SENIORS MAY BE PRICED OUT OF HOUSING RENT INCREASES MAKE LIFE TOUGHER FOR THOSE ALREADY ON THE EDGE.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Chris Bates enjoys Santa Clarita's comforts and security, but like many middle-class seniors, she may soon be priced out.

For Bates, her monthly income barely covers a recent rent hike at her senior housing complex, where she pays $765 a month to live.

"I had to cancel a doctor's appointment weeks ago because I couldn't put gas in the car to go to the doctor," she said. "I can't afford a lube job, I don't qualify for welfare or food stamps."

Bates and hundreds like her have given rise to a local grass-roots coalition that's determined to raise awareness of the need for more affordable senior housing in Santa Clarita.

Aided by the federal government, three apartment complexes in the area house low-income seniors. But monthly rent in those complexes -- Bouquet Canyon Seniors, Canyon Country Seniors and Castaic Lake Senior Village -- was raised as much as 7 1/2 percent about a month ago.

Gene Dorio, a doctor whose practice focuses on seniors, is at the forefront of the movement to aid low-income senior citizens.

"They're making life-determining changes because of the rent increase," he said. "We're trying to figure out what to do about it."

More than 600 people are on waiting lists for the buildings, where rents range from $700 to $900 a month. To qualify, applicants must earn 60 percent or less of the median income in Los Angeles County.

"You could build three more 200-unit buildings and they would fill up in six months -- which is unheard of anywhere," said Brad Berens, executive director of the Santa Clarita Committee on Aging.

The committee is a general partner in the three complexes that raised rents, along with the for-profit private firm Community Housing Development Group.

And any rent hikes are guided by the federal government.

"HUD announces in March what increases should be, we analyze it and look to see if it's appropriate," said Jules Swimmer, the managing general partner with Community Housing Development Group.

Berens said changing demographics are driving some of the problem.

"The Los Angeles County median income has gone up dramatically in the last few years," he said. "Sixty percent of the median income then was 10, 12, 14 percent less than what the 60 percent benchmark is today."

While the Santa Clarita apartments are not among those supported by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds, renters are allowed to apply Section 8 certificates issued by the federal government toward rent payments.

Swimmer says his company has about $11 million in debt and is locked into government programs that finance affordable housing, but any rent hikes are applied strictly by the guidelines.

"Rents are restricted but expenses aren't and when fuel prices go up, minimum wages go up, we have to pay expenses like any other developer does," he said. "The big line item ... is interest rates. When we first built, the interest rate was 3 percent, now it's 6 percent."

Swimmer said only six senior citizens in the complexes have given notice that they will have to leave since rents were raised about 30 days ago.

He said his company has tried to develop other properties in Santa Clarita and also responded to the city's request for submissions for affordable-housing plans, but was turned down.

Paul Brotzman, the city's director of community development, said the city chose nonprofit developer Southern California Housing Corp., which has developed and manages thousands of units.

"They have a strong management structure," Brotzman said.

The company also can get state funding that Swimmer's company wouldn't qualify for, said city analyst Erin Moore-Lay.

"That was a deciding factor," she said.

But Diane Trautman, a city planning commissioner, has joined the grass-roots coalition seeking to boost senior housing in the area and said she will press for answers.

"I look forward to having the Planning Commission receive more information on the city's actions toward achieving affordable housing for seniors," she said. "We need to create housing that will provide seniors with predictable rents. In the meantime, we need to find ways to help seniors with this current crisis."

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Santa Clarita resident Chris Bates is having trouble affording her housing now that the rent has been increased. Many seniors who have fixed incomes have been hit with rising rent. Bates has had to cut back in other areas of her budget.

David Crane/Staff Photographer