Hao Wang
He/Him
- Currently
- Board member of Riverside Community Healthcare
- Election history
- 1st time running
He/Him
A new candidate for office this year, Hao Wang has lived in Cambridge for over 30 years and has been a homeowner for more than 25. He is the former Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health and the former Chief Information Officer for the State University of New York. He has also worked for Accenture, the management consulting company.
Hao's housing positions are mixed. For instance, while he indicated support for the AHO in ABC's survey, he has also stated that historical character of squares should be preserved and criticized it for not including parking, public transportation, or small business requirements. The Crimson profile stated he did not support the AHO amendments as passed, and he's gone on to say he doesn't support it in contexts such as reddit.
Similarly, he's indicated some support for increasing tenant protections, but claimed the rent control in NYC leaves tens of thousands of units vacant.
I am surprised that Cambridge is already the most densely populated small to midsize city.
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if all cities included, large and small, then Somerville ranks 19 and Cambridge 25
We should allow more housing in the city and relax the zoning in selected corridors and squares, but in doing so we should not eliminate our identity and character formed in the last 400 years. As a city councilor, I will be steadfast in pushing for affordable housing while upholding our architectural standards and protecting our character.
For historical squares such as Harvard Square, regardless of how close it is to the public transit, as a city councilor, I will advocate the preservation of the existing landscape and topology, not to use it to accommodate affordable housing. I will work hard to go above and beyond for transit-oriented housing development elsewhere.
I am for a holistic approach to AHO. To make Cambridge a more livable city, singularly lifting the number of floors for new buildings should be accompanied by small businesses, parking spaces, and public transportation improvement.
| Organization | Cambridge? | Union? | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Citizens Coalition | on Sept. 14, 2023 |
Housing policy, development, governance questions
Housing policy, development, governance questions
Distribution of funds, non-profits and their position in Cambridge
Distribution of funds, non-profits and their position in Cambridge
General. Note: only distributed in downloadable word or pdf documents.
General. Note: only distributed in downloadable word or pdf documents.
"questions about the issues that most impact Cambridge’s low-income populations" (available in several languages)
"questions about the issues that most impact Cambridge’s low-income populations" (available in several languages)
Public internet forum, anything goes
Public internet forum, anything goes
Thanks for the Boston Asian Radio and TV. It was taken a month and a half ago. I speak slow English as my second language. My speed is slower, and I promise I will say less "sure" in the future. Please consider voting for me #1 as your city councilor. My website is https://haoforcambrdige.com.
What City Council decision were you most disappointed in the last Council term? Elimination of the livable elements such as parking space requirements
One concrete goal is to ask the councilors who sign a specific pledge to recuse himself/herself from voting on related issues. Similarly we will ask councilors backed by developers to recuse himself/herself from voting on issues related to zoning or development. It is a conflict of interest in many eyes. This discussion ends here. You are not a graceful biker. All my proposals are concrete except you are too selfish to realize.
“We need to protect Cambridge’s character and preserve what we need to preserve as our historical heritage,” Wang said, adding that he is “against frivolous building around our time-cherished squares and corridors.”
Oct. 18, 2023 — Muskaan Arshad“We need to protect Cambridge’s character and preserve what we need to preserve as our historical heritage,” Wang said, adding that he is “against frivolous building around our time-cherished squares and corridors.”
[Candidate left as a comment]
I am a candidate, one of CCC’s endorsees, and I am proud of their endorsement. Surprised by an orchestrated smear campaign against CCC and its candidates, your letter here, plus other non-productive activities, I am responding to you first and foremost that I am for a Cambridge that is inclusive and diversified. We run our campaign on issues relevant to Cambridge citizens, not for political correctness.
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I challenge you to use your real name and debate with me if you are a candidate. Inclusion means we should not tolerate hatred, yet your way of addressing it is more hatred. The article smears a slate of candidates passionate about top issues such as housing, bike safety, neighborhood preservation, education, and good government, yet you are using one point to throw mud at 11 candidates. If it isn’t smearing, I don’t know what is.
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For the issue you care about the most, “CCC stands with the LGBTQIA+ community’s fight for equality. We are committed to ending anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, bullying, and discrimination and to ensuring that LGBTQIA+ individuals are treated with dignity and respect in their communities, their workplaces, and their schools.” This is prominently written on the CCC’s home page. All candidates that I know support LGBTQIA+ communities. If we do not do enough, please suggest friendly ways for us to work together for it.
I applaud the peaceful demonstration yesterday near the successful event CCC hosted. We heard your voice, and all of us are for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Feel free to contact me or any of us about what we don’t know. All councilors must work with and work for you for Cambridge to be an inclusive city. For Cambridge to be an inclusive city, anyone can rise above any controversial comments or mistakes we make and feel we can still belong to our city and public service.
God bless us all.
Sept. 30, 2023 — Ari Ofsevit[Candidate left as a comment]
I am a candidate, one of CCC’s endorsees, and I am proud of their endorsement. Surprised by an orchestrated smear campaign against CCC and its candidates, your letter here, plus other non-productive activities, I am responding to you first and foremost that I am for a Cambridge that is inclusive and diversified. We run our campaign on issues relevant to Cambridge citizens, not for political correctness.
...
I challenge you to use your real name and debate with me if you are a candidate. Inclusion means we should not tolerate hatred, yet your way of addressing it is more hatred. The article smears a slate of candidates passionate about top issues such as housing, bike safety, neighborhood preservation, education, and good government, yet you are using one point to throw mud at 11 candidates. If it isn’t smearing, I don’t know what is.
...
For the issue you care about the most, “CCC stands with the LGBTQIA+ community’s fight for equality. We are committed to ending anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, bullying, and discrimination and to ensuring that LGBTQIA+ individuals are treated with dignity and respect in their communities, their workplaces, and their schools.” This is prominently written on the CCC’s home page. All candidates that I know support LGBTQIA+ communities. If we do not do enough, please suggest friendly ways for us to work together for it.
I applaud the peaceful demonstration yesterday near the successful event CCC hosted. We heard your voice, and all of us are for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Feel free to contact me or any of us about what we don’t know. All councilors must work with and work for you for Cambridge to be an inclusive city. For Cambridge to be an inclusive city, anyone can rise above any controversial comments or mistakes we make and feel we can still belong to our city and public service.
God bless us all.
It is time for us to reenvision and adjust. We should add emergency preparedness as one of the domains of our discussion. The pandemic, the opioid abuse epidemic and the emerging crisis of migrants will require a different touch to our policy priority and city workforce. We should also add government competency as one of our desired goals. Otherwise, we can have all the lofty goals we want but won’t see better outcomes anytime soon.
We also need to think outside the box. We may not need to build any Burj Khalifa in Cambridge, but why can’t we build two or three John Hancocks in places such as the Fresh Pond Shopping Mall? Will it not add 3,000 housing units and bountiful businesses to solve our collective problem? Will it not spare many squares and corridors near and dear to the hearts of neighborhoods?
Sept. 18, 2023 — Hao WangIt is time for us to reenvision and adjust. We should add emergency preparedness as one of the domains of our discussion. The pandemic, the opioid abuse epidemic and the emerging crisis of migrants will require a different touch to our policy priority and city workforce. We should also add government competency as one of our desired goals. Otherwise, we can have all the lofty goals we want but won’t see better outcomes anytime soon.
We also need to think outside the box. We may not need to build any Burj Khalifa in Cambridge, but why can’t we build two or three John Hancocks in places such as the Fresh Pond Shopping Mall? Will it not add 3,000 housing units and bountiful businesses to solve our collective problem? Will it not spare many squares and corridors near and dear to the hearts of neighborhoods?
In the past three years, I noticed five medical doctors I know practicing at Mount Auburn Hospital deciding to move away or retire.... If one doctor can earn double the money in New Jersey and pay less for housing, it is an easy decision for them to move.
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Therefore, I am calling for developing high-quality workforce housing in Cambridge to support everyday working individuals and families such as our firefighters, grocery store workers, teachers, police and medical staff. In the current affordable-housing paradigm, they earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but are severely cost burdened by market-rate rents.
...
Affordable housing initiatives cannot be accomplished in one particular way or a few years. It takes a long-term strategy and a combination of methods. I am calling for building more apartments on City-owned land, with clean energy elements and without breaches of city ordinances.
Sept. 5, 2023 — Hao WangIn the past three years, I noticed five medical doctors I know practicing at Mount Auburn Hospital deciding to move away or retire.... If one doctor can earn double the money in New Jersey and pay less for housing, it is an easy decision for them to move.
...
Therefore, I am calling for developing high-quality workforce housing in Cambridge to support everyday working individuals and families such as our firefighters, grocery store workers, teachers, police and medical staff. In the current affordable-housing paradigm, they earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but are severely cost burdened by market-rate rents.
...
Affordable housing initiatives cannot be accomplished in one particular way or a few years. It takes a long-term strategy and a combination of methods. I am calling for building more apartments on City-owned land, with clean energy elements and without breaches of city ordinances.