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Posts by Dave Halperin
I want to believe (and want you to believe) a better Massachusetts is possible so we're running for State Senate! Join us next Wednesday February 25th 6pm at the Armory as we kick this election off!
MIT is a top tax payer because they own a bunch of land outside their campus, especially in Kendall Square they pay full property taxes on tbc. Neither pay property taxes on their campuses although they do make PILOT payments as was mentioned above (MIT is a REIT, Harvard is a hedge fund)
Displacement versus Displacement
Most of our subscribers probably know someone who’s been displaced, or forced to move. Maybe their lease ended, the rent went up, or in some cases their building has been condemned and must be torn down. In general, good housing and urban development policy aims to…
This observation is often referred to as Tesler's Theorem, "AI is whatever hasn't been done yet."
Obviously many are but as a straight man who isn't, I don't think it explains the extent to which this proliferates. In addition to the numbers argument, I think some of this is downstream of cultural expectations of men the be the pursuer in hetero relationships.
Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen
As someone who spends a substantial amount of time on this, believing this makes you a YIMBY 100%, we are not going to gatekeep by who has time to go to meetings
🏡 Help us get more housing on the 2026 ballot!
Join AHMA, Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem, and the Legalize Starter Homes Ballot Initiative for a Day of Action this weekend!
tinyurl.com/2sk34xt9
I’m so proud of all the work @abciepac.org volunteers put into the Cambridge City Council election—and proud we got right back to work fighting for affordable housing, with four of us participating in last night’s meeting to support this AHO proposal by Just-A-Start! www.justastart.org/240-broadway/
The voters sent a clear message. They want a City Council that will move forward, not backward, and that will act boldly on housing, safe streets, and building a city that welcomes everyone.
@ayannapressley.bsky.social is a nationwide progressive leader who's saying YES in her backyard to proven pro-housing champions! Congratulations Mayor Simmons, VM McGovern, @councillorsiddiqui.bsky.social, Ayesha Wilson, @votejivan.bsky.social, @burhanazeem.bsky.social: all 6 ABC-endorsed incumbents
The single elevator thing comes from the 2021 proposal for this site that was killed by the bza, which did have a single elevator and that was one of the talking points against it at the time FWIW. I think the stairwells thing was just further riffing on that while not knowing anything codes.
Not common. We have a lot of small lots and very high rents so you do see surprisingly small two stair buildings where the zoning allows it but still rare and I've never seen as small as 4-units. Here's a 6-unit, 4-story project being built in my neighborhood www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/File...
How do you create an completely digital system for recording votes that's also genuinely auditable without making it trivial to figure out who voted for who is an ongoing research problem.
Assuming you want to maintain any concept of a secret ballot, online voting is just a very different security problem from online banking. Banks just get to keep records of who owns which account and how much money is in which at a given time.
I live in Cambridge, MA and we have 9 at-large city council seats elected proportionally via STV. People can go to multiple councilors and know who "their" councilor is ideologically even if there isn't a formally one for them geographically. It doesn't seem like a problem in practice to me.
Security Deposits - Knowing the Law can Save you Thousands of Dollars.
Check out the info on CambMA's ABC IEPAC's website.
www.abciepac.org/accomplishme...
Then consider donating to ABC IEPAC so we can continue to elect pro-housing / pro-tenant City Councillors!
hi.
Cambridge has won a ton of good housing policies. We've ended parking minimums, eliminated single family zoning, passed a high-density overlay for 100% affordable housing.
To keep winning more, we need to elect good candidates again this fall. Which means $.
secure.actblue.com/donate/abc20...
Ned Flanders snapping after his rebuilt house collapses in s8e8 "Hurricane Neddy": AW, HELL, DIDDILY-DING-DONG CRAP! CAN'T YOUR MORONS DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!
I'm a YIMBY in Cambridge. You probably have to read the zoning language to get into the real weeds. I'd be happy to set up some time to walk you through the changes & answer questions if you'd like. The city's website for the process with all the materials is www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects...
Here's a four-story two-stair building on a 4,260 sqft lot being built here in Cambridge right now www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/File...
Regarding this Cambridge Day article, I was given the opportunity to respond so I’ll let the piece speak for itself, but I did want to add one piece that was missing - the current renters.
This was the response they sent to the reporter yesterday and what I hope makes it into the conversation.
Amazing, congratulations! 🎉
Lower Rents For Cambridge Massachusetts - For decades, Cambridge's laws have made it impossible to build enough housing. A new zoning ordinance for a more affordable future is in its final push! Here's how to take action: Speak at a Public Hearing Wed. Jan 8, 5pm Ordinance committee finalizes amendments linktr.ee/camhousing. Send an Email council@cambridgema.gov cc: clerk@cambridgema.gov
#YIMBY #CambMA #housing
Wednesday, Jan 8 5:00 pm
linktr.ee/camhousing
Please help and circulate