Gown Gives Town Gift

Harvard loan to fund affordable housing is not purely altruistic

In an effort sure to improve relations between Harvard University and its neighbors, President Neil L. Rudenstine announced last Wednesday that the University would fund housing in the Boston and Cambridge areas with $20 million in loans, and another $1 million in grant money. This is an unprecedented contribution to the community from a private, non-profit organization such as the University.

In recent years, town-gown relations have been characterized by tension and strain. From the University's land dealings in Allston to its plans for the new Knafel Center, many Cantabrigians have comes to see Harvard as an insensitive Goliath, acting without regard for local interests. The University's decision to do something to ameliorate the dearth of low-income housing-one of the local community's most pressing problems-should be well received.

The gentrification of Cambridge, particularly the Harvard Square area is rooted in a number of causes including spiralling housing costs, but surely the University--and its legions of relatively well-off students and faculty--has been a factor. It is therefore particularly appropriate that the University has chosen the housing shortage as the public concern where it will make its mark.

Of course, we are not so naive as to believe that this recent donation represents a sudden outbreak of altruism in the ranks of the Administration. The loans and grants may be seen as a public relations ploy. Harvard must deal with the local community whether it wishes to or not, and a hostile community--as has been the case lately--makes the job of the University all the more difficult. Still, the recent donations also represent a genuine desire on the part of administrators to maintain the well-being of Boston and Cambridge.

Regardless of whether these donations spring from mixed motivations, they still ought to be welcomed. Good money is being directed toward a good cause. The shadow of self-interest may be lurking in the background, but even while we look this gift horse in the mouth, we are still happy to see it given.