Last Thursday, the Boston Globe ran an article about Northeastern’s track record with the city of Boston in terms of its leased apartments. The city says the apartments violate health and safety regulations (“NU hit on apartment conditions,” by Sasha Talcott).
The Boston Inspectional Services Department claims that NU has refused to obtain mandatory city licenses which in turn allow the city to inspect the buildings annually. Additionally, members of the Symphony community, who surround a number of the leased apartments, have shown nothing short of disdain for those students in the leased apartments who generally disturb the area.
Considering all this, the university maintains that it is simply trying “to be good neighbors.”
The problem that presents itself is the lack of commitment by the university to either buy these leased buildings straight out, or to phase out their usage to maximize NU’s housing potential.
The flip-flop began in May when Northeastern student James Cassidy was killed while living in a leased apartment on Hemenway Street. At that time, the Director of University Communications, Ed Klotzbier, told The News that leased properties were being utilized to alleviate the housing crunch. He emphasized, in the May 21 article, that with the completion of West Campus G and H, no leased properties will be needed.
Fast forward to September and the university is singing a different tune.
With G and H scheduled to be completed and opened next fall, an additional 585 beds will be available for students wishing to live on campus. The housing crunch has not been “phased out” however, and President Richard Freeland told The News in a meeting on Sept. 19, “the housing issue won’t go away.”
However, neither will the BISD or the Symphony United Neighbors, who have brought the “housing issue” to the forefront.
With 585 new beds and ground-breaking for West Campus F, which will provide 230 to 240 more beds, to begin soon, one has to wonder, when will the university be satisfied? And when will the university, as Klotzbier said after Cassidy’s death, pull students from the leased properties?
With Inspectional Services breathing down NU’s neck, would it not make sense to house students in university owned and managed facilities? And would it not make sense for the university, if hard pressed for beds and security, to purchase an entire apartment building instead of leasing units here and there? If the university chose to take this step they could then ensure safety, with a proctor at the door and Residential Life staff housed in the building to monitor students.
Northeastern is treading on thin ice with this issue. It is neither here nor there when it comes to efficiently housing students or being “good neighbors.” Both issues are important and their speedy resolution is imperative.
