Harvard's Growth Has Hurt Cambridge

Cambridge Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci said last night a severe Cambridge housing shortage caused by the massive post-war expansion of Harvard is the primary reason for strained relations between Harvard and Cambridge residents.

Vellucci, who spoke in the Freshman Union, said the University did not provide adequate housing for the thousands of students who were drawn to Harvard because of the increased government research funding after 1945.

Competition

Students were therefore forced to compete in the private housing market, he said.

With increased demand for housing, apartment rents soared to levels which were beyond the means of many Cambridge residents. This led to resentment toward Harvard among those residents.

Vellucci added that, although such resentments exist, he considers them similar to differences between family members. "People in Cambridge still respect Harvard as the greatest university in the world," he said, 'and they're proud of the fact that it's in their home town."

Low Taxes

Although Harvard pays little property tax, it is provided with a full range of municipal services, he said. While there are at least 12 uniformed Cambridge police officers in Harvard square at all times, there is only a single policeman in Inman Square.

He added that a $30 million improvement in the city sewer system was primarily due to the increased numbers of students living in Cambridge.

Out of Towners

Most businessmen in Harvard Square do not live in Cambridge, Vellucci added, and the profits they make from sales to students do not enter the Cambridge economy.

Vellucci also said that he does not yet know the results of a Cambridge-sponsored study of recombinant DNA research, and that he would be surprised if the report banned such research.