Protecting Older and Disabled Tenants From Abuse and Exploitation
The U.S. Department of Justice has made Elder Justice a national priority, committing to a coordinated effort to protect older Americans from harm and to hold perpetrators accountable — including individuals, professionals, and organizations entrusted with their safety.
Elder abuse is defined as any intentional or negligent act that causes harm, or creates a serious risk of harm, to an older adult. It includes Financial Exploitation.
These harms are often devastating, leading to physical and mental decline, loss of independence, broken family ties, and severe financial damage. Abuse happens in homes, assisted living facilities, and rental housing — including corporate-owned properties.
Why Elder Justice Matters in Housing
For elderly and disabled tenants, housing is more than shelter — it is stability, safety, and survival.
When a landlord (corporate or otherwise) manipulates billing, threatens eviction without cause, pressures tenants financially, or engages in systemic neglect, that conduct can escalate into financial exploitation, psychological abuse, or targeted neglect — all recognized under national elder-abuse frameworks.
Most corporate landlords operate responsibly, but when an outlier crosses the line, the consequences for vulnerable tenants can be severe. That is where Elder Justice enforcement comes in.
How This Connects to Stuart v. Brookfield Properties
Our case demonstrates how elder-abuse concerns can surface in modern housing:
- Backdated charges and ledger manipulation
– These practices can fall under financial exploitation when targeted at elderly or disabled tenants who rely on fixed income or government programs. - Retaliatory notices or threats of eviction
– Such actions can constitute psychological abuse when used to intimidate or destabilize vulnerable residents. - Unauthorized or excessive withdrawal attempts
– Attempts to extract funds far beyond a tenant’s legal obligation fit squarely within DOJ definitions of elder financial abuse. - Placing a disabled tenant at risk of homelessness
– This triggers concerns about neglect, especially when medical recovery or disability makes relocation dangerous or impossible.
In Stuart v. Brookfield Properties, a Dallas district court will determine whether a Wall Street–backed landlord can escape accountability for conduct that national elder-abuse laws — now top priorities for federal and state Attorneys General — were designed to prevent.
This case is not about attacking corporate landlords. It is about making sure elderly and disabled tenants receive the protections the law already promises them. Older and disabled tenants are protected by federal and state elder-abuse laws, fair housing laws, and crime-victim statutes.
Learn more about Elder Justice