Affordable housing took center stage at budget hearings Tuesday, with city councillors hoping to increase lower-income homeownership and worrying about even maintaining the status quo amid a change in leadership.

Amid fears about the growing threat to gay and transgender rights posed in legislatures and courts across the country, city councillors turned their attention Monday to supporting LGBTQ+ residents, approving three measures unanimously.

In some more tidbits from budget hearings, we learned that even the most understandable budget ever still has some work to do in terms of clarity; that despite surging public records requests, the Law Department needs no more technology to help; and that parking revenue and the raising of annual parking permit fees can be sensitive subjects.

Public meetings this week look at LGBTQ+ issues, Alewife zoning and development, the use of federal Covid recovery funds, the budget for the next fiscal year, a school district sexual misconduct policy, implementing a 988 crisis line and some food, drink and event issues – including a new bubble tea business for Harvard Square.

The most recent state Covid-19 statistics show that Cambridge has achieved a dubious distinction: It had a higher case rate than any other Massachusetts community except a tiny town in Berkshire County.

In some tidbits from budget hearings, we learned that a municipal broadband hire is listed as being in the City Manager’s Office; our housing liaison could evolve into an Office of Housing Stability; police body cameras have wide support; and Cambridge ranks high on cybersecurity … according to the people responsible for Cambridge’s cybersecurity.

A body discovered early Wednesday in Davis Square, one of Somerville’s most trafficked locations, went unremarked upon the entire day by police and city officials. With no notice to the media, the public death went unreported except on a citizens’ Facebook group.

After the city delivers free, standardized, trash carts next month to more than 32,000 households, only those city-issued carts will be emptied by the Department of Public Works’ orange trash trucks making weekly rounds.

The city’s new Community Safety Department is on track to be funded with $2.9 million as of July 1, when the next fiscal year begins.

With Covid-19 cases continuing to rise and the county now in the high-transmission category, the Cambridge Public Health Department is not alone in urging indoor masking more forcefully.