I
would love to have an explanation of the recent influx of Refugees at THE BEND
AT BROAD, Blacklick, OH, it is of course a pivotal financial gain in some form.
Theoretically, it would have to be due to the Low Income Housing Tax
Credit and Cortland Partners. Then to pose my next question, why
should regular rent paying occupants have a such an exorbitant increase in
rent? This began in 2016. Are the current full rent residents
filling in for a gap of any funds that may be lost? Cortland Partner
cannot take this apartment community and equate it to the other Cortland
Partner communities in Columbus based on design or standard. The
community and aesthetic value has decreased with the refugee settlement and for
a two bedroom apartment to go from 636.00 to 748.00 which does not include
water or trash disposal would then indeed make the current full paying tenants
absorb cost for the refugee settlers and the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing
Commission was not designed for current tenants to absorb this cost.
Stephen DeFrancis, Cortland employer, and member of the Low Income
Housing Tenant Commission (affordable housing program) should be a shame that
he has made current tenants be the bearer of the Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) which Cortland Partners
wants to shine as a front runner in the LIHTC. You do this by not
addressing the financial turnover to current tenants. Also Cortland
Partner recently purchased apartments out of Receivership in 2014 and one
has to think that the purchase of those properties and the rent increase and
implementing the charge for water, sewer and trash has again, implemented the cost
of this purchase by the increase of rent to the tenants. Increase is
based on changes made in the property such as new appliances, marble counter
tops, updated kitchen and bathroom cabinets and baths that don't creak. Tenants
should have a heads up of the future of the apartment community. Putting
down synthetic wood on the dining, kitchen, and bath floor would in no way make
one pay the additional 162.00 per month that you now want one to pay.
Perhaps this is long but the addressing of these questions to current
management has never warranted an answer other than you pay or leave. Resettlement
of individuals and forcing current tenants is not a cultural influxation, but a
financial gain for Cortland Partners. If this sounds negative, it is so.
I pay the full value of rent while the refugee settlers stay home and
have an agency pay for their rent. Late fees were changed from 50.00 to
100.00 and date due from the 5th to the 3rd. Now you are asking me to
work additional hours to pay for an increase. Cortland Partner should be
under scrutiny for the the current tax breaks and rent increases. If you
want to diversify the community then it should not be on the backs of current
tenants to fund it. By the way, if there had not been an increase in the
rent these issues or thoughts would not have been expressed.
