The person in charge of the Manitou Manor Apartments is explaining how the operation works, and why a recent rent increase won’t affect everyone.
Serena Lewis is the Executive Director of the Manitowoc Housing Authority and is in charge of running the Manitou Manor apartments.
She explained to SeehaferNews.com that the complex was established in 1969 as a public housing option for lower-income individuals.
She says that, yes, rent is going up, but that’s only part of the story.
“That is also the cap and that does include the utilities, water, sewer, garbage, trash, electricity, and heat,” she explained. “The only things that are tenants have to pay for out of their own pocket would be cable, internet and a telephone if that’s what they want.”
That flat rate, which is going from $593 up to $620 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, is not the only payment option.
“They have an option to pay the flat rent, and that is capped for the year, or they can choose if they qualify for income-based,” she noted. “But they do have a choice since it is public housing.”
Public housing is defined as “government-funded and government-owned residential property provided at affordable rents for low-income individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities.”
Also included in the rent is quarterly bedbug inspections, pest inspections, and on-site maintenance, along with weekly events for the tenants to enjoy, including bingo.
The reason for the rent increase is not simply to line their own pockets, like some have been speculating online, but rather due to rising costs.
One big part of that is rising property insurance costs. Lewis tells us that a few years ago, the Manitowoc Housing Authority was paying between $25,000 and $27,000 for that insurance, but this year, that has ballooned to almost $55,000.
Additionally, as a non-profit, the Authority is a part of the PILOT program, which stands for Payment In Lieu of Taxes, which has jumped over $2,000 over the past two years.
Lewis also noted that they don’t just pull a random number out of a hat for the rent prices.
“Every year, HUD sets fair market rents using broad, reasonable market data to keep up with the inflation and local housing costs,” she revealed. “My adjustments are simply to reflect these official federal benchmarks to keep the property financially stable while serving the community.”
The Manitou Manor Apartment building is also undergoing some construction right now, as their office space was simply not big enough to support the increased need.
Additionally, the mailboxes are being replaced with new ones, as the current mailboxes were installed in 1969.
Lewis described them as “tiny and out of date.”
But she also noted that this project is being paid for through a grant, not by tenant rent.
The Manitowoc Housing Authority meets the third Wednesday of every month, and those meetings are open to the public.
You can find the waitlist for Manitou Manor Apartments at ManitouManorWI.com under the Resident Pre-Application tab.
