Furry family members of many a Cantabrigian got some recognition at Monday’s Cambridge City Council meeting.
The council voted to show its support for several bills currently being considered by the state legislature that would ease burdens on renters and public housing tenants with pets. Senate Bill 1022 and its corollary House Bill 1559 would prevent evictions of residents over having pets within one year of a state emergency (like the one declared by Governor Maura Healey last month due to Winter Storm Hernando). House Bill 4835, which the city council also endorsed, would mandate public housing programs for the elderly also allow pets in some capacity. All bills place limitations on the amount of pet rent that can be charged to renters, and prevent restrictions based on breeds for dogs.
According to supporters of the legislation, this would prevent renters from having to make the difficult decision between securing stable housing and their beloved pets.
“There are so many pets… that are at risk of being abandoned or have been abandoned because their owners find themselves in a situation where they have to move and there are not pet-friendly rentals available,” said Kit Lilly, founder of cat rescue Charles River Alleycats, during the public comment period. “It’s not just good for the animals. It’s heartbreaking when you see the impact on an owner when they have to give up a pet because their housing will not allow it.”
Councillor Marc McGovern emphasized the importance of making pet-friendly policies go statewide, especially for seniors.
“Different housing authorities have different rules around seniors having pets. I think Cambridge does a pretty good job – I know there’s a lot of seniors in our senior housing that are allowed to have pets,” McGovern said. “But it’s very different across the state, so these [bills] would bring parity across the state.”
McGovern, who was the only candidate for council in last year’s election to mention animal welfare in his platform, co-sponsored the policy order along with Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler. Councillor E. Denise Simmons and Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui (“the most cat-friendly mayor in maybe the nation,” according to McGovern) were added as co-sponsors during the meeting. The measure passed unanimously via voice vote.
Last night’s meeting was the shortest of this term, lasting only 40 minutes, as opposed to the more typical four hours. The abridged agenda was possibly due to two councillors, Patty Nolan and Cathie Zusy, being at the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C.
Agenda items that could be addressed next meeting include proposed changes to the parking permit fee structure, and an amendment to the city’s zoning that would allow buildings that house religious, educational, and childcare programs to be sited as-of-right in all districts. This change will be eligible to be ordained for the first time during next week’s March 23rd meeting.
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