NAVARRE, Ohio — More than a year after a new company took over their manufactured housing community, Navarre Village neighbors say they are increasingly concerned about rising rents.
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“There was one woman who had to go back to work, and she’s in her 70s,” Jeffrey Iker said.
Iker, who has lived in the Stark County park, which has a population of more than 55 people, for 17 years, joined some of his neighbors in forming a state-chartered tenant committee to sort out their concerns.
In September 2022, Navarre Village was taken over by an out-of-state company, Legacy Communities LLC. Park residents own their land and pay monthly rent for it.
Since the property changed hands, neighbors have reported several significant rent increases, amounting to a total increase of more than 24%. Iker said the rate for migrants would soon jump to $825 a month, more than double the rate before September 2022.
Many said this increase is a burden on communities that are primarily made up of older adults on fixed incomes.
Don Datchuk, a committee member who has lived in Navarra Village for four years, said, “At the grocery store, you’re making decisions based on things like the market rent and gas bill payment deadline.” Told.
“This will be my last act,” added committee member and resident Barb Silvestri.
The group said it did not see any improvements or additions to the property that would justify the large rent increases. They consider new street lights, fencing added to his nearby RV park, and planned road repairs to be basic infrastructure improvements. And they said the newly renovated front office, which doubles as a small clubhouse as well as a rumored bocce ball court, doesn’t justify the high cost.
“No one knows what they’re doing.” [the money]?But they’re certainly not giving us anything back,” Silvestri said.
She estimates the rent collected from residents amounts to more than $100,000 a month and more than $1.2 million a year.
“We want to know what they are putting back together,” Datsyuk said.
The group said repeated attempts to meet with company executives have so far been unsuccessful, and communication about future plans has been kept to a minimum.
Over the past year, neighbors estimate they have also contacted nearly every member of the Ohio House of Representatives and about 100 different members of the Ohio State House.
“They just want to pass on the benefits, ignore us and wish us all gone,” Iker said.
In December 2022, News 5 reported that Sen. Sherrod Brown sent a letter to Freddie Mac and Legacy asking them to explain why affordable housing options are becoming less affordable.
Residents of the village of Navarra said they had never seen anything come out of this letter. Brown’s office did not respond to News 5’s request for comment by the time this article was published.
The situation in Stark County is similar to what residents of Twin Lakes in Lorain County reported to News 5. Legacy also owns her 55-plus manufactured home community there. Neighbors also said Tuesday they have seen little change, adding that many are “feeling stuck.”
Ohio currently has no rent control. In June 2022, a bill was passed that includes provisions that prohibit local governments from capping or setting housing rates.
That’s why the Navarre Village Tenant Board said it’s on edge to make sure what’s happening in its community doesn’t happen elsewhere.
“There are other parks in the state that have the same problem,” he said. “We need some kind of rent control, not just for us but for the state.”
News 5 reached out to Legacy Communities, LLC for comment and was provided the following statement in response to residents’ concerns.
“Legacy Communities is committed to providing affordable, quality communities for our residents. We take pride in maintaining and improving our communities, fostering a positive culture, and ensuring our residents experience a high level of customer service.
“Our business model relies on keeping existing residents in place, and affordability is a top consideration when considering rent increases. We are also responsible for maintaining and improving our communities for our residents and attracting new residents.We consistently review operating expenses, necessary infrastructure repairs and upgrades, and planned improvements to ensure that our communities Analyze the local market to ensure affordability.
“When setting rents, we take into account significant capital investments, operating and supply costs, mortgage repayment costs (loan interest and principal payments), rent and other expenses, including but not limited to: We consider many factors: fees for comparable properties;
“Today’s harsh economic realities mean that interest rates have more than doubled, regional CPI has exceeded 8%, and cost increases with increased labor, insurance, taxes, utilities, consumables, and vendors’ own costs. This is particularly difficult because by compromising maintenance and allowing communities to fall into disrepair, we have to raise rents for new residents entering our communities and offset the impact of increased costs on existing residents. I tried to reduce it.
“We also understand that tenants may have temporary difficulty paying rent due to unemployment, illness, unexpected medical expenses, etc. Our ‘catch-up payment program’ We offer installment plans in those situations, which also support our goal of keeping our residents in their homes, protecting their homes and limiting turnover in our communities. ”
–Andrew Fells, Chief Operating Officer, Legacy Communities
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