The demand is one of several changes the activists want, threatening the university s goal of providing additional housing by the fall of 2000. Northeastern officials said the proposal is backed by the community, but they are taking the opposition from Cusick and his group seriously. The Davenport Commons housing project has been in the works for several years. The opponents say they want 50 percent of the property to be used for home ownership units which people buy instead of rent. However, NU and the developer, Madison Park Development Corp., also want to include affordable housing for those who choose not to buy housing.
Affordable housing is subsidized so that lower to middle income families can afford the rent.
The last concern of the opponents is commercial space. They want more than the proposal offers so local businesses can thrive. Northeastern and Madison Development are the main proponents of the organization, along with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and other local residents. The battle lines have been drawn, and the sides disagree on almost all issues. It was reported in the Feb. 27 Boston Globe that activists against the Davenport Commons were considering disrupting graduation this spring.