HADLEY — Karol and Fred Burgos have seen modest, less than $100, year-to-year increases in their monthly rents since moving four years ago into Woodland Crossing/ Vesta Apartment Homes, an affordable housing complex restricted to individuals and couples age 62 and over.
Like many of the residents who live in the 80 units that opened on Greenleaves Drive as the Windfield Senior Estates 25 years ago, the Burgoses say they were shocked when they were recently notified their rents would be increasing by a much bigger amount, in their case going up by $245, or 25%, from $985 to $1,230 per month.
It’s the type of spike, the couple says, that may force them to seek other less expensive housing options, though that would mean moving and finding another place they would qualify through a low-income housing tax credit.
“The anxiety is profound,” says Karol Burgos. “We thought this would be our forever home.”
“The new lease going up $250 seems punitive,” Fred Burgos said.
While the couple has annually provided financial information to prove they continue to qualify as a low-income household, that wasn’t factored into the determination of the new rent.
“We were told they are no longer counting on those financials, but (instead are using) the median income in the area,” Fred Burgos said.
On Monday morning, after recently circulating a petition signed by 19 residents, the Burgoses and about a dozen other residents brought their concerns about the sizeable rent increases to Rep. Homar Gomez, D-Easthampton, and Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and their staffs, during the regular office hours they have at the Hadley Senior Center.
The petition states that property management company Konover Residential LLC, of West Hartford, Connecticut, is no longer calculating the rents based on the couples and individuals low-income tax credits or Section 8 vouchers.
Instead, the firm is looking at the rents that can be charged for those making up to 60% of the area median income in the Springfield metropolitan area.
“For most, seeing the cost of one’s housing go up by several hundred dollars is challenging enough, but for seniors living on fixed incomes it’s a full-blown crisis,” the petition reads.
“The kind of crisis where many in this 62-and-over community may be forced to choose between food or a roof over their heads.”
During the conversation with the legislators, residents said they know one neighbor who has put off getting medication, that others are hurting, and one retiree explained that he has gotten a job again to cover the higher rent costs, though he understands not all people are able to take that route.
While willing to speak out, several asked to remain anonymous and others opted to stay home due to what they contend is a fear of retaliation.
Efforts to reach Konover by phone and email were not immediately successful.
What the residents are seeking is relief through legislation, including a Senate bill which would allow cities and towns to limit rent increases to 5% annually. This bill is “An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants.”
Comerford and Gomez pledged to look at what is happening though cautioned that there’s no certainty they will be able to do anything immediately.
“We’re working to see if we can stop that, based on the rules and regulations property owners have to follow,” Gomez said.
Comerford said she appreciates that she has been able to work with the management company in the past, like in January 2022 when a pipe burst and seniors had to stay in hotels for a period of time.
“You’re asking for us to do our jobs and to work for you at the state level,” Comerford said.
The legislators also suggested having a conversation with representatives in the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to determine if anything is amiss in the higher rents being charged.
Mass Housing Partnership shows the maximum allowable rents, for those earning 60% of area median income, to be $1,344 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in Hadley. It’s unclear whether any of the tenants, while facing big increases, have gone over that threshold. These maximum rents are based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income limits for 2025.
Another tenant, Debra Geary, said it is frightening what is happening.
“We’re at the edge of our budget, and there’s no rental property where rents are cheaper,” Geary said.
“We’re all at our edge, we’re all scared as hell,” Geary added.
There are few other options, with so much of the market rate housing too expensive and driven by demand from college students, with this seemingly unabated pressure that includes the recent conversion of the former Howard Johnson hotel on Route 9 into an extended stay lodging.
Should the Burgoses have to look elsewhere, it’s unclear where they would go.
“There’s no such thing as a modest rent in this area,” Fred Burgos said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
