Disabled Lodi woman losing Section 8 housing
When Kimberly Froberg first moved into her home on North Loma Street in November 2006, the apartment complex was covered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as Section 8. The program provides financial assistance for low-income individuals and families.
Then, in November or December of 2016, Froberg’s housing complex changed ownership from Property Management Experts to Colliers International, complete with a new property manager.
The new property manager seemed nice when he first greeted her as she was unloading groceries, Froberg said, although he gave off what she described as a “weird vibe.”
“He seemed friendly when I first met him, but I could tell something was off. Then, he’d call me every time that I didn’t have my rent on the first of the month, demanding that I pay him immediately,” Froberg said.
This was despite the five-day grace period she was accustomed to, she said.
Then, in April 2017, the property manager showed up unannounced, knocking on her door, saying that he wanted to inspect her garage for bugs, Froberg said. She answered the door while wrapped in a towel, she said. She allowed him to inspect the garage, which he told her was infested with bugs, a claim that Froberg says is false.
Three days later, Froberg said, she received a 90-day notice to vacate her home by July 17.
On Thursday, Froberg found a notice saying that the company intends to mortgage the property, she said.
Colliers International, a commercial real estate firm based in London with an office in Stockton, did not return calls for comment.
Froberg, who has cerebral palsy that makes mobility difficult, said that she has been unable to find a new home in Lodi that accepts Section 8 housing assistance.
Her current apartment is the first place where she has felt safe in a long time, the Lodi native said.
“I’ve always tried to be a good tenant, but now I have no place to go. I’m scared to move to Stockton,” she said.
Froberg works at the Lodi Public LIbrary tutoring children, and said she plans on taking courses at the Lodi Adult School to become certified to work for Lodi Unified School District. Moving to Stockton would make both of those options nearly impossible for her due to mobility constraints, she said.
Froberg filed a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing on June 21, she said, but she doesn’t expect a response until sometime in July, after she must move.
Both the new owners of her building and their lawyers have been ignoring calls from her social worker, Erica Barajas of Valley Mountain Regional Center, Froberg said.
Her mother, Linda Froberg, 70, said she has been helping her daughter pack almost every Saturday — and that she has so far been the only person to offer Kimberly Froberg any real help.
“Kim has been through a lot. She’s independent, and a good person, but she needs a lot of help,” Linda Froberg said.
On Monday evening, Froberg received a 30-day extension from Colliers International on her original notice to vacate, she said, making her new exit date Aug. 17. Additionally, the real estate firm told her that she will not have to pay rent from July 18 through Aug. 17, she said.