Cathie’s Public Policy and Initiatives
Cathie Zusy’s public policy agenda centers on careful, data-driven decision-making, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of neighborhood quality of life.
Focal Issues: Specific proposals and initiatives can be found in Cathie Zusy’s newsletters.
Housing Issues
Multifamily Housing Ordinance (MFH)
A coalition builder, Cathie seeks to work with her Council colleagues to amend the 2025 MFH Ordinance. As written, with as-of-right building in any neighborhood, narrow setbacks, no parking requirement, limited public open space and tall structures that obscure light, the Ordinance will provide housing at the expense of neighborhood livability, and climate goals.
Since its inception, Cathie has criticized the MFH Ordinance’s dismissal of lot-size limits and design review, warning that developers “will develop as big as zoning allows,” often at the expense of light, tree canopy, privacy, and neighborhood character. The MFH Ordinance has already increased real estate values, making Cambridge less affordable. Mostly it will inspire the production of luxury housing, displacing lower income residents. Neighbors across the City have reached out to Cathie, concerned about neighborhood impacts: groundwater displacement; loss of light, trees and green space; lack of parking, loading zones and construction staging areas; and shading solar arrays. Smaller projects that only build luxury housing should not be eligible to profit from the MFH Ordinance’s density bonuses and as of right entitlement. There are more thoughtful less painful ways to grow a city.
Upzoning N. Mass Ave. & Cambridge Streets
Cathie believes that most growth should be along the City’s major transportation corridors and in the transition districts (underdeveloped lots) identified by Envision Cambridge. Buildings over six stories should have binding design review and greater height should be in exchange for community benefits, such as affordable housing, open space, cultural space and parking.
December 22, 2025, City Council voted to upzone N. Massachusetts Ave. to 12 stories, with the possibility of 18 stories at Porter Square in exchange for community benefits. Cathie and Councillors Nolan and Wilson voted against this, believing that the base height was too high and that it was irresponsible to give developers the additional six stories—a giveaway providing limited public benefit—especially when the current 20% inclusionary rate is being challenged.
This January the Council will decide whether or not to upzone Cambridge St. to 8 stories, with 12 stories in the Webster and Windsor Street district and 15 stories at Lechmere. Cathie will be voting against this. Cambridge St. is narrower than Mass. Ave. and growth should be at the MBTA transit nodes, in the Webster/Windsor Street district and at Lechmere, and not everywhere. Also, mandatory first-floor retail and protections for existing local businesses should be codified before zoning adoption.
Seeking Better Solutions
Cathie acknowledges that this is a tough time to build housing with the costs of property, construction and borrowing high. Even with the Multifamily Housing Ordinance giveaways, few big projects are “penciling out.” Permitting is difficult and time-consuming in Cambridge, and Cathie has advocated for streamlining the process and assigning a City point person to see each project through.
A problem-solver at heart, Cathie supports exploring other housing ideas: investing in public/private partnerships to produce mixed-income housing; initiating a Revolving Housing Production Fund; and providing seed money to the Cambridge Community Land Trust upon receipt of a strong business plan.
Cambridge Fiscal, Environmental & Overall Health
On the fiscal front, Cathie warns of declining revenues—commercial values have fallen 12.5%, new growth has dropped 40%, and the city’s “excess tax levy capacity” has shrunken significantly. She calls for disciplined budget management, careful prioritization of capital projects (e.g., park remediation, school maintenance, sewage/CSO work), and protection of essential services—especially given reduced federal aid for housing and social programs.
In addition, Cathie remains committed to environmental resilience and quality of life. She champions expansion of the City’s tree canopy, improved stormwater and sewage infrastructure (including mitigation of combined-sewer overflows), protection of residential solar access, and expanded public open space. She also advocates for better outreach, elder services, short-term rental regulation, and citizen participation in planning.
Across all these areas, Cathie emphasizes balance: she believes growth should be smart and well managed, with respect for environmental sustainability, infrastructure capacity, community character, and fiscal responsibility.
