Minnesota senior community pushes back against ‘astronomical’ rent hikes
But this placid scene turned angry last month, after the facility's owner announced steep rent increases that are uprooting residents and rending longtime friendships.
Dozens of elderly residents, including many with disabilities and serious ailments, received notice late last year that their rent would increase by
When they asked for an explanation, the residents encountered a complicated web of private investors, limited-liability partnerships and a nonprofit management entity, which, they say, have all ignored requests for a meeting.
"People set down roots here. And now this community is being destroyed," said
The turmoil at Autumn Glen points to broader concerns in the assisted-living industry, which has grown explosively in the last decade yet has largely escaped regulatory scrutiny.
With the aging population and light regulation, the assisted-living industry has also become a magnet for
A report issued last week by the
"The government should expect more in terms of quality of care and transparency, given the huge amounts of money they're paying," said
Industry officials said the double-digit rent increases at Autumn Glen are unusual. In
"Having said that, it does seem unusual to have a 30 percent increase," Cullen said.
Bible study
She loved the facility's brightly lit dining room, chapel, spacious balconies and ample spaces for socializing with other residents. A book lover, Dahlquist became the facility's self-appointed librarian and carefully organized hundreds of books donated by newcomers. Like other residents, Dahlquist was also drawn to the facility's embrace of Christian values. A sign in the lobby announces a mission to serve seniors and their families "in the spirit of Christ's love." Residents lead daily Bible study meetings, and it's not unusual for them to gather for prayer vigils when someone is sick or dying.
"This is more than just a place to live. This is a community," Dahlquist said "I was so comfortable here."
But her sense of stability was shattered just before Christmas, when a new lease contract was stuffed in her mailbox. At first, Dahlquist thought the document was a mistake. It showed her monthly rent jumping from
"From the moment I moved in, I was told that this place was Christian and loving and would do the right thing," Dahlquist said as she packed some of her belongings last week. "But it didn't seem very Christian-like to hit us with a rent increase like this."
Dahlquist and her neighbors formed a residents' committee, then collected 43 signatures on a petition demanding a meeting with the owners.
Instead, they were told to contact Guardian Angels Senior Services, an
Nearly two months have passed, and despite calls to legislators and
Fist-shaking anger
State records show that
"We just want a simple explanation," said
On a recent afternoon, about two dozen residents -- including some with walkers and wheelchairs -- gathered in
A few said they wanted to move but that health problems and a shortage of available housing had forced them to stay and pay the higher rents.
Assisted-living facilities, which often resemble apartment buildings, were intended originally for older people who needed help to live independently but wanted greater freedom and social interaction than they would find in a conventional nursing home. But over time, many have begun catering to residents who are frail or have serious medical conditions. More than a third of assisted-living residents, for example, have Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, which greatly increases the difficulty of finding a new place to live.
"Is there a renter's association in this state?" one of the residents asked the assembled group last week.
"This is financial abuse," said a woman in a wheelchair, shaking her fist.
"The trouble is, you develop friendships in a place like this," Loso said. "These people become part of your life and then, just like that, they're gone because someone decides to gouge you."
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