"I think they thought we were old and frail and unable to speak up. But we were very determined to shake people up about this — and we did," said 85-year-old Janet Dahlquist.
Angry residents at Autumn Glen Senior Living in Coon Rapids pushed back against steep rent increases of 15 to 30 percent, which had threatened to uproot them from their apartments.
After an outcry from elderly residents and state lawmakers, a large senior living complex in Coon Rapids has reversed plans to impose double-digit rent increases that could have uprooted dozens of longtime neighbors and splintered the community.
In a letter sent Tuesday, the operator of Autumn Glen Senior Living apologized for not communicating directly with residents about rent hikes of 15 to 30 percent that took effect in January. The operator said it would instead limit the rent increase to 4 percent and promised to provide a clear explanation for any future rent increases of 5 percent or more. “We hope these adjustments will make your apartment feel like home again as we work together in supporting your future needs here,” wrote Dan Dixon, president and chief executive of Guardian Angels Senior Services of Elk River, a nonprofit organization that manages the facility for a group of private investors.
By Chris Serres Star Tribune FEBRUARY 14, 2018 — 11:01PM