Tammy Kazazi, right, holding Zahir, 8 months, who is a resident at North Village Apartments, talks about the closing of the family housing complex by the University of Massachusetts as other residents Jose Blesa, from left, Marcus Opalenik holding Fafa, 1, and Arash Manafirad holding Shana, 13 months, listen, Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Tammy Kazazi, right, holding Zahir, 8 months, who is a resident at North Village Apartments, talks about the closing of the family housing complex by the University of Massachusetts as other residents Jose Blesa, from left, Marcus Opalenik holding Fafa, 1, and Arash Manafirad holding Shana, 13 months, listen, Tuesday, Sept. 10. Credit: Gazette file photo

I was distressed by the Gazette’s presentation of the UMass decision to raze North Village and Lincoln Apartments (“UMass to build new student housing,” Sept. 6).

These apartments are occupied by hundreds of couples and families. North Village is full of international graduate students bringing scholarship and skill to UMass and wonderful energy to our town.

Where on earth are they supposed to go now? The UMass spokesperson notes that the residents to be displaced have been given a whole academic year to make other arrangements. Since we don’t anticipate having hundreds and hundreds of affordable housing units built in Amherst this same academic year, this notice is cold comfort indeed.

Your headline drew my cheerful attention; the subhead and story make me sad and angry for the hard days ahead for so many of our friends and neighbors.

Kevyn Smith

Amherst