We want to live here.

I lived in Cambridge for the better part of 10 years. I met my wife here, we got our first apartment together, got married, and had a daughter here. Cambridge is a great place for young families. It has great community, libraries, parks, playgrounds, childcare, and schools. We love Cambridge and we loved living there.

We spent a lot of time thinking about if we could stay. The biggest barrier was housing. Prices in Cambridge are extremely high and they just kept going up the whole time I lived there. Moving to where you can afford more space isn’t something unique to Cambridge or the Boston area. However, the problem here is uniquely bad. Families are (on net) moving out of Massachusetts. I grew up in the state and my family is here. When a job opportunity came up that would move us to a lower cost of living area, we took it.

I was proud that Cambridge was removing barriers to building housing. I hope that continues and that other young families can choose to stay!

I’m Hallie, and I moved here from Texas four years ago to attend graduate school at MIT. Being a part of the Cambridge community has been like a dream come true: the public transportation; the research and healthcare ecosystem; the civic engagement culture; and above all else, the people here have changed my life. I love taking the Red Line to my lab every day and knowing that my community cares about environmentally friendly transportation options.

I have a chronic health condition, and the first time I ever went to a specialist for it in my hometown, the doctor spent less than 15 minutes with me, never looked me in the eyes, and then wrote a prescription. Here, I’ve built a relationship with a doctor who actually cares, and my health has dramatically improved. I met my partner here and have made friends who grew up all over Massachusetts and the world.

The only part of my Cambridge community that wasn’t so wonderful was the housing costs. When I first arrived, I wasn’t able to afford an apartment in Cambridge; luckily, my roommates and I found a cheaper one in Somerville, but I still had to drain my savings to pay for the up-front costs of the apartment. My partner and I would love to stay here after I graduate, but we’re considering moving to a lower cost-of-living area where it would be easier to raise children. I hope we remain committed to tackling the housing crisis so that young people can continue to build their dreams in Cambridge.

If you don't have a mobility disability, maybe you haven't noticed how many stairs there are in Cambridge housing.

One time, I had to find a new apartment on three weeks' notice. I needed somewhere affordable with less than a flight of stairs to get in and everything else on one floor. Let's just say that narrowed things down a lot. I contemplated putting all my things in storage and moving back in with my parents out of state, but luckily, my landlord relented and I was able to stay.

That experience showed me how much new construction matters. It's much more accessible, and for people like me, that can be the difference between staying in Cambridge and leaving.

I was born in Cambridge. I love the culture and the neighborhood feel and that when I walk into local businesses people ask about my grandparents and family.

I left to pursue education and work opportunities. I would return if I had the chance but it isn't realistic.

We say we value long time Cantabridgians but the city's actions for decades don't reflect that sentiment. We've all been displaced basically to other suburbs in MA.

What I love about Cambridge: Great public transit, delightful little parks and a strong community.

I moved to Cambridge at the bottom of the housing market to be closer to friends, only to watch most of my friends forced out of the city as they had kids and needed more space - or even just wanted to own instead of rent.

With my own family growing, I worry I won't be able to afford a bigger space.

What I love about Cambridge: Walkability, bikeability, and access to transit. A city government that is responsive, and the creativity of its residents.

On Housing Struggles: I think everyone has experienced the relentless rise in rent. Without fail, rent goes up every year, and every basic housing need - windows that aren't drafty, walls not made of paper, or laundry machines younger than my parents - is billed as a luxury to justify additional premium.

I think it's tragic to see so many of my neighbors opposing new housing. Nothing has made me feel less welcome to the city than the lawn signs that oppose units that could benefit renters like me.

We love Cambridge, and we’ve decided to leave.

I’ve spent almost my entire adult life here. I grew up in the Deep South, and Cambridge was the first place I felt at home. We have a community that we deeply love and the best friends anyone can ask for. I wanted to stay here forever.

That changed when we had our son. That was when we got serious about putting down roots. We put in at least three offers on places in Cambridge and were outbid every single time. We can’t afford something that has enough space for our family, that isn’t riddled with lead or other issues, and we are older parents who want to find our forever city before our son starts school.

I’m a lawyer and my husband is an engineer. We are very fortunate and will make it work no matter where we go. But after crunching the numbers, we realized we couldn’t stay here. Even though I’ve lived here for almost a decade, I’ve accepted that we have to leave. I wish it was different. Please don’t delay any longer for families like ours.

I went to college here, and my husband and I have lived in Cambridge for a number of years. We love the community that we have built here and enjoy the access we have to green spaces, convenient bike paths and public transit.

Due to the high cost of housing, we have watched our friends move away over the years as they start families. We are currently expecting and are struggling with a similar decision. When compared to other cities around the country, increases in housing costs have significantly outpaced wage growth in the Boston metro area. As a result, we are exploring career options that would take us out of Massachusetts. We hope that Cambridge is able to continue to increase housing supply in face of all the overwhelming demand.

I was lucky to have an affordable rental through a family member for many years. When the landlord sold the house, I was unable to secure an affordable rental on short notice.

I was forced to move further away from work, to a less walkable area. After many years I was able to afford to come back. But the constant rental uncertainty makes it difficult to see myself settling down here long term, even though that's what I would prefer.

The lack of supply is clear. Every apartment has dozens on the waitlist, lines around the corner. Apartments are secured by bidding over asking.

Cambridge has a tremendous variety of cultural offerings for a city of its size. I'm car-less, and I love how easy it is to live here without a car. I happen to be Buddhist, and I love that there are 4 Buddhist sanghas/centers that I know of within walking distance of Central square.

On Housing Struggles: Two of my artist friends moved out of Cambridge to distant suburbs, and I don't see them often anymore. As for me, I'm in my late 30s and I've lived in Cambridge since 2016 and am hoping to stay for the long run. My partner and I want to buy a condo here, but instead we are perpetually renting because the market is so bad.

I'm tired of people complaining about how relaxing height limits hurts the character of our city. Character is about people. Housing prices that are so expensive that only rich, predominantly white people who work in tech can afford to move in hurts the character of our city much more.