Cambridge, Massachusetts, may seem like an unlikely site for a YIMBY revolution.
The historic Boston suburb is home to both Harvard University and a bevy of affluent homeowners opposed to any new development. The city even features prominently in the book “Neighborhood Defenders,” a seminal work about anti-building, not-in-my-backyarders. Despite all that, the city recently passed a series of laws that could pave the way for a cascade of new housing construction.
Cambridge could certainly use the new units. Data from Zillow shows the city’s average rent is $3,400 a month — slightly higher than San Francisco’s estimated average rent of $3,200. Homelessness in Cambridge has also been on the rise, particularly since the pandemic. In an attempt to ease this pressure, pro-housing groups that fall under the YIMBY umbrella (short for “yes in my backyard”) —…