It’s not home loan foreclosure that is the biggest housing crisis facing Americans with severe disabilities today. We have more basic problems.
- People with severe disabilities cannot find affordable, accessible housing
- Many people can not afford accessible housing
- Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (S. 1481) can make a real difference
More
Many are stuck in nursing homes. Others are forced to live with family members because there is little or no accessible and affordable housing in their communities. Still others may have found a place to live but they struggle every day because its accessibility is very far from code-compliant, or they do not have the in-home supports they need.
Escalating rents are unaffordable in all places. There is not one state or community in the nation where a person with a disability receiving Social Security SSI payments can afford to rent a modest–not luxurious–one-bedroom or efficiency housing unit. On average across the nation, a modest rental until costs a person with disabilities over 112% of their full monthly income!1
There isn’t a single solution to the housing needs of persons with physical, developmental, mental and sensory disabilities, but the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (S. 1481) can make a real difference. This bill, if enacted, will make existing HUD low-income housing and housing tax credits work together to provide much more affordable, permanent, accessible housing for people with severe disabilities.
Action from the disability community is necessary to move this bill.
Especially if you live in one of the following states, please urge your Senator to enact S. 1481 now. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator. Tell the Senator’s staff person your town and state and that you urge the Senator to pass S. 1481 now because people with severe disabilities deserve affordable, accessible housing.
CT– Senator Chris Dodd chairs the key committee–Thank him for his leadership on S 1481
NJ– Senator Robert Menendez chairs the key subcommittee–Urge him to move S 1481
Other key Committee Members:
CO– Senator Michael Bennet
HI- Senator Daniel K. Akaka
IN– Senator Evan Bayh
LA– Senator David Vitter
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1 Priced Out – 2008. Emily Cooper, Henry Korman, Ann O’Hara, and Andrew Zovistoski, Technical Assistance Collaborative, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Housing Task Force. Funded by the Melville Charitable Trust, Foreword by Congressman Barney Frank.
MT– Senator Jon Tester
NB– Senator Mike Johanns
NY– Senator Charles Schumer
OH– Senator Sherrod Brown
RI– Senator Jack Reed
SD– Senator Tim Johnson
TN– Senator Bob Corker
TX– Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
VA– Senator Mark R. Warner
WI- Senator Herb Kohl
Terence Moakley
United Spinal Association Board Member
peter capp
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December 31st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Please Senator Dodd push s.1481. I’m paralyzed from the chest down,53,veteran (not service connected )but struguling to survive because there is no housing that is handicapped accessible.I live in an apartment in new haven and they advertise 55 and older, handicapped accessible but the only thing accessible is there are no stairs. Can’t get to the back of the refrigerator,can’t reach top of stove safely,the toilet blocks me from getting close enough to slide into the showerThe waiting list for a more convient apt. could be five years in different towns.I am not looking for a hand out just a decent place to live.
If you think the Democrats are in trouble now, just wait until their ubber liberal leadership force feeds Obamacare to the people via an unprecedented end run around a filibuster in the US Senate via “reconciliation”! These dolts have one chance and that is if their “blue dogs” save them, and themselves (if that is possible at this point), and refuse support to Pelosi, killing this abomination of special interest legislation. Then, if these same “blue dogs” will revolt completely and end run Madam Pelosi, putting forth common sense, easily understood BIPARTISAN healthcare REFORM that will radically arrest costs increases, Nov could be competitive.