Sumbul Siddiqui - photo courtesy of Sumbul Siddiqui

Sumbul Siddiqui
2021 Candidate for Cambridge City Council

Home address:
283 Sidney St. #3
Cambridge, MA 02139

Contact information:
website: www.votesumbul.com
phone: 617-785-0988
email: votesumbul@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/mayorsiddiqui
Twitter: twitter.com/mayorsiddiqui
Instagram: instagram.com/mayorsiddiqui

Send contributions to: https://www.votesumbul.com/donate
Or please mail contributions to:
Committee to Elect Sumbul Siddiqui
283 Sidney St. #3
Cambridge, MA 02139

Background
My leadership in City Hall is informed by my experience in community advocacy, my work as a public interest attorney, and my perspective as a Cambridge native. My family immigrated to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan when I was two. I grew up in the Rindge Towers and Roosevelt Towers. At Cambridge Rindge and Latin, I developed a passion for civic and community engagement, serving as student body president and co-founding the Cambridge Youth Council, now in its 19th year.

I pursued an education that would empower me to improve the vital public services that provided my family with the stability we needed to thrive, such as Headstart and public housing. I studied public policy at Brown University. After college, I served as an AmeriCorps fellow and then graduated from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

After law school, I returned home to Cambridge to serve my community. I worked as an attorney at Northeast Legal Aid. I was a member of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston, the Women’s Bar Association, and the National Organization of Legal Services Workers - UAW Local 2320, the Cambridge School Volunteers, Inc., and the Cambridge Human Services Commission.

Top Priorities As Mayor
My top priorities have been leading Cambridge through the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing housing equity, and improving Cambridge Public Schools. As Mayor, I:

COVID-19

  • Launched the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund for COVID-19, which has raised over $5 million dollars to help individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
  • Started Cambridge RISE, one of the first guaranteed income pilots in the country, which is providing 130 single caretakers $500 monthly over 18 months.
  • Joined the Cambridge Pandemic Collaborative and assisted with free city-wide COVID-19 testing for all Cambridge residents and neighborhood vaccine drives.
  • Increased internet access to low-income families to equitably participate in remote learning.

Housing

Cambridge Public Schools

  • Chaired the School Committee through multiple COVID school reopenings and the search for an interim superintendent when Dr. Salim resigned effective June 30, 2021.
  • Partnered with Lesley University and Cambridge Public Schools to launch an Early College pilot beginning January 2022. 
  • Brought halal food options to the Cambridge Public Schools, and eliminated library fines that disproportionately affect low-income residents and families of color.
  • Advanced a language justice ordinance as the Chair of the Family Policy Council (FPC).
  • Worked to establish a program partnering the City with East Cambridge Savings Bank to open a savings account with $50 for every kindergartener this fall along with financial literacy classes.

Accomplishments and Priorities

Housing Equity
As the only City Councillor who grew up in Cambridge affordable housing, I bring a unique perspective to the housing discussion in our City. As Mayor, I:

  • Successfully led efforts to preserve over 500 affordable units in the Fresh Pond Apartments, where I grew up.
  • Secured additional funding for the Homebridge program, expanding eligibility to 120% of the area median income and ensuring that home ownership is a reality for people across the income spectrum.
  • Sponsored the City of Cambridge Tenants Rights and Resources Ordinance, ensuring that housing information is widely disseminated and that best practices are implemented throughout tenancies to ensure housing stability for the City’s residents.
  • Increased legal aid funding to organizations that help residents facing housing instability; pushed our City to collect and analyze eviction data; and pushed forward recommendations, such as a condominium conversion ordinance, from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Tenant Displacement I chaired last term.

Housing Development
We need to build more affordable homes for residents. As your Mayor, I:

  • Believe we must reduce regulatory barriers that limit the market’s ability to build small, lower-cost homes on expensive land. Small-scale multi-family housing like triple-deckers, four-plexes, and six-plexes improve affordability.
  • Support a real estate transfer tax, increasing our linkage fee, and amending our 20% inclusionary zoning ordinance
  • Passed the Affordable Housing overlay, which encourages development of 100% affordable units.
  • Support housing development in transit corridors that will increase supply and positively impact the environment.

Energy, Environment, Infrastructure

Tree Canopy, Green Roofs, Solar Energy
Green technology and environmental justice are invaluable to our path forward. As Mayor, I:

  • Appointed a climate change working group to accelerate measures around climate change mitigation.
  • Supported the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance, which promotes a healthy tree canopy as an effective tool to combat climate change and mitigate the urban heat island effect.I drafted an amendment to this ordinance to stipulate that developers of 100% affordable housing projects can apply for funding to the tree replacement Fund to expand the canopy.
  • Supported Mothers Out Front on their quest to bring green roofs to Cambridge and supported an ordinance recommending the amendment of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance to require that buildings equal to or over 25,000 square feet of floor area incorporate green or biosolar green roofing on as much of the available roof area as possible. This will contribute to climate resiliency efforts as these roofs will aid in reducing building energy use, filtering pollutants, and helping with stormwater drainage.
  • Committed to the Net Zero Action Plan, which aims to make Cambridge carbon neutral by 2050 by cutting energy demand and accelerating our transition to renewable energy sources.
  • Promoted Cambridge’s Community Energy Initiatives, which incentivize Cambridge residents, businesses, and nonprofits to purchase solar panels and solar hot water systems through discounts, rebates, and tax credits.

Internet Access
Our community is strongest when we all have access to the resources we need to thrive. While on City Council, I:

  • Supported a policy order for a 12-month digital equity research initiative. The City’s research will seek to better understand the gaps-including those related to broadband access, affordability, digital skills, and device ownership. The results of this comprehensive study will be used to develop targeted and strategic recommendations to address the findings.
  • Support investment in municipal broadband infrastructure.

Transportation, Transit
As Mayor, I:

  • Supported policies that subsidize MBTA and commuter rail fares for low income individuals, and continually advocate for a fare free bus pilot. Our ultimate goal should be elimination of fees, which disproportionately impact our seniors, youth, and low-income residents, because the price of a train ride shouldn’t keep anyone from making it to school or work.
  • Supported the Cycling Safety Ordinance, which requires the City to construct permanent protected bike lanes on all streets identified for reconstruction under our Five Year Sidewalk & Street Plan. This will increase bicycle ridership and make for a greener city.
  • Worked with my colleagues to install a Super LPI (leading pedestrian interval) at the intersection of Mass Ave, Prospect St., and Western Ave, giving foot traffic a 10-15 second head start. Traffic and Parking is also re-evaluating safety measures at the intersections of Prospect & Broadway and Prospect & Hampshire. Additionally, requested flashing beacons at various crosswalks.
  • Support the creation of separate bus lanes on major corridors to increase transit efficiency. This will make bus routes run more smoothly, creating an incentive for commuters who currently get to work in single-rider vehicles to switch to more environmentally and traffic-friendly alternatives.
  • Support addressing both traffic concerns and environmental impacts, by promoting alternatives to single rider vehicles.
  • Advocated in support of statewide legislation calling for the electrification of public transit as it is an important and necessary step in the fight against climate change and will help improve air quality in environmental justice communities that are the most impacted.

Civic Participation and Inclusion

Plan E Charter, Charter Change, Ballot Questions
As Mayor my office has led efforts regarding charter reform and contracted with the Collins Center for memoranda that have shaped the current ballot questions.

  • We need to understand what reforms can make our municipal government stronger and more effective. Our charter has sat untouched since 1940, and I am a strong proponent of the voters weighing in on how best to govern the City. I support Yes on all three amendments.
    • The first amendment would align Cambridge with our neighbors like Watertown, Somerville, Newton, Chelsea, and Framingham, whose city/town council have veto over town board appointments, allowing for critical democratic oversight.
    • The second amendment set the standard of an annual review of the City Manager, allowing transparency for the public and crucial feedback for the administration.
    • The third amendment mandates a charter review process every 10 years, starting in 2022, ensuring our foundational document reflects the contemporary realities of our City.

Economic Development & University Relations
Guided by my past experience as Chair of the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, I:

  • Pushed for passing the Retail Uses Zoning Ordinance and the Home Occupations Zoning Ordinance. Updating the Retail Table of Land Use has been a long, labor-intensive process, and the struggles of the small business community have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Advocated for a small business composting pilot that will serve 100 local restaurants.
  • Provided over $500,000 in financial support to small businesses through the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund, with the majority of grants going to minority & women-owned businesses.
  • Spearheaded the Cannabis Social Equity Ordinance to accompany the 2019 cannabis zoning mandate. The City must develop a comprehensive Social Equity Plan to ensure those who were disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs will benefit from the economic opportunity this emerging industry presents.
  • Support re-examining our Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) agreements with both institutions to ensure they meet their civic obligations.

Human Services Programs

Youth Programs, Senior Programs
Cambridge must prioritize supporting our youth and senior residents. As Mayor, I:

  • Partnered with the Cambridge Police Department and the Council on Aging to provide Cambridge seniors with care packages for the holidays.
  • Provided assistance to senior residents by making vaccine appointments.
  • Launched a pilot program with Elevate Youth Partnership, connecting our 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students with youth instructors and mentors from their own communities to participate in outdoor activities at local parks.

Child Care and Pre-K
Lack of access to quality child care remains one of the largest barriers to equity in our society. As Mayor, I:

  • Championed additional money in scholarship funding for low-income children to attend high quality community based preschool.
  • Advocated for universal pre-K and requested funding to expand Head Start program hours.

For More Information

Please visit my website votesumbul.com.

Reach me via email votesumbul@gmail.com

Pledge to vote #1 for me here

Sign up to volunteer here

Listen to my podcast with Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon here

2021 MCNA Candidate Forum (Siddiqui)

2019 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2019)

2017 Candidate Page    CCTV candidate video (2017)
Page last updated Sunday, October 24, 2021 10:10 AM Cambridge Candidates