Elderly residents at an assisted living facility River Glen of St. Charles near Chicago are facing an unconscionable 365% rent increase after new owners, Jaybird Capital of Cedar Rapids, took over the property.

Many of the residents renting their end-of-life homes were shocked to discover that the new owners' decision was absolutely legal -- any previous contracts made with the seniors were annulled without their knowledge.

Many of these seniors are on fixed incomes and cannot afford such a drastic rent hike—forcing them into an impossible situation of potential homelessness or displacement from their longtime community.

A Vietnam veteran, Martha Bray, 84, thrived at River Glen even after her husband died in 2016. Jaybird Iowa, and Citrine Investment Group of Chicago, were jacking up Bray’s monthly maintenance from $1,395 to $6,500, a 365% increase, Bray said to NBC News. “We had to agree to their conditions by Sept. 1 or move”

“It was one of the most frightening things in my lifetime”

Susan French, 88, a mother of six, lived at River Glen for about eight years. But she left after Jaybird took over. She still had to pay until she sas able to find something else:

This is not just a price adjustment; it is a cruel and predatory business decision that puts vulnerable seniors at risk. Assisted living facilities are meant to provide stability and care, not sudden financial devastation.

Jaybird's reputation is not great. Founded by Kevin Russell, it manages 40 senior living communities mostly in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In 2021 and 2022, two residents of Jaybird communities in Iowa froze to death when they wandered away from their memory care facilities, state regulatory records show.

We call on Jaybird Senior Living to reverse this outrageous rent increase and ensure that elderly residents can continue to live with dignity and security!

Protect our seniors!

Sign this petition to demand fair treatment for seniors—no one should face eviction in their older years due to corporate greed!