HARVARD OFFICIALS: 'Our objective is to attract and retain faculty members. This is not a gimmick to raise Harvard rents.'

THE TENANTS: 'Disastrous and irresponsible. Harvard wants to make a nice quick profit.'

When Harvard buys up apartment space in the area local residents complain says Sally Zeckhauser president of Harvard Real Estate (HRE). But when Cambridge's largest landlord gets out of the market as it is doing now local residents complain, she adds.

It seems that 'Harvard just can't win.

That's Harvard's version.

To hear the tenant organizers tell it, Harvard is getting out of the market to make a quick profit and bypass Cambridge rent control laws.

By selling small apartment buildings to Harvard faculty members the tenants say, Harvard is cutting into the city's pool on rent controlled housing, because owner occupied buildings housing three families or less are not subject to rent control under Cambridge law.

The Cambridge City Council in its regular meeting this week expressed sympathy for the tenants and it looks like another classic town gown battle is shaping up as councilors will probably consider rezoning laws in an effort to halt the sales.

Harvard is looking to sell more than 50 apartment buildings in response to increased demand for faculty residences near campus perhaps also because of the difficulties of land lording with in Cambridge's strict rent control regulations.

"We're not looking to make top dollar," says HRE Vice President Nancy E. Kossan. Instead the units are being sold at near their tax appraised value.

Zeckhauser characterizes the policy as a "turning inward," to better serve the Harvard community. In addition to selling the buildings to faculty members, HRE is taking other steps, including the creation of a new administrative position to advice faculty on housing to be filled next semester.

"Our objective is to attract and retain faculty members and when they are making their decisions they ask. Can I buy a house here and how much would it be?" Kossan explains. Last month for instance Cornell German literature specialist Sander Gilman turned down a Harvard tenure after partially because of the Cambridge housing situation.

"This is not a gimmick to raise Harvard rents," Zekhauser says.

In fact she adds the divesting will have "positive benefits" for tenants such as increased responsiveness by the resident landlords. The University has always found the smaller units like the two and three family apartments now being sold difficult and expensive to maintain.

The tenants aren't buying it. They charge Harvard with offenses ranging from dishonestly and inconsiderateness to rushing senselessly after profits to the detriment of the community. City councilors who called the sales a circumvention of the law may well step in during the next month by changing the rent control rules, but the University would undoubtedly resist.