Amid public outcry, Minnesota senior living complex Autumn Glen reverses huge hike in rents

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.

The decision marks a dramatic change in fortunes for the roughly 100 seniors who live at Autumn Glen, a complex that includes apartments, assisted living and memory care.

For nearly two months, residents had challenged the rent increases with limited success. They formed a committee, called legislators and city council members, circulated a petition signed by more than 40 residents, and demanded a meeting with the facility’s private investors. Instead, they were referred to Guardian Angels Senior Services, which said it was unable to explain the reason for the rent increases.

“They underestimated our persistence,” said Janet Dahlquist, 85, who started looking for a new place to live after her rent at Autumn Glen went from $2,600 to $3,000 a month. “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.”

Elder-care advocates say the case highlights the general lack of consumer protections for the roughly 60,000 Minnesotans who live in senior facilities across the state. Minnesota is one of just a handful of states that does not license these facilities, which means that elderly residents have few protections against sudden rent hikes and evictions. Despite the vulnerability of their residents, assisted-living facilities fall under the same landlord-tenant rules that govern ordinary rental properties and apartment buildings.

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Amid public outcry, Minnesota senior living complex Autumn Glen reverses huge hike in rents