Harvard Refuses Tenant Requests As Supporters Rally at Meeting

At a meeting held yesterday afternoon to discuss low-income housing in the city. University officials and Cambridge tenant spokesmen failed to reach any agreement on tenant requests concerning Harvard's current housing policies.

Addressing a rally of some 30 Cambridge tenants and a cluster of student supporters outside Grays Hall, Louis Agneta, chairman of the Cambridge Housing Convention and a member of the tenant delegation said. "We oppose Harvard's housing plan because its emphasis on middle-income and luxury housing will only hasten the process of turning Cambridge into a one-class city."

But Edward S. Gruson, assistant to President Pusey for Community Affairs, pointed out that the University plans to construct 390 low-income units in Cambridge between now and Octcber. "We've shown that we can do a good job in meeting this need and will continue to do so." he said.

The tenant delegation-which met with Gruson, Charles P. Whitclock, assistant to Pusey for Civie Relations, and L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice-president of the University-requested that Harvard:

make 40 per cent of a planned 250-unit middle-income housing project at Cambridge Highlands available at low-income rents (Harvard has already promised that 20 per cent will be low-rent);

construct 3200 low-income units in the city over a period of six years;

not purchase any land in Cambridge until the 3200 units have been completed.

Wiggins explained last night that 3200 units would cost Harvard $75 million. "The University just doesn't have that kind of money to spend," he said.

Other University spokesmen added that any blanket commitment to construct large amounts of low-income housing would be complicated by the subsequent difficulty of applying for federal housing subsidiaries.

Agneta said after the meeting. "We're going to be back again and again until we get Harvard to do something."

Tenants had originally requested to meet with two Corporation officials-George F., Bennett '33 and Albert L. Nickerson '33. Neither was able to attend today's meeting, but each has expressed willingness to meet with the tenants.