“Fair Housing
is a Right”
HUD chief makes commitments to ADAPT
Washington, D.C.— This
time around ADAPT didn’t have to
shut down HUD headquarters, because, as HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson
stated, “I came to you.” Jackson and three members of his
staff recently met with 500 members of ADAPT in their Washington, D.C.,
hotel. By the end of the morning, Jackson had stated unequivocally
that “Fair Housing is a right.” And he made a number of
commitments to ADAPT, including:
• Agreeing to inform ADAPT, before the September ADAPT action
in Chicago, on how many housing vouchers for persons with disabilities
he has recovered from the 58% loss in vouchers that the disability
community suffered in recent years. The loss is due to a combination
of federal budget cuts and misappropriation of vouchers by local entities
that administer the voucher program in communities across the country.
• Vowing to eliminate the “outrageous” level of discrimination
in housing against persons with disabilities. HUD recently reported
that 40% of the Fair Housing complaints filed with HUD are based on
the “protected class” of disability. This number surpasses,
for the first time in history, the percentage of complaints filed on
the basis of race (39%).
• Promising to facilitate a meeting between ADAPT and Reps. Barney
Frank (D-MA) and Maxine Waters (D-CA). Frank is Chair of the House
Committee on Financial Services, and Waters is Chair of the Financial
Services Committee’s Sub-committee on Housing and Community
Opportunity. This committee and sub-committee are responsible for legislation
affecting changes to the Section 811 program. ADAPT is calling for
a restructuring of the Sec. 811 housing program to provide affordable,
accessible, integrated housing, as well as increase the number of vouchers
available to persons with disabilities, both of which will require
action by Congress. Sec. 811 is the segregated housing program for
persons with disabilities. The segregated housing program for older
persons is Sec. 202.
• Committing to work with ADAPT on implementing ADAPT’s
Access Across America Program, which would provide housing vouchers
to persons with disabilities in nursing homes and ICFMRs that, combined
with Money Follows the Person and previously existing initiatives in
the states, will get people out of nursing homes and into affordable,
accessible, integrated housing in their own communities.
• Promising to meet with ADAPT three times a year, with the next
meeting most likely occurring in Chicago during the next ADAPT action,
September 8-13.
“ADAPT is pleased that Sec. Jackson came to us, and we are cautiously
optimistic at this point,” said Cassie James, Philadelphia ADAPT
Organizer. “His own personal experience with discrimination gives
him a window into the unconscionable discrimination in obtaining affordable,
accessible, integrated housing that is experienced by people with disabilities
all over America. We look forward to the Secretary keeping his commitments
and partnering with us to improve the current sad state of affairs.” ![]()
Source: www.adapt.org
