered language of the government. Noticing it again after being covered for many months made me recontextualize the language and think about it more closely. I filed a policy order with Councillors Siddiqui, Wilson, and Mayor Simmons, which passed 8-1.

Inscription (check it out next time you are at or near City Hall):
GOD HAS GIVEN COMMANDMENTS UNTO MEN. FROM THESE COMMANDMENTS MEN HAVE FRAMED LAWS BY WHICH TO BE GOVERNED. IT IS HONORABLE AND PRAISEWORTHY TO SERVE THE PEOPLE BY ADMINISTERING THESE LAWS FAITHFULLY. IF THE LAWS ARE NOT ENFORCED, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT WELL GOVERNED.

Obviously this inscription was written a long time ago (1888-90) and may be an important historical artifact of the building and of the history of Cambridge. And while it is important to consider the context of the inscription it is equally important to assert our values. I reached out to the Historical Commission several months ago to ask them to look into what a contextual plaque could look like in the lobby. I also asked two interns who have been working in my office, both young women from Cambridge, to think about how they interpreted the sign. They were both confused why a progressive and equity-focused city like Cambridge would have this message that the government is by men and laws delivered by God. The policy order was something that they helped develop, asking the Historical Commission and the Women’s Commission to design a plaque for additional context. They were also struck by the different messages sent by the gendered and religious nature of the inscription and the progressive and inclusive language of the other messages on the front of city hall: a pride flag, a trans flag, a black lives matter banner.

While some may believe that it was common acceptance and natural that men made laws, at the time of the original sculpting, women played a role in public life, including in Cambridge. By 1888, there was the American Women’s Suffrage Association (which worked for women and Black suffrage), founded in Massachusetts by people with strong Cambridge connections. This group also included men, including a reverend – so even a religious man, presumably like Frederick Rindge, who was the person that donated the building of City Hall, supported women being involved in governing. The Cambridge Women’s Suffrage Association was founded in 1886, and already in 1879, two women were elected to serve on the Cambridge School Committee. Harriet and Louis Jacobs were supportive of women’s suffrage. In light of this timeline, it is not accurate to say that all people at the time in 1888 agreed with the inscription which listed only “men” as legitimate for receiving laws and governing, and “the people” only legitimate as being governed. The point is, we should have a contextual note or plaque at city hall to give appropriate historical context to the inscription, which is very prominently displayed on city hall.