Letter sent to the Lehigh Acres Fire Commssioners
July 19, 2016
Let us introduce ourselves. We are the residents of Presbyterian Homes in Lehigh
Acres, FL. We are a low-income, disabled, senior residential complex.
On July 13,2016 there was a meeting held to explain to the residents of an assessment fee in the amount of$145,803.87 that the Corporation had received that will impact the residents tremendously. The impact would mean a $25 increase in rent on a monthly basis that we the residents cannot afford.
The reasons are as follows:
· In 2016 there was no Cost of Living Allowance increase;
· Medicare part A & B can range from $100 – $150 monthly deductible;
• Incomes range from $625 to $1500 per month bases on Social Security, Disability, and Pensions (so you need to budget yourself for the month);
Other monthly expenses for the residents are:
• Rent;
• Electric;
· Water – (half of development pays a monthly payment of $54 m1mmum;
• Phone services whether cell phone or land lines;
• Medications;
· Co-payments at every doctor visit and lab work ranging from $25 to $425;
· Medical equipment needed at their apartments;
• Dental;
• Transportation (some residents have automobiles which means money for registration, license, insurance, gas and repairs);
• Clothing;
· Personal Grooming;
· Out-of-pocket costs for domestic help.
How are we expected to pay an extra $25 monthly having all these expenses. This can be viewed as Elder Abuse and mental anguish for the residents. Please help to prevent many seniors from going hungry or not taking their medications so they can keep a roof over their heads. This is a REALITY; not a reality show. Put yourselves in our shoes. Can YOU or would YOU be able to survive with our incomes.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this grave matter.
HELP
Sincerely,
Concerned residents of Presbyterian
Homes in Lehigh Acres, FL
Luisa Santiago
Rachel Rodriguez
Theresa Douglass
cc: Board of Fire Commissioners Cathy Kruse, Chairperson Linda Carter, Vice-Chair Larry Becker
David Adams
Matt Smith
Florida Dept. of Elder Affairs
Elder Abuse -National
Agency for the Aging for SWFL
AARP Legal Services Network
HUD Alesia Scott-Ford, Jacksonville
Chamber of Commerce, Lehigh Acres
Presbyterian Homes of Lehigh Residents
All four communities are separate,private,charitable,non-profit 501(c)(3) Florida corporations.
All communities fully operate ONLY with their own rental revenue. There are NO OTHER sources of income.
Presbyterian Homes and Housing Foundation of Florida,Inc. (PHHF) is the “Management Agent” and does NOT “own” the communities. The communities are “owned” by the corporations themselves.
The 2016 HUD Fair Market Rents are: Studio/Efficiency:$681;1Bedroom: $730;2 Bedroom:$911. The rents at all
Presbyterian Homes of Lehigh Acres communities are much lower.
The federal government partnered with non-profits to build affordable housing. WHY?- Because non-profits are exempt from taxes (business income tax,property tax and state sales tax),they are simply less expensive to operate. This results in lower/more affordable rents.
We have four different federal program types:
Sunshine Villas/Golden Age: 48 units, HUD Section 202
Sunshine Villas Annex/Clusters: 168 units,HUD Section202
Homes of Lehigh/The South: 80 units,HUD Section236
Villas of Lehigh/The North: 102 units,Rural Development 515
Woodward Manor:90 units, HUD Section 202 PRAC
All 488 apartments are elderly/disabled and income restricted. We have 613 residents.
The first Senior Housing,HUD Section 202,#SHOOGl olden Age Village, now called Sunshine Villas,was sponsored by the
Lehigh Acres Council of Senior Citizens and began construction in 1959!
City of Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District Assessment
The Fire Fee Assessment was intended to be “an alternative” to property taxes and not an additionalfee. It was intended as a flat rate fee and would replace the property tax levy. In November 2014,by referendum,51% of voters chose to pay the new assessment.
The original plan excluded non-profits. ===>The getthefactslehigh.com website states: CONCERNS: My church or other nonprofit institution is exempt from property taxes. Will we have to pay the Fire Fee Assessment? “FACT ANSWER”- No. Properties with valid exemptions will continue to be exempt from the Fire Fee Assessment. WHY was our exemption determined not valid???
In 2015, Presbyterian Homes of Lehigh communities,therefore the residents were billed $145,803.87 for the assessment. Average per apartment is: $145,803.87/488 = $298.78 per year OR $24.90 per month.
On Tuesday,July 26, 2016. the Board of Fire Commissioners will meet again to determine the 2016 assessment. The meeting is at 5:00p.m.at 3102 16th Street SW,Lehigh Acres.
We need your help!!!
from where is this assessment? How many people does this impact?
Fire Assessment all of Lehigh Acres
what is the average monthly rent paid? everyone is in the same boat when it comes to wage/income increases – except the 1% – folks in the facility get a lot of use from the fire dept. EMS – it is certainly to their advantage to have a capable service such as this – is the privately owned “for profit” 501c not willing to absorb any of these costs? – it is unfortunate to have so many folks needing this type of housing and fortunate that it is available – but as part of a community all must share in public service
This is just awful. Has anything been done about this since this article was posted?
It’s been resolved