“It’s really important that the board has done a good job of coming right out with this to folks and saying that there’s no need to be concerned here,” he said. “The [deal] would begin with the premise that, if this works out—and that’s a big if—these folks will still be a part of the affordable Charlesview community,” said McCluskey.

Molding the Future

While huge possibilities loom on the horizon, in the meantime Charlesview residents are struggling with a wide variety of problems, ranging from mold to rising rents.

Today the development, which is owned by four area churches and synagogues, is riddled with many structural problems, including leaky roofs, moldy walls and a foundation that is settling into the ground.

A recent proposal by the board to make significant repairs on the building has elicited mostly ambivalence from residents, who have lived with the problems for years and who would have to bear the financial brunt of any renovations.

Nevertheless the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which partly regulates the complex and subsidizes the rents of some of its low-income residents, has recently begun to test mold found in more than one-third of the complex’s apartments, according to residents.  

If the mold is found to be a health hazard, the cost of removing it could be about $3.5 million—a price which would push rents up by 68 percent, the board told residents, according to Giovanditto. Such a dramatic increase would jeopardize those mid-income residents whose rents are not government-subsidized, and who make up the majority of Charlesview residents.

Charlesview Board member Lawrence Fiorentino said that while the rent for low-income tenants would remain affordable, prices for tenants of higher income levels will likely rise.

“There are some market rate people, and that’s a horse of a different color,” he said. “Not that we’re trying to displace them obviously, but we have to deal with the laws and regulations from HUD.”

Giovanditto said she was upset that the board has not expressed interest in looking elsewhere for renovation funds.

“There are a lot of grant programs out there, and all it takes is commitment. The owners keep on backing off from commitment,” she said. “This will displace people.”

If the mold proves to be harmless, residents agreed that a deal with Harvard would make expensive renovations of the property unnecessary.

“The tenants association doesn’t have a problem fixing things, but if the land swap with Harvard goes through, is it worth pouring $3 million into this place?” asked Giovanditto. “Considering what the [market-rate] tenants will have to pay, can you live with the mold for another year or two?”

Balancing visions of leaky ceilings and broken washing machines with the possibility of brand-new apartments in their heads, tenants who attended last Wednesday’s meeting seemed generally warm to the idea of moving.

But they weren’t without skepticism over the building’s board of directors and the process of arranging a deal with Harvard.