That the City Manager is requested to present recommendations for the refinement and improvement of the housing permitting process to the City Council, with a focus on reducing delays, minimizing costs, and enhancing clarity and accessibility for all stakeholders

O-1 FIRST IN COUNCIL February 26, 2024 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR AZEEM COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN COUNCILLOR NOLAN WHEREAS: The current housing permitting process within the city is recognized as lengthy, often leading to significant delays, creating confusion, and driving up the cost of housing; and WHEREAS: The complexity and costliness of these processes can act as a barrier to the creation of affordable housing options; and WHEREAS: Simplifying these processes, including the review of permitting fees, timelines, communication across departments and the consideration of pre-approved designs, can significantly reduce the bureaucratic and financial burden, thus encouraging more affordable housing options in Cambridge; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to undertake a comprehensive review of the city's current housing permitting processes, with the aim of identifying and implementing measures to streamline these processes, and with such review done with input from entities involved with both market rate and affordable housing production; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to develop a high-level overview of the current processes, highlighting areas of inefficiency and potential improvements; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to present recommendations for the refinement and improvement of these processes to the City Council, with a focus on reducing delays, minimizing costs, and enhancing clarity and accessibility for all stakeholders; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the Housing Committee with this overview and set of recommendations.