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Seniors at Bedford Walk tell council rent hikes are forcing hardship; ask for help
Summary
Residents of the Bedford Walk independent living community urged the City Council to help address steep, unexpected rent increases by their landlord (JES Holdings). Speakers said roughly 98 residents face increases they described as 10%–24% and asked the council to explore remedies, including rent regulation used elsewhere.
Doris (transcript: “Doris Lackey”) told the council she and other residents of Bedford Walk, an independent living community in Columbia, face “exorbitant and totally unexpected rental increases” imposed by their landlord, identified in public comment as JES Holdings. She said 98 seniors live at Bedford Walk under annual leases that include one midday meal and that many residents rely on Social Security and investments. Speakers at the scheduled public comment described rent increases this year ranging from 10% to 24% and said that, in practice, many residents are now spending 60%–80% of their income on housing.
Lackey told the council the residents had sent registered letters to their landlord and received no response and that they had asked staff about negotiating but had been told “there is no negotiation possible.” She said the group researched jurisdictional approaches and cited roughly 11 states and “over 40 city and county jurisdictions” that have used rent‑control measures or limits tied to CPI formulas. That, she said, is not currently an option in Missouri or Columbia; the residents asked the council for help in retaining the city’s reputation as a place for seniors to live affordably.
What council and staff can and cannot do: public commenters framed the request as a plea for council action; council members and staff did not offer a specific ordinance at the meeting. Councilmembers acknowledged the problem and said the city’s authority to regulate private rents is constrained by state law; several councilmembers encouraged residents to share documentation and suggested the council could raise the matter with state legislators or examine city‑level supports and referrals to housing assistance programs.
No formal action: the residents’ petition and public comments were received as scheduled public comment; no vote or formal directive requiring staff action was taken at the meeting.
