By Marc Larocque
More than 30 low-income residents, along with St. Botolph Terrace, a project-based Section 8 tenement rallied to protest Northeastern’s ambition to expand its facilities Saturday.
This, coupled with a $1.8 billion budget shortfall in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – could lead to eviction before the Section 8 contract expires.
“We’re trying to make sure we can stay here until the contract ends,” said Christopher Roberson, who has lived at St. Botolph Terrace Apartments for more than 25 years of his life, as a young child with his mother and then back later in life. “To be honest with you, Northeastern is a big school and they got the money to do whatever they want to do. They didn’t get as big as they are by doing what’s right. They told us, ‘We are in the business of educating, not to be landlords.’ And this is acolleges are buying up housing.”
The length of the contract is 20 years, but it’s subject to annual appropriation by Congress, said Michael Kane a member of the Mass Alliance of Housing and Urban Development.
Last Wednesday, the House and Senate conference committee for appropriations voted to recommend $6.1 billion for the project-based Section 8 program for 2008. This would not be enough, Kane said, because the amount necessary to fully fund all the contracts for one fiscal year is $8 billion, which is determined by the funding cost for the country’s full 12 months of contracts.
“The question is how to read the agreements: If HUD doesn’t have enough money, what happens, is Northeastern is free to walk away from their obligation before 2023,” Kane said. “They said they were allowed to build condos in 2023. One of the issues we are going to need to sit down with Northeastern and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) is to get side agreements and amendments to make sure the contract is upheld if there is not enough money for the St. Botolph Terrace contract.”
President George W. Bush requested $5.5 billion for next year’s national project-based Section 8 appropriation. He issued a veto threat to H.R. 3074 – which was passed by the House by a vote of 268-153 this summer to provide $5.81 billion to the project-based Section 8 program, albeit $163.4 million below the enacted level for this year – citing “an excessive level of spending.”
Residents held signs with slogans like “Families can’t live in dormitories!” During the rally, shouts of “Impeach Bush!” erupted, followed by laughter. One man recanted. “No, evict Bush!”
“We try to have fun at these things,” Kane said. “But this is a really serious issue that people need to pay attention to. Homelessness is going up in Massachusetts.”
According to a report released in mid-November by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 19,552 project-based Section 8 units are at “high risk of loss due to owner opt-outs following funding shortfalls.” On Nov. 8, Congressman Barney Frank, among others, sent a letter to HUD and the White House Office of Management and Budget, discussing the growing budget and management crisis in HUD’s Section 8 project-based assistance program.
Roberson, the longtime resident at Saint Botolph Terrace, said he thinks Northeastern students should be sensitive to their cause.
“We are spending all this money in the war, but we need more for low-income housing. It’s inconsiderate of people at Northeastern to blow us off because they got this,” he said.
Residents said they became incredulous of Northeastern after discovering, months later, that the purchase and sales agreement that NU Housing Corp, a recently formed non-profit, was filed with the BRA July 18. They said it was appalling to find out the sale was approved only a day later.
Northeastern administration officials have denied requests to discuss the goals of NU Housing Corp.
“We just want them to be transparent and talk to us about this,” said Rosalind Dawson, a 20-year resident of St. Botolph Street and spokesperson for Saint Botolph Tenants United. “If we get the mayor’s office out and the BRA out we can find out what has gone on and what are they planning to do to help us. This thing happened secretly in the summer, but it backfired because of the government deficit.”
A public hearing led by members of the City Council will take place on Massachusetts Avenue at Susan Bailis Assisted Living Community Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. The council is sending official invitations to the Northeastern administration and representatives from the BRA.
On Thursday, the Guscott family, who has owned the building for more than 25 years, sent a letter to the current tenants, explaining the finalization of the deal.
“Our family is very proud of the tremendous success of St. Botoloph Terrace Apartments,” the letter read, “and the fact that not only have we been able to work with HUD to provide continued rent affordability to each of you as our valued residents during the past 25 years, but also into the foreseeable future.”
