A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Order #23-207, regarding Inman Square Apartments

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov MEMORANDUM To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Date: November 20, 2023 Re: Policy Order #207 dated November 6, 2023 regarding Inman Square Apartments. In response to the above-referenced Policy Order, we report the following: The City Manager and CDD Staff have reached out to Homeowner’s Rehab Inc (HRI) to discuss recent issues with heating and elevators at Inman Square Apartments. Our goal was to learn more about these building issues and communication concerns expressed by residents, steps taken to resolve recent issues and communicate with residents, maintain good communication with residents going forward, and plans for more substantial rehab being developed for the building. Inman Square Apartments is a 116-unit property purchased by Homeowner’s Rehab Inc (HRI) in 2011 with the primary goal of preserving affordability which was then at risk of expiring. While HRI completed substantial work after acquiring the building, resources available at the time did not allow for a comprehensive renovation of the building. HRI reports that additional work is now needed, and has been working to develop a comprehensive capital needs assessment to identify items in need of repair or replacement and to prepare plan to undertake this work. The capital needs assessment will include work that could not be completed when HRI purchased the building, other items which require upgrades since work was done at that time, and other major systems that are now or will be in need of replacement soon. According to HRI, some significant items to be addressed will be the plumbing system and building envelope, which will include new exterior cladding. In terms of the recent events, HRI shared information on the cause of the heating issues as well as steps taken to address tenant concerns. HRI reports that when there is a sudden change in outdoor temperature, it is common for heating systems like the one at Inman Square to take a day or more to catch up to desired temperature levels. In this case, HRI said that they began receiving calls on Monday, October 30th from tenants reporting that they had no heat.

While Monday was quite cold, it had been preceded by an unseasonably warm weekend, so the building was experiencing the above-described heating lag as the system adjusted to the sudden change in temperature. This was a fairly widespread issue there as HRI received 22 heat-related calls in the early part of that week. In response to the calls, management inspected each affected apartment to check temperatures, and confirmed that the temperatures were lower than expected. HRI found that two units were at 68 degrees, the minimum required by state code, and the other 20 were in the low 70 degrees. However, many residents at the property are seniors and others who are more susceptible to cooler temperatures, and therefore understandably felt uncomfortable in their units at those lower-than-usual temperatures. During this period, HRI communicated with tenants who reported issues and also placed posters around the building, including in the elevators, with information regarding the cause of the heating situation and requested that tenants experiencing heating issues reach out so that HRI and management could assess and address each concern. HRI reports that supplemental heat was made available to the most impacted units and that heat levels returned to normal by Thursday, November 2nd. Unrelated to the heating issue, on Friday, November 3rd, one of the building’s two elevators became disabled. HRI is aware that any loss of elevator use is an inconvenience in a multi-story building, and particularly constraining for residents at Inman Square, many of whom are not physically able to use the stairs as an alternative means. Fortunately, the other elevator remained in service throughout the weekend, and HRI was able to expedite repairs so that both elevators were back to being fully functional by Monday, November 6th. In response to these issues and to help prepare for larger rehabilitation planning, HRI will convene a meeting to hear tenant concerns, share information about these recent issues, and encourage tenants to continue to report building and other concerns to property management so that immediate issues can be resolved and so that HRI can be aware of other larger concerns as they prepare plans for more comprehensive improvements in the building. While it is disappointing to hear that residents here were faced with these issues recently, it is good to know that HRI has already begun planning for the larger capital improvements and system-wide repairs and upgrades needed here. Recapitalizing and renovating affordable housing is critical to maintain a healthy and sustainable stock of affordable housing. We are fortunate in Cambridge to

have some of the most capable housing providers in the state with the expertise and tenacity to ensure that this important work is undertaken so that our affordable housing can provide high-quality, affordable and livable housing. This challenging and complicated work must be done building by building. Funding for this type of renovation comes from the same sources used to build new affordable housing and includes tax credits along with other public and private funding sources, all of which are difficult to secure given the incredible demand for these resources across the Commonwealth. HRI is a valued partner in providing affordable housing in our community. We note the excellent work HRI has recently completed in renovating its Rivermark building at 808-812 Memorial Drive, which like Inman Square Apartments after several decades also needed replacement of major building systems. HRI demonstrated incredible resolve in pursuing that effort through landmark litigation with their investor and a comprehensive renovation scope which residents are now quite happy to enjoy after several years of construction. The Rivermark revitalization, along with recent efforts completed by Just-A-Start to rehabilitate much of its housing portfolio and the incredible work of the Cambridge Housing Authority to revitalize most of its affordable housing portfolio over the past 10 years, show how our affordable housing providers are securing the funding needed to undertake this essential work, and also what can be accomplished when these generational reinvestments are planned and resourced appropriately. CDD Staff will continue to be available to assist HRI as they learn more from residents at Inman Square Apartments, complete their capital needs assessment, and to consider approaches to financing identified capital needs there.