A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City Manager’s LGBTQ+ Friendly Housing Task Force Final Report

To: Yi-An Huang; City Manager From: Maura Pensak; Housing Liaison Carolina Almonte; Executive Director, Cambridge Human Rights and LGBTQ+ Commissions Phoebe West; Project Coordinator, Office of the Housing Liaison Date: November 12, 2024 Re: City Manager’s LGBTQ+ Friendly Housing Task Force Final Report On behalf of the members of the LGBTQ+ Friendly Housing Task Force, we are pleased to release this final report of findings and recommendations regarding housing and the LGBTQ+ community. Co-chaired by Carolina Almonte; Executive Director; Cambridge Human Rights and LGBTQ+ Commissions, Maura Pensak; Housing Liaison and Phoebe West, Project Coordinator for the Office of the Housing Liaison, the Task Force convened in the Spring of 2023. Charged with developing recommendations to advance LGBTQ+-friendly housing in Cambridge, members adopted a broad approach by evaluating how physical spaces, policies, materials, applications and practices could enhance the housing and community experience of LGBTQ+ residents. The Task Force’s research, complemented by the expertise of its members, and supported by survey and focus group responses revealed several key insights into ideas and practices that result in creating LGBTQ+-friendly housing and community spaces. As a result, the recommendations outlined in the report range from small modifications in practices to deeper and more complex changes in policy and design. We look forward to discussing next steps and action plans to implement these ideas as appropriate following your review.