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Golden West tenants tell Boulder council ending bundled utilities will hurt seniors; BHP says Wi‑Fi will continue
Summary
Residents of Golden West raised alarms about a notice ending bundled cable/phone service and other maintenance concerns; Boulder Housing Partners told council Comcast’s contract ends in September, Wi‑Fi will continue and rents will be reduced about $40–$45, but separate cable/phone could cost more.
Several residents of Golden West told Boulder City Council on May 20 that recent notices from property management will remove bundled utilities and services and would harm seniors and people with disabilities who rely on those services.
Patty Hayward, a Golden West resident, said a letter indicated that as of Sept. 1 certain utilities would “no longer be included in our lease,” explicitly listing cable, television and telephone, and warned that seniors on fixed incomes could be forced to forgo essentials to pay new costs. EJ Giroux, who identified himself with the Golden West senior center, said management has been slow to respond to long‑standing maintenance problems such as intermittent elevator outages and that residents are frustrated with repeated promises to fix issues.
City staff and Boulder Housing Partners (BHP) representatives answered during open comment. Kurt Fernhaver (Housing & Human Services) said BHP purchased Golden West just over a year ago and that the Comcast contract is ending in September. He said BHP plans to continue a free Wi‑Fi service for residents and that rents will be reduced by roughly $40–$45 to reflect the contract change, but acknowledged residents who separately sign up for cable or phone could face higher monthly costs.
Fernhaver also said BHP will have staff on site to help residents sign up for alternative services and will hold community meetings and communications addressing the change. The city staff response framed the issue as an expiring vendor contract rather than an immediate cost‑cutting step by ownership.
Next steps: staff indicated they will follow up with the Golden West community and BHP; council members asked staff to return with more details about transition assistance and to monitor whether the rent reduction adequately offsets residents’ additional out‑of‑pocket costs.
