Seniors vexed by lengthy move-in delays at affordable apartments near CSUCI

Tenants at the recently opened Vintage at Anacapa Canyon in Camarillo can watch the sun rise over the Santa Monica Mountains, but the comforts are no consolation to residents who have faced months-long delays with moving in, costing them time and money during the transition.

The community at 100 Santa Rosa Island Drive is an affordable senior facility with 170 apartments in University Glen, CSU Channel Islands' residential neighborhood.

Deborah Ferguson was told she could move in January. Sandie Moore and her daughter Wendy Rasmussen were told they could move in December. They all ultimately moved in during March.

The Star spoke to several other tenants and family members of tenants who also confirmed that move-in dates got postponed multiple times but did not want to be identified over fear of losing their housing or other repercussions.

They said that delays were expensive and difficult to navigate. Some had to postpone deliveries as the dates were a “moving target.” Some people sold their houses elsewhere to fly out here only to find the move-in date had changed.

Many had to pay out-of-pocket for the unexpected relocation. Others had units assigned to them where they forwarded their mail but couldn’t access it and got behind on bills.

Move-ins start in March

Vintage at Anacapa Canyon is part of a 32-acre 589-unit project by Beverly Hills-based developer Kennedy Wilson on CSUCI-owned land. The project includes 109 single-family homes and townhouses for purchase, 310 market-rate apartments, and 170 apartments for low-income seniors.

Nicholas Bridges, managing director for Kennedy Wilson, confirmed that Vintage tenants started moving into the building in March.

He said that while the qualification and approval process for low-income housing takes longer than for other market-rate apartments, Vintage at Anacapa Canyon was delivered on time based on the development schedule set when Kennedy Wilson first broke ground.

When construction was about to end, he said the property management company, FPI, announced move-in dates which were "later pushed back a matter of weeks due to delays in utility hook-ups and inspections of building systems."

The Star also asked the developer when exactly the first move-in dates were announced, what those dates were, what the delayed dates were and if the landlord would help tenants with out-of-pocket expenses to pay for alternate living arrangements because of move-in delays. These questions went unanswered.

The apartments designated for seniors are for those age 55 and older and are limited to seniors who earn 60% or below of the area median income.

According to Bridges, the property is now at 55% occupancy and 90% leased with a waitlist for the remaining units and the developer expects the property to be 100% leased within the next 60 days. He said there’s been a high demand and the initial waitlist, established while the building was still under construction, was double the number of units.

‘You can't move in yet’

Ferguson lived in Michigan for 37 years. She applied for an apartment at the Vintage at Anacapa Canyon in November through her son, a Camarillo resident. She recalled being one of the first five people on the list of applicants to submit a deposit.

They were told she could move in in January, and she immediately put her Michigan condo up for sale. The home was sold in January but she was able to live there another month.

After that, she stayed with a friend in Michigan for around three weeks and then had to stay with her son in Camarillo in his one-bedroom apartment for almost two and a half weeks before she could finally move into her new apartment at the Vintage. She said move-in dates were changed several times.

“The last time I checked (they still have) their same voicemail stating that they would be moving people in January,” Ferguson said. “Nobody moved in January. Nobody moved in February. And then they started moving people in the second week of March.”

By sheer luck, she didn't have to pay rent during that time but it was an expensive move to begin with, coming across the country, and after getting a deal on the U-Haul for a free first month, she was forced to pay for an additional month for storage.

"It just pushed everything behind," she said. "We had to cancel the moving people and find different movers to do that. It was just the inconvenience of everything."

Ferguson is happy with her residence now and foresees herself living there for the rest of her life.

“I see my son a couple of times a week and that's perfect,” she said. “It's a beautiful place. I love it here. Everything is new and bright and cheerful. I am so grateful."

A retired nurse, Ferguson said she made decent money but couldn't afford to live in California and be close to her son without the subsidized housing.

Convenience, finally

Moore, 81, and her daughter 58-year-old daughter Rasmussen were living in Springville Seniors Apartments in Camarillo when they learned about housing at the Vintage. They signed up in October and were told they could move in in December.

Trying to be cautious initially, they didn’t give their 30-day notice immediately, but when they were given a March 1 move-in confirmation they gave notice at Springville.

“Two days before we were supposed to move out, I get an email from this place saying you can't move in yet. It's not ready,” Rasmussen said.

Moore said that if they hadn’t left by March 1, they would have lost their Section 8 benefits , which is a rental subsidy program.

“We froze to death in the motorhome that I bought a long time ago,” she said. “We sat in the Home Depot parking lot for seven days.”

After several delays, the mother and daughter finally moved into their own one-bedroom apartments across the hall from each other on March 7. They said they were the second residents in the building.

Rasmussen has had multiple sclerosis since 1999. Before the move, Moore broke her ankle. On the day of the move, it started raining. So, the move itself was fraught with challenges as well, but now they are slowly settling in.

“In actuality, this hallway is perfect for us. And being right across from each other is also very handy. I call on her a lot for things that I either can't reach or can't do or can't figure out how to use. It's so convenient,” Moore said.

Rasmussen said, “In Springville, we were a floor apart and a little ways of a walk. So it’s better now because we can just walk across the hall.”

Dua Anjum is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at dua.anjum@vcstar.com . This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Seniors vexed by lengthy move-in delays at affordable apartments near CSUCI