Source: NPR —
COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. — On a recent rainy afternoon in this small town just outside Glacier National Park, Lisa Beaty and Kim Hilton were preparing to sell most of their belongings before moving out of their three-bedroom, two-bathroom rental home.
Hilton, who was recovering from a broken leg, watched from his recliner as friends and family sorted through old hunting gear, jewelry, furniture, and clothes. “The only thing that’s not for sale is the house — everything else has to go,” Hilton, 68, said as he checked his blood sugar.
Hilton has Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues that have left him disabled and unable to work for years. He’s covered by Medicare but his only income is federal disability benefits. Because of a shoulder injury and fibromyalgia, 64-year-old Beaty — Hilton’s partner of seven years — also relies on disability benefits. Combined, their income is roughly $1,500 a month.
That’s no longer enough, though. Investors bought their house this year and raised the rent from $1,000 (including utilities), to $1,800 (not including utilities). That unaffordable increase has left them with no choice but to leave, they say.
“They’re not evicting me — on a fixed income, I can’t do it,” Beaty said as she sorted through her belongings.
They had nowhere else to go. And they were not just losing their home: The stress of the ordeal caused them to end their relationship. Beaty planned to move into her daughter’s one-bedroom apartment.
Despite his poor health and fragile bones — for which he must wear braces on both legs to prevent further fractures — Hilton planned to live out of his truck while waiting for an opening at one of the few assisted living facilities in Flathead County, which is mostly rural. The wait could last days, or months.
;
And who do you think is to blame for that. I am a senior I’m a previous executive-I can’t even find a job as a barista at Starbucks.
And then I have to worry about somebody looking every few years to see if I deserve to earn the money that I put into the system for 50 years.
Who is to blame for that? It Ain’t Me Babe- it ain’t me you looking for babe.
Another very good reason for the fed and the states to encourage home ownership. Even if they hadn’t paid off the mortgage by now, they could do a reverse mortgage to subsidize their income.
I absolutely agree with Linda! It is difficult for seniors to get a job today, and the pathetic thing about it, is that most of us have work hard our whole lives, and shouldn’t have to by this age.