On Thursday evening, the City of Boston and Olympics advocacy organization Boston 2024 will host the first in a series of public meetings to better engage the public on the prospect of hosting the Games in 2024. Though it’s unclear what the topic of conversation will be tonight, the latest Olympics news pertains to housing.
According to the bid submitted by Boston 2024 to the United States Olympic Committee, they hoped to accommodate the influx of spectators – not athletes or officials – using students’ off-campus housing. It now seems they’re scratching that idea.
“Approximately 100,000 students live off campus in privately-owned, rental apartments throughout the city,” notes the proposal. “This scenario presents a tremendous opportunity for spectator accommodations, offering places for visitors to stay in neighborhoods popular for students such as Allston/Brighton and Fenway, which fall within walking distance to the University Cluster and provide convenient access to public transit.”
The Boston Globe is reporting, however, that the idea of students renting our their apartments to spectators is not sitting well with real estate activists. The reason? It could provide landlords the opportunity to nudge renters into subletting or leaving completely, and even “clear out families and older residents.”
It’s unclear what Boston 2024 will propose in lieu of off-campus housing, but it does note that Boston dorms accommodate 27,777 beds and that there are 13 5-star hotels, 43 4-star hotels, 57 3-star hotels and 11 2-star hotels within a 6.2 mile radius of the Games Center.
An added 11 4-star hotels, 3 3-star hotels and 1 2-star hotel are planned for that same area.
Marc Savatsky, a landlord with properties in South Boston and East Boston and a realtor at chooseboston.com, told BostInno that for the most part, landlords include language in their leases that regulate subletting terms including a minimal duration for sublet and prior landlord consent.
“I include a clause in all my leases restricting tenants from using Airbnb,” said Savatsky. “However, if a tenant approached me with a mutually beneficial proposition whereby they might live with a friend for the week of the Olympics and we could share in the proceeds I would likely entertain it.”
He added, “I think It would be shortsighted of a landlord to leave an apartment vacant for a full lease period so they might realize the quick profits that would come from renting to Olympic spectators.”
BostInno reached out to City Hall to get an idea of what will be on tonight’s agenda, and we’ll be sure to update this article upon receiving a response.
“Boston 2024’s reversal underscores that the bid that they used to win the USOC’s blessing in December was, in some areas, loosely sketched,” added the Globe.
No Boston Olympics, the vocal group in opposition, states on its website that hosting the Olympics will only add to the burden of a housing shortage in Boston.
Mayor Marty Walsh recently announced that Boston needs 53,000 new housing units,” states No Boston Olympics. “You could build a new Olympic Village each year from now until 2030 and you would still fall short of Boston’s housing needs. Hosting an Olympic Games will distract from achieving Mayor Walsh’s important goal of providing housing for all Bostonians.”
