Скачать или смотреть Rent spike has New Hope seniors concerned

The campus of North Ridge independent living is home to 124 apartments for adults age 55 and older. Beginning Sept. 1 it will cost more for those seniors to live there. The rents rise to $1,650 a month for a one-bedroom and $1,900 for a two-bedroom.

"We're seeing rents increasing and the incomes of many people not increasing, and that certainly holds true for the senior population," said Chip Halbach, executive director of the Minnesota Housing Partnership. "If you're living off of Social Security, you really can't afford more than $400 for rent, so that's way off the mark of what's being developed now."

Halbach says that for the growing population of senior citizens, finding housing that's affordable will continue to be a problem unless the state and charities step in to help.

"We're hoping in the upcoming legislative session that there will be some initiatives out there that the state can get behind," he said.

It'll be too late for those hoping to lower the rent at North Ridge. Apartment officials say it's a move that has to be done due to rising costs associated with providing services and amenities. They also point that even with the rent increases, their rates are well below the market rate for facilities with similar amenities.

Residents, meanwhile, say they're still hoping apartment management reconsiders its decision.

Delane Cleveland, reporting
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