Peoria seniors lose services as independent living facility becomes apartments

A Peoria independent living facility for seniors is ending its supportive services and transitioning into a support-free complex for people of all ages, leaving many residents to find new accommodations.

In mid-September, Casa Del Rio's management told residents that by the end of October, the facility will no longer provide dining, individual transportation, in-room housekeeping or daily activities tailored for seniors. However, residents will continue to have access to scheduled, complex-run transportation through Nov. 17.

Senior service providers said a business transition like Casa Del Rio's is concerning, especially as more Arizonans have to navigate a limited housing supply.

"This is the community that they know, and they often don't have access to good transportation. And so you're really displacing people to probably an unfamiliar community," said Dana Kennedy, AARP Arizona's state director. "This is a really terrible situation."

In 2020, the Arizona Department of Economic Security found that half of the people experiencing homelessness in the state were over 50. In its 2022 annual report, the state's largest shelter, Central Arizona Shelter Services, said it served 1,717 adults 55 and older, a 43% jump from the year prior.

The owners of Casa Del Rio, Beztak Properties, said low occupancy and rising costs caused them to end services for older adults.

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"For over 10 years, the owners of Casa Del Rio have held a deep desire to maintain and improve the community, to preserve and increase its value, and create a comfortable environment for residents," said Lori Panaro, Beztak Properties' regional director of operations, in a letter sent to residents on Sept. 18. "This core value has become challenged by recent events, a worldwide pandemic, inflationary pressure on food, utilities, insurance, wages, and benefits, and more recently, skyrocketing interest rates."

To prepare Casa Del Rio to become standard apartments, renovations were scheduled to start in early October, according to information Beztak provided to residents. The complex will be under construction throughout the spring of 2024. To compensate for the lack of services, monthly rent will be reduced by $400 starting on Nov. 1, Beztak Properties said. Residents will not get compensation for moving expenses, but Casa Del Rio said it has helped its seniors get discounted rates for movers.

Resident Daniel Esquer, 85, said he feels lucky to have his wife and nearby family members to help with the move. Plus, he said, he can afford to hire movers. But some residents live alone or have limited funds or physical disabilities, making moving more daunting.

Peoria cannot do anything to prohibit transitions like Casa Del Rio's because the facility is zoned as an apartment complex, city spokesperson Tim Eiden said.

"The potential change in rental rates and/or removal of the private restriction (e.g. age restriction) is not a matter of zoning. From a pure zoning perspective, the use was apartments and will continue to be apartments," Eiden said in an email. "The City has no legal purview in administering or enforcing restricted covenants and/or the rate structure of a complex."

As of Oct. 4, according to Danette Stenta, senior vice president of marketing for Beztak Properties, 81% of Casa Del Rio's residents have found new homes. About 10 different living facilities have partnered with Casa Del Rio to relocate seniors, and 36% of residents are estimated to continue living in Peoria, she said in an email.

Steve Hastings, the chief of real estate services at the Foundation for Senior Living, said searching for senior housing options can be time-consuming, expensive and stressful. He said getting into a subsidized independent living facility can often take more than a year.

Esquer said he intended to live at Casa Del Rio for the rest of his life, and it felt "like a nightmare" when he found out he would have to move again to access independent living services. He was disappointed to lose the community he'd found at the complex over the two years he lived there.

"You're dealing with people's lives at the end of the day," said Kennedy of AARP. "Many times, these residents are dependent on others for their well-being. And this causes a lot of stress, and we know that stress also impacts their health and wellness."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Casa Del Rio's senior residents lose housing and services