By The Star Staff
San Juan District 4 Rep. Víctor Parés Otero announced the filing on Wednesday of a resolution to investigate alleged increases in the maintenance fee at several housing complexes where older adults reside.
“Over the past few weeks we have received a lot of information about increases in the maintenance fee of several housing complexes in San Juan, particularly those under a cooperative model,” the lawmaker said in a written statement. “This type of complex is home to most seniors in the capital city and many of them cannot afford increases of up to $40 per month. That is too onerous and warrants investigation.”
Among the complexes mentioned is the Los Robles housing cooperative on Américo Miranda Avenue, as well as the Sky Towers condominium, both in Río Piedras.
“In a letter dated February 3, 2023, the Los Robles Complex Board of Directors implemented, without consulting the council (owners) of the complex, an increase in residents’ monthly contributions for maintenance,” Parés Otero noted. “If the unit is one room, instead of paying $222 a month, now they will pay $247, if it is two rooms the payment will be $272, an increase of $30. For three rooms the increase will be $35 and for four, the increase will be $40. These sums are very onerous for elderly people who live on their pension and social security.”
The legislator said he had already had discussions with residents of both complexes and that he opposed such increases.
“Residents of these complexes do not have to pay for decisions by boards of directors,” he said. “You can’t increase maintenance fees so much, and less so overnight. We will work to avoid this increase,” which he termed “abusive.”
Parés Otero said he will be communicating with Mabel Jiménez, executive president of the Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Puerto Rico Cooperatives, known as COSSEC by its Spanish acronym, to discuss the issue at the Los Robles housing cooperative.