Eastgate Transition Updates & Temporary License Agreement
July 20, 2020
Dear Student,
I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing to share information regarding the transition to the Graduate Tower at Site 4. While we do not yet have answers to all of your questions, Housing & Residential Services (HRS) continues to work with the construction team to better understand the estimated project timeline. We are asking that you sign a temporary housing license agreement by 9:00 am on Monday, July 27 (see below).
We Will Remain Flexible to Meet Your Housing Needs
Please take a moment to review all of the information in this email carefully. We understand that housing for Fall 2020 is on the minds of many students across the Institute, and HRS is here to support you. We will continue to remain as flexible as possible to accommodate changes to your housing plans. Please see information below about our adjusted cancellation policy and please don’t hesitate to reach out to the HRS team with any questions.
Graduate Tower at Site 4 – Delayed Opening
Unfortunately, the months-long construction moratorium in the City of Cambridge (which was lifted as of June 1) has delayed the anticipated opening of MIT’s newest graduate residence.
HRS will continue to provide housing for Eastgate residents who are transitioning to the new building until it opens. While HRS does not have a precise opening date for the Graduate Tower at Site 4, residents should expect a mid-year move, sometime between November and January.
Moving into Your New Home
As we have previously shared, MIT will facilitate and pay for the cost of moving students’ belongings from Eastgate Apartments to the new Graduate Tower at Site 4. Additional details regarding the transition to the new building including the move date and other logistics will be shared with you once this information is available.
Signing Your Temporary License Agreement
To live in Eastgate Apartments until the Graduate Tower at Site 4 is available, we are asking that you sign a temporary license agreement by 9:00 am on Monday, July 27 which is currently available within the MyHousing portal. The temporary agreement will remain in effect until your transition to the new Graduate Tower at Site 4. Please pay particular attention to the updated housing policies and community expectations that are included within the temporary license agreement. Several of the policies listed on the webpage are currently under final review and will be announced prior to the license agreement signing deadline.
Rent Responsibility
You will be responsible for the applicable Eastgate Apartment rental rate (according to unit type) during your temporary extended stay. Your rent responsibility will then shift to the reduced Graduate Tower at Site 4 rates (including the discount and transition subsidy for students who resided in Eastgate Apartments during the 2019-2020 license agreement period) once you transition into the new building on a prorated basis. The fall 2020 rates for Eastgate Apartments are listed below:
- 1-Bedroom Center $1,737
- 1-Bedroom Corner $1,866
- 2-Bedroom $2,213
Transferring to Another Eastgate Unit
At this time, only residents who have a change of family size, selected a 2-bedroom unit in Site 4 and who had previously applied for the transfer list, can be accommodated for an in-building transfer. We will accommodate transfers from one-bedroom apartments to two-bedroom apartments. We are unable to accommodate transfers between one-bedroom corners and one-bedroom centers. There are very few apartments that are currently available for occupancy due to belongings left behind by departed residents, repair and maintenance needs.
Cancelling Your Housing Assignment
You may cancel your 2020-2021 housing assignment at any time 5 days prior to the scheduled move-in day without penalty. Residents cannot defer their license agreement to a future semester, however, they will be eligible to participate in future allocation and waiting list processes, which occur each semester.
HRS will remain as flexible as possible to accommodate graduate students’ housing needs. If circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic alter students’ plans or prevent students from returning to campus through no fault of their own (i.e. travel or visa restrictions), HRS will work with students on a case-by-case basis and will waive any cancellation fees associated with their 2020-2021 on-campus housing license agreements.
Fall 2020 Housing Updates
HRS recently launched a Fall 2020 graduate housing dashboard where regular housing updates will be shared with the graduate student community. You may visit the webpage by clicking here.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions regarding 2020-2021 on-campus graduate housing, please contact the team at HRS via email at gradhousingfall2020@mit.edu or by phone at (617) 253-5148.
Sincerely,
MIT Housing & Residential Services