The issue of ongoing double-digit rent increases at many local senior housing communities was raised by a concerned resident at the May 3 Cottage Grove City Council meeting. Robert Ebbinga, who lives …
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The issue of ongoing double-digit rent increases at many local senior housing communities was raised by a concerned resident at the May 3 Cottage Grove City Council meeting. Robert Ebbinga, who lives in a local senior apartment complex, spoke during open forum to the council. He described the difficulties being faced by seniors due to recent ballooning year-over-year rent hikes, and asked what can be done about it at the city level.
Ebbinga told the council that he had recently submitted numerous rental increase letters from nationwide apartment management company Dominium for the council’s review. Describing the situation faced by himself and other local seniors, he said, “We are in a fight of our life here, gentlemen. Dominium took advantage of us last year with an AMI of 12.5%. Now they’re already looking at another 10.5%. One of the members of another Dominium just got his lease papers, and it says 10.5% rate increase on his rent.”
He continued, “Where are they coming from? We cannot, as seniors, afford this anymore. We are looking for anybody and anyone to give us some help. That’s why we’ve come to the city council, hoping you as legislators of the city can get us some help.”
Ebbinga stressed that the affected seniors are not asking for any money from the city, but rather that they are looking for solutions in the form of capping the amount of yearly rental hikes so they can afford to stay in their homes.
He suggested that the management company was also “double-dipping” on the rent by providing fewer outdoor parking spaces than paid underground spaces for building residents.
Ebbinga said, “There are only 80 parking spots outside the building. There are 129 parking spots in the building. Yet there are 184 units in the building. Where is everybody supposed to park? So, they’re forcing you to move into the garage underneath the building and pay their ridiculous rent of $80/month. And they got tax incentives to do that when they built that building. So, I think there’s someplace we can start, and go after our monies that we’ve spent all these years for our parking.”
He reiterated that he was just asking for some help and consideration from the council.
“We deserve to go out in dignity, just like you people do,” he said. “We don’t want to be kicked out of our place. And if we are, I guess we’ll just have to come to City Hall and live here, because this is our building. Not yours. It’s we the people who own this building, so we’ll come here and live. Then we’ve got a place to stay where it’s warm.”
Ebbinga thanked the council for their time and relinquished the podium. Mayor Myron Bailey responded that the council will take the information and give it to city staff to go over the data in relation to the residents’ concerns. He noted that after the situation has been reviewed, the results of the city’s position on the matter will be sent to Ebbinga, at which point any further comments would be welcomed.
