Louise Venden
2025 Write-In Candidate for Cambridge City Council

Home address:
10 Rogers St. #820
Cambridge, MA 02141

Contact information:
website: www.louisevendenwritein.org
email: lvenden@gmail.com
phone: 617-694-1389

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New Candidate - 2025

“You’re either a part of the solution, or your part of the problem”

When I was recruited for a job in Boston, there was only one place I wanted to live, so I rented then bought a condo on Chester Street in Cambridge and served for several years on the Cambridge Youth Guidance Board.

I am running for Cambridge City Council because I believe I can help us meet the challenges and obstacles facing our community in achieving housing goals, protecting and strengthening social safety net programs, and making our government accountable for results. Cambridge is rich in resources both human and financial as home to people from all over the world, world class education, research and manufacturing from Pharmaceuticals to candy. Locally owned restaurants, clothing, bookstores and services within walking distance create many great neighborhoods where friends meet and people learn about recreation, environment, and craft groups.

Public service has been the most rewarding work in my life. When I was Chief of Staff for a Wisconsin Senator, this state led the nation in groundbreaking gay rights, mental health legislation and equalized funding for schools.

During three years service on the Provincetown Finance Committee and six on the Provincetown Select Board, I helped lead efforts to gain State approval for a Housing Trust aimed at creating housing using local and private partnerships to build 65 units of affordable rentals, 40 affordable ownership units and a complex with 13 year round rentals and 28 dorm rooms for seasonal workers. We approved $75mil for sewer expansion, adopted free child care for residents and people working in Town, and repaved streets with permeable materials.

Cambridge has implemented and funded many programs to meet housing, healthcare, transportation and family needs, but how do we know if these efforts have been successful? Measures passed by City Council and supported by voters should state specific goals and require staff to report on how well they’ve done meeting them.

Accountability in government requires going beyond voting for progressive policies and programs and should be measured by how well government does in meeting the needs of residents, businesses, and the many thriving educational and nonprofit enterprises. Rise Up, EZride, Universal PreK, and recreation and food programs are critical to workers and families striving to sustain and improve their lives here, and we need to know if they are working as well as they can.

My personal motto is “You’re either a part of the solution, or your part of the problem”. That motto served me well as a commercial real estate bank officer who managed a portfolio of distressed loans and properties and put together teams to fix them getting the loan restructured, or doing renovations and selling the properties.

I bring a unique set of skills to the Council, a graduate degree in real estate finance, a career fixing failed projects, and years of public service working with other local and state leadership in support of effective solutions.

Louise Venden