The multi-billion dollar affordable housing industry and the equally large nursing home industry show disturbing trends that are undermining the health and well-being of the people entrusted to their care. Corporate owners now dominate, both industries with vast chains of properties and hundreds of thousands of units, hidden to their residents behind the names of LLCs and small scale partnerships.  Like hotels and restaurant chains, and like nursing homes, do they squeeze out more profits through understaffing and undermaintaining their local facilities?  There are reports (see PBS and Shelterforce articles) of fraud and conspiracy to defraud through Tax Credit financing deals.  ready to buy, sell, and refinance in ways that take advantage of cheap low-interest loans and tax deductions, and tax deductions at every step of the way.   This is all well documented in the nursing home industry.  

We are concerned by what has been happening in Berkeley to two long-established senior affordable housing communities, specifically Redwood Gardens Apartments and Harriet Tubman. 

Terrace.  Residents and resident council members have brought many issues to Gray Panthers' attention over the past year. 

Foundation Housing and a partner bought Harriet Tubman Terrace from a subsidiary of Michael's Military Housing LLC in 2019 without any notice to the residents before or since that we are aware of.  Harriet Tubman residents could still not verify the name of their owner in summer of 2020, but several long-time repairs and lack of staff have been improved substantially.  Subsequent reports say it was bought for $30 million. Several apartments are currently advertised at market rate. which raises the question of whether units were kept vacant for that purpose, and what are the HUD Section 8 and Low-Income Tax Credit requirements for affordability that Harriet Tubman should be maintaining?