Residents Hold Vigil to Protest Rent Increases, Evictions

In protest against pending rent increases and evictions, Cambridge residents will hold a vigil today in Porter Square from 2 to 4 p.m.

According to representatives from the Campaign to Save 2000 Cambridge Homes, the recent rent increases and evictions have been brought about by the termination of the "protected status" of low-income tenants by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This status, which was extended to more than 1500 Cambridge households shortly after rent control was abolished by a Massachusetts state referendum in 1994, allowed certain low-income residents to avoid a sudden increase in rent.

According to campaign officials, these 1500 residents represent less than 15 percent of the total units owned by large-holding landlords.

Their protected status will be revoked Dec. 31.

The Campaign to Save 2000 Homes, a grass roots protest group initiated by the Cambridge Eviction Free Zone earlier this year, is demanding that large Cambridge landowners agree to negotiate a deal similar to the one now existing between Harvard and the City of Cambridge.

In April, Harvard bowed to pressure from interest groups and agreed to maintain protected status for about 78 of its approximately 700 tenants until they move or earn more than the annual income cut-off, according to Washington Taylor, a local architect and private homeowner in Cambridge involved with the campaign.

Taylor said the request that land-lords make efforts to maintain protected status is a modest one.

"The profits of large owners have increased greatly since the end of rent control," said Bill Marcott, a campaign spokesperson, in a press release yesterday. "They should not evict long term residents to make even more."

Campaign members are especially concerned that a termination of the protected status in Cambridge will threaten the city's diversity.

With rents doubling and tripling since rent control ended, Taylor said, apartments in the city will increasingly be available only to people of means.

Washington said Central Square's diversity is maintained by a strong working class contingency.

"[This] won't continue without support for the former rent control tenants," he said, pointing out that many immigrant and minority communities have relatively low average incomes.

While campaign activists conceded that there have been negotiated settlements in some cases, they hope that large landlords will work even harder to maintain protected status.

The Cambridge City Council has asked its city manager to talk to the landlords and ask them to strongly consider maintaining protected status for low-income tenants, according to Taylor, but beyond that the council can take no action.

Ten pastors in Cambridge recently circulated a letter asking their congregations to support protected status, campaign officials said.

In addition, they said eight Cambridge nightclubs have agreed to hold concerts to raise money for the campaign's continued efforts.

The vigil is the second in a series of three planned for December by the campaign

Ten pastors in Cambridge recently circulated a letter asking their congregations to support protected status, campaign officials said.

In addition, they said eight Cambridge nightclubs have agreed to hold concerts to raise money for the campaign's continued efforts.

The vigil is the second in a series of three planned for December by the campaign