City Asks To Buy Harvard Housing

The Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted a committee report yesterday which calls for Harvard to sell more than 700 apartment units to the city for use as low- and moderate-income housing.

Council members charged that Harvard's present proposal to convert the apartments into University-affiliated housing and raise rents over the next several years would destabilize neighborhoods by driving out long time residents.

Council members approved the report, authored by Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55, that said working-class residents would flee the buildings in the city's Agassiz, Mid-Cambridge and Riverside neighborhoods.

The report predicted residents would be displaced because of increased rents and their reluctance to "[live] in close proximity to students whose lifestyle may not be compatible."

Council members said they hoped Harvard would sell the 24 buildings to the city, which would then use them for low-income tenants.

"If Harvard is successful, the real flavor of Cambridge will change," said Councillor Kathleen L. Born. "The city will become polarized between rich, poor and transients."

Duehay said that Harvard's current proposal, though it calls for only "moderate" rent increases, would still displace hundreds of tenants.

"What Harvard proposes as moderate is not necessarily moderate for those living in the units," he said, noting that rent increases of 10 percent have already been approved for this year.

An amendment added to the report by Councillor Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. stipulated that the city's sole purpose in seeking to purchase the buildings was to subsidize rents for residents who could not otherwise afford rent increases.

"If the city of Cambridge is putting money into this, it has to go only to low- and moderate-income tenants," Toomey said.

Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio said that Harvard has shown some concern for residents by voluntarily agreeing to limit rents in 94 of the approximately 700 units because they are occupied by elderly and poor citizens.

"People may not want to recognize that they're doing that, but they have, and I want to applaud them for doing so," Galluccio said.

Harvard can contribute still further, however, because of its hefty financial endowment and tax-exempt status on most other buildings, he said.

Edward Dahlstedt, a general manager at Harvard Planning and Real Estate (HPRE), said in a letter dated October 13 that Harvard "has no intention of displacing existing tenants in good standing. It is only upon vacancy that we are renting apartments to new tenants."

Kathy A. Spiegelman, director of physical planning at HPRE, added that Harvard has to balance its need for graduate housing and "its community interest."

But few of the 15 local residents addressing the council at the start of the meeting had kind words for Harvard.

William Jones, a city resident, said that Harvard should donate the buildings to the Cambridge as a "show of charity."

"[Harvard has] robbed the city for 60 years," Jones said.

Councillors conceded that while they could not legally force Harvard to agree to their proposal, they still hoped their stance would pressure the University into good-faith negotiations with city officials.

"I'm asking that we take as strong a stand as possible," Duehay said. "If we don't do this...then surely we will lose these units.

But few of the 15 local residents addressing the council at the start of the meeting had kind words for Harvard.

William Jones, a city resident, said that Harvard should donate the buildings to the Cambridge as a "show of charity."

"[Harvard has] robbed the city for 60 years," Jones said.

Councillors conceded that while they could not legally force Harvard to agree to their proposal, they still hoped their stance would pressure the University into good-faith negotiations with city officials.

"I'm asking that we take as strong a stand as possible," Duehay said. "If we don't do this...then surely we will lose these units.