COM 1004 #2023 : A communication was received from Camilla Elvis regarding Support AHO Amendment compromise.

1 Crane, Paula From: Camilla Elvis <[email removed]> Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 1:21 PM To: City Council; City Clerk Subject: Support AHO Amendment compromise Dear City Councillors, I hope you will the PO latest amendment to the Affordable Housing Overlay that will allow the creation of more affordable homes in Cambridge. I hope that you can move forward with a compromise. It does not make sense to wait 5 years when the need for changes have been made clear. The AHO has been a success so far because affordable housing developers already owned the land they are building on. Without changes to the AHO, new affordable housing is likely to slow down to a trickle. Affordable housing developers have struggled to put together competitive bids for land they do not already own. The increased height requirements will make projects more competitive for federal tax credits and increase transit oriented development which is critical to fighting the climate crisis. Encourgaging corridors throughout the city will help integrate some of our more economically and racially segregated neighborhoods. It may not be perfect it would be one concrete step to adding diversity to different parts to Cambridge. The status quo is a choice to not make progress. Many Cambridge residents will get the opportunity to live their values of a progressive, less racist America. The open space amendments give developers and neighbors more flexibility to preserve or increase more open space without sacrificing homes. Finally, I want to highlight that even with new zoning the built environment will change slowly. Approving these amendments means a few more buildings over a long stretch of time. It does not mean our squares and corridors will radically transform. Most buildings will be the same ones that here right now. Thank you, Camilla Elvis 28 Linnaean St Sent from my iPhone