A majority of Cambridge voters want their City Council to prioritize affordable housing production, according to a recent poll conducted by Embold Research on behalf of A Better Cambridge and Abundant Housing Massachusetts.

The issue hits close to home for Cambridge locals. Eight in 10 residents reported being personally impacted by the cost or availability of housing in their city.

Additionally, eight in 10 voters stated that affordable housing should be one of city council’s “top priorities” or the “single top priority.”

Around 65% of Cambridge renters expressed interest in a hypothetical candidate who prioritized building more homes in the area. Around 72% of younger voters aged 18-34 agreed.

Multifamily Housing Ordinance

Pollsters asked specifically about the Multifamily Housing Ordinance, a 2025 zoning petition which allowed multifamily housing in every Cambridge residential neighborhood for the first time.

Around 64% of voters expressed support for the ordinance, with 28% opposed. Renters, especially, favored the policy, with 79% approving.

Broken down by age, 86% of voters aged 18-34 supported the Multifamily Housing Ordinance while the demographic aged 35-49 expressed 66% support.

“The polling results are a strong endorsement of recent efforts by the City Council and housing advocates to build more housing in Cambridge,” said Becca Schofield, co-chair of A Better Cambridge. “By building a strong pipeline of multifamily projects, including apartments in a range of sizes, we are making Cambridge a place where young people, families and our renter neighbors can put down roots. While a few residents want to stop building multifamily housing, this poll indicates that most Cambridge residents want it to speed up.”