MIT Student Tenants Continue Protest Over Rent Increase

Residents of the MIT-owned Eastgate and Westgate apartments in Cambridge are continuing a partial rent strike because of MIT's demand for payment of a rent increase.

The tenants, married MIT students are refusing to pay a March 1 rent hike of four per cent intended to cover raised fuel costs. James Henley, tenant spokesman for Westgate Community Association said. The increase amounts to about 58 a month per unit.

Henley said temperatures in the apartments have averaged ten degrees higher than the tenants requested and that this accounted for the higher fuel costs.

"We think we're being billed for their [MIT's] past mistakes, and hope to avoid that kind of thing in the future," Henley said.

Reduction of Temperatures

Dexter Kamilewicz, MIT associate director of housing, said the institute had made "substantial efforts since May 1974 to fix the very complicated heating system," and reduce temperatures in the apartments.

The 58 being charged the tenants is lower than the rise in fuel costs. Kamilewicz said, adding that the Institute will reduce other expenses to finance it.

About half of the Westgate dwellers have paid their rents without the hike but the other half has included the increase in their rent payments, Kamilewicz said.

Henley termed the 50 per-cent participation in the strike as "successful" butsaid the protesting tenants expected to have to pay the increase eventually.

"We certainly don't want to pay the increase," Henley said. But in the end MIT has the power to force us to pay."

Kamilewicz said that MIT will follow "nromal procedures," which include collection of a late fee, for dealing with those withholding the increase.

"If late fees are not paid and accounts not brought up to date, registration cards are withheld from students until outstanding balances are paid he said, adding that if tenants continue to withhold payment of the rent increase the may be barred from registering for the summer or fall term.