The high number of recent property foreclosures, driven by an uncertain economy, is taking a particular toll on people with disabilities who rent homes, condos and apartments. People with disabilities often require ground-floor dwellings and close proximity to medical services, equipment providers, caregivers and accessible means of transportation. These requirements — plus difficulties with finances — can make it doubly hard to quickly find and move to new lodgings. Renters with disabilities may get some help from proposed and recently passed legislation protecting renters’ rights in foreclosure cases. Renters themselves can take some preventative measures to avoid being caught in a foreclosure vise. But for people with disabilities, this is unquestionably a situation that needs to be fixed.

Forced out

Steve and Susan Masarsky are an example of how things can go wrong. They had rented their two-bedroom apartment in Canyon Country, Calif., for three years. Susan, 50, has myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD, also known as DM), uses a vent and spends most of her time on bed rest. Steve, 53, who has a history of heart problems, is her caregiver.

A few months ago, the Masarskys learned their landlord had defaulted on payments to the company that owned their apartment, so it was foreclosing on the

Renters with

Disabilities Hit Hard by the Foreclosure Hammer by Bill Norman