At Casa Grande Senior Apartments in Petaluma, what started as routine-looking paperwork on doors and a disputed maintenance visit has snowballed into a full-blown trust crisis between tenants and the nonprofit that runs the complex.
Residents, many living on fixed incomes, say eviction-style warnings and a police report have left older tenants on edge about both their safety and the stability of the services they depend on. The flare-up comes on top of growing worries about staff turnover and service cuts at the nonprofit that oversees dozens of affordable senior properties across the region.
As reported by The Press Democrat, a 74-year-old Casa Grande resident filed a police report on April 10, alleging that a PEP Housing maintenance worker grabbed his arm and left bruises. Less than three weeks earlier, on March 25, tenants found notices taped to their doors instructing them to comply with covenants or quit and deliver possession of the premises. One tenant also told the paper that her rent would increase by $ 4 starting May 1.
PEP Housing told the outlet it had elevated a formal complaint about the April 10 encounter to senior leadership, was coordinating with the responding officer and was reviewing camera footage. The organization said there were “material inconsistencies” in the account of what happened.
Finances, staff and oversight
Federal tax filings reviewed by ProPublica show PEP Housing reported roughly 8.1 million dollars in revenue and nearly 12.8 million dollars in assets for 2024, and list CEO Jennifer Litwak’s 2024 compensation at about 256,000 dollars. Those filings also include executive-compensation line items and staffing details that former employees have pointed to in their critiques of recent organizational changes. According to its own website, the nonprofit operates 21 communities and houses more than 700 seniors across its portfolio.
Staff turnover and fraying trust
In 2025, The Press Democrat investigation documented complaints from residents and former employees that turnover among site managers, resident services coordinators, and maintenance crews accelerated after Litwak became CEO in 2023. Residents told reporters they had seen routine repairs put off, on-site programs pared back and management coverage become spotty.
Those earlier strains, tenants say, are exactly what make the new door notices and the police report feel so alarming. In a setting where people rely on predictable support and familiar staff, even relatively small operational decisions are now turning into community flashpoints.
What resident services are supposed to do
PEP’s Resident Services Program, as described on the organization’s website, envisions coordinators who offer nutrition classes, chair yoga, computer help and assistance applying for benefits. The idea is to give seniors the tools and support they need to age in place rather than move to costlier, higher-intensity care.
Residents at Casa Grande say those day-to-day supports have been inconsistent lately. They describe deferred maintenance, from broken laundry rooms to slow repairs, and say those delays have pushed relatives and friends to step in more often. Tenants say they want clearer communication from management, faster follow-through on repair requests and a reliable on-site manager they can reach in an emergency.
What’s next
PEP Housing says it is reviewing the April 10 incident, working with the responding officer and checking any available footage, with law enforcement records of the call included in that review. Tenants and local advocates say they plan to press the nonprofit and elected officials for clearer complaint procedures, restored resident services and quicker responses to maintenance issues.
The dispute at Casa Grande is now a high-profile example of a broader tension facing smaller affordable-housing providers: how to juggle tight budgets and limited staffing while still delivering the hands-on, reliable support that an aging tenant population needs to feel secure in their homes.
