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The Altoona Housing Authority this week raised rents for its Pleasant Village development by $100 a month for nearly all 126 units, effective July 1, upsetting many residents.
The authority hasn't raised rents for Pleasant Village in more than a decade, and even the new amounts, they will be well under "fair market" levels, as defined by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, said authority Executive Director Cheryl Johns.
All the residents should be able to afford the increases, especially given that a few are likely to qualify for Section 8 help -- which a handful already receive, Johns said.
No residents attended the meeting, which "shocked" Johns, given that "a lot" of them are unhappy.
"We're not trying to throw anyone out," she said.
Carol Mentzer, 80, is one of the tenants paying rent based on income.
She's leaving because of the hike. She pays $295 monthly for her one-bedroom unit.
The new rent would mean she'd pay almost $200 more, and she can't afford that, she said.
She receives about $1,700 a month from Social Security and a pension, she said.
She's moving to a subsidized apartment complex near Station Medical Center, for which she'll pay $244 a month, she said.
"Pleasant Village was nice, but it had stairs connecting the first floor to the basement and the first floor to the second floor," she said.
The new place is all on one floor, she said.
The only disadvantage will be that she won't have her own washer and dryer.
A resident who didn't want her name to be used pays $610 for a three-bedroom unit along with water, electricity and phone.
Starting in July, she'll have to pay $710. She has a couple of children and is working two jobs.
She has had a couple of unpleasant discussions with authority management, said.
"I can't keep my head above water," she said.
The rent hike will cause hardship, said another resident who didn't want her name to be used.
The resident, who has a son, pays $500 for her two-bedroom, and will shortly need to pay $600.
The hike feels "unfair," especially because the apartments are badly "outdated," she said.
In keeping with the rent hike, the authority is planning major renovations, including work on roofs, kitchens, sidewalks and bathrooms, Johns said.
The authority was planning to raise the rents in 2019, but postponed it because of COVID, as many people had lost their jobs and were otherwise struggling, according to Johns.
It's time now to raise them now, though, given increased costs for natural gas, lawn care and trash service and given the plans for modernizing, Johns said.
Constructed by the city using bonds in the late 1940s to provide housing for World War II veterans, Pleasant Village isn't subsidized, and the authority can operate it as it wishes, without HUD governance, according to Johns.
The lease agreements with tenants permits the authority to raise rents within leasing periods, Johns said.
"I certainly think (the hike) is fair and reasonable," said board member and City Councilman Bruce Kelley. Still, it's a "substantial increase" to happen all at once, Kelley said.
From now on, it might behoove the authority to raise rents incrementally -- maybe every five years, suggested Chairman Mitch Cooper.
Many private landlords raise rents every year, Johns said.
"I'm sorry," Johns said of the Pleasant Village increases after the meeting. "It is what it is."