"One tenant agreed to move out in three months," Doyle said. "I guess you can call that negotiating."

Cacciola did not respond to repeated requests for comment yesterday.

The Eviction Free Zone, an organization which fights for tenants' rights, voting rights and living wages, became involved in the Dana Street tenants' struggle several months ago.

"This case is important because it is a reflection of a huge housing problem in Cambridge," said Marie C. D'Aoust, an organizer at the Eviction Free Zone. "With rents as high as $1,400 and $1,500 per month, we have lost many Cambridge residents. What happens to single mothers and low-income families?"

In 1994, legislation ended rent control across Massachusetts. Though a majority of voters across the state were in favor of the move, polls have shown that Cambridge, Boston and Brookline residents were in favor of rent control.

"Increasing rents erase the multicultural aspects of cities," Doyle said. "People with limited incomes cannot afford to live here."

"We have staged a number of demonstrations over the years," D'Aoust said. "They are effective in drawing attention to the housing crisis and making people understand what eviction means."