Hospital Alters Tenant Housing Policy

Construction on a Boston hospital complex on Harvard-owned land may begin two years before the University can provide promised replacements for evicted tenants.

The Affiliated Hospitals Complex (AHC) - a superstructure to join Peter Bent Brigham, Robert H. Brigham and Boston Women's Hospitals - will be built on the present site of 182 low-rent housing units.

After the 1969 student strike, Harvard promised to build 1100 new units to accommodate the evicted tenants. Before the old houses are torn down, the residents affected will be "properly relocated into new housing or other facilities satisfactory to them," according to a letter from University officials to the Roxbury tenants last year.

1974

The new housing probably won't be ready until 1974 although the AHC plans to demolish at least 35 units in 1972.

Most of those units are unoccupied, according to Richard D. Wittrup, executive director of the Affiliated Hospitals. The normal turn-over will create vacancies so even if the new housing isn't ready, relocation should be no problem, Wittrup said.

"Because of the housing shortage, I doubt we will be able to find enough equivalently-priced houses without the new units, Therese Parks, a representative of the Roxbury tenants, said.

Keep Agreement

Wittrup said Harvard would keep its agreement with the tenants even though delays are costly for the hospital.

This year's price-tag for the AHC - which has been in the planning stage for 15 years - is $11 million more than last year's $70 million estimate.

Lack of funds cut an earlier planned ambulatory care center from AHC designs.

Good Place

According to an AHC press release, the new hospital will improve community services. The new superstructure will improve patient care facilities by moving them from their present "outmoded and inefficient buildings." Ambulatory care, the most important of the community services, will stay in a 50-year-old structure.