By Michelle E. Shaw
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Business News
January 13, 2010
More than 200 units in three Atlanta apartment communities will be retrofitted to meet federal accessibility guidelines according to a settlement announced Wednesday by the National Fair Housing Alliance.
The lawsuit, filed in 2007 by the Housing Alliance and five related groups including Metro Fair Housing Services in Atlanta, alleged apartments developed by California-based A.G. Spanos did not meet Fair Housing Act guidelines.
The developer agreed to pay approximately $7.4 million to retrofit up to 12,300 apartments in 14 states, according to the settlement.
In metro Atlanta, 234 first-floor units in Alexander at the District, Alexander at the Perimeter and The Battery at Chamblee Station, will undergo renovation to correct accessibility issues, said Foster Corbin, executive director of Metro Fair Housing Services.
Spanos will also contribute $4.2 million to a national fund over five years where renters and homeowners with disabilities, can receive grant money to have work done on their own homes.
Part of the national fund will be set aside specifically for Atlanta residents with disabilities, since not all of the Spanos units in the metro area can be retrofitted, said Corbin and Shanna Smith, chief executive of the Housing Alliance.
“The A.G. Spanos Companies are proud to reach this agreement with Shanna Smith and the National Fair Housing Alliance,” said Michael Spanos, executive vice president of the development company, in a prepared statement. Spanos also said in establishing the National Accessibility Fund the development company is “ensuring that people with disabilities enjoy equal access to housing.”
The settlement was approved late last year by a U.S. District Court judge in California.
The accessibility issues were discovered when a team of undercover investigators working with the Fair Housing Alliance were dispatched to apartment complexes in Georgia, Florida and California posing as potential tenants or buyers, Smith said. Problems in the units ranged from doorways too narrow to accommodate wheelchairs to light switches and thermostats placed out of reach of someone in a wheelchair, she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.ajc.com/business/accessibility-fixes-coming-at-274365.html
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
Showing posts with label Housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Union Mission Project Provides Homes for Chronically Homeless
By Jan Skutch
Savannah Morning News
Savannahnow.com
January 7,2010
Things went south for Sharon Williams in 2004.
Illness left her unable to continue her business. Her husband abandoned her. She went homeless, living with friends.
"I just lost everything," said Williams, 47. "It just happened at one time."
Today, Williams and her two adult children - her caregivers - have a new home at Dutchtown Campus Apartments, a Union Mission program that provides permanent homes for the homeless with special needs.
The 48-unit complex on Middleground Road provides supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families with mental health and addictive disease needs, HIV or disabilities.
The $6 million project incorporated a partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and other funding sources.
New face to homelessness
With permanent supported housing, residents have someone there to keep their lives together and keep them accountable, said the Rev. Micheal Elliott, Union Mission president and CEO.
"It's putting people in homes rather than in shelters," he said. "I think shelters have helped perpetuate the problem of homelessness."
It may be the future face of dealing with the issue. But the need for shelters remains "so people don't die on the streets," Elliott added.
Grace House at Union Mission, Salvation Army, Inner City Night Shelter and The Old Savannah City Mission remain full, he said.
Letitia Williams, Union Mission vice president for housing services, said Dutchtown's 48 units can accommodate as many as 110 people.
Federal housing grants provide rent subsidies for residents. And unlike apartments rented from private complexes, Union Mission acts as its own landlord for Dutchtown residents, Robinson said.
Finding a way home
Sharon Williams suffered a stroke in 2004 that caused physical and attention problems.
She once owned Sharon's Crab House for 13 years. Now she's awaiting a ruling on her disability claim.
She has no medical insurance, and adding to her woes was a bout with depression two years ago that sent her to the now-defunct Savannah Area Behavioral Health Collaborative and member Union Mission.
They housed her in supportive living on Huntingdon Street until an apartment at Dutchtown opened up last month. There, she moved into a two-bedroom, one-bath unit for the same $380 a month - including utilities - she paid before.
"I'm very, very happy," she said.
Tailored to her needs
Williams' tale is not atypical at Dutchtown.
Sallie Anderson, 63, had been homeless since 2006, when she lost her job as a telemarketer as she awaited surgery.
She received treatment at Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care and had surgery as an outpatient at a Memorial University Medical Center clinic.
Social Security-based supplements assisted her expenses in 2007, and she found housing through Union Mission at the Chelsea Apartments for $267-a-month until December.
Now she is busy completing her Dutchtown move with the help of neighbors, family and her church.
Her one-bedroom apartment includes a handicapped-accessible bathroom, one of three such apartments at Dutchtown. And her $267-a-month rent is the same she paid at Chelsea.
To read the rest of article go to http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-01-07/union-mission-project-provides-homes-chronically-homeless
Savannahnow.com, Savannah Morning News ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Savannah Morning News
Savannahnow.com
January 7,2010
Things went south for Sharon Williams in 2004.
Illness left her unable to continue her business. Her husband abandoned her. She went homeless, living with friends.
"I just lost everything," said Williams, 47. "It just happened at one time."
Today, Williams and her two adult children - her caregivers - have a new home at Dutchtown Campus Apartments, a Union Mission program that provides permanent homes for the homeless with special needs.
The 48-unit complex on Middleground Road provides supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families with mental health and addictive disease needs, HIV or disabilities.
The $6 million project incorporated a partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and other funding sources.
New face to homelessness
With permanent supported housing, residents have someone there to keep their lives together and keep them accountable, said the Rev. Micheal Elliott, Union Mission president and CEO.
"It's putting people in homes rather than in shelters," he said. "I think shelters have helped perpetuate the problem of homelessness."
It may be the future face of dealing with the issue. But the need for shelters remains "so people don't die on the streets," Elliott added.
Grace House at Union Mission, Salvation Army, Inner City Night Shelter and The Old Savannah City Mission remain full, he said.
Letitia Williams, Union Mission vice president for housing services, said Dutchtown's 48 units can accommodate as many as 110 people.
Federal housing grants provide rent subsidies for residents. And unlike apartments rented from private complexes, Union Mission acts as its own landlord for Dutchtown residents, Robinson said.
Finding a way home
Sharon Williams suffered a stroke in 2004 that caused physical and attention problems.
She once owned Sharon's Crab House for 13 years. Now she's awaiting a ruling on her disability claim.
She has no medical insurance, and adding to her woes was a bout with depression two years ago that sent her to the now-defunct Savannah Area Behavioral Health Collaborative and member Union Mission.
They housed her in supportive living on Huntingdon Street until an apartment at Dutchtown opened up last month. There, she moved into a two-bedroom, one-bath unit for the same $380 a month - including utilities - she paid before.
"I'm very, very happy," she said.
Tailored to her needs
Williams' tale is not atypical at Dutchtown.
Sallie Anderson, 63, had been homeless since 2006, when she lost her job as a telemarketer as she awaited surgery.
She received treatment at Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care and had surgery as an outpatient at a Memorial University Medical Center clinic.
Social Security-based supplements assisted her expenses in 2007, and she found housing through Union Mission at the Chelsea Apartments for $267-a-month until December.
Now she is busy completing her Dutchtown move with the help of neighbors, family and her church.
Her one-bedroom apartment includes a handicapped-accessible bathroom, one of three such apartments at Dutchtown. And her $267-a-month rent is the same she paid at Chelsea.
To read the rest of article go to http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-01-07/union-mission-project-provides-homes-chronically-homeless
Savannahnow.com, Savannah Morning News ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Disability Groups Denounce Budget Cuts at Town Hall Meeting
Groups lose millions in funding for training, transportation
by Joshua Garner, Staff Writer
Gazette.Net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online
December 10, 2009
Prince George's County residents and disability advocates are urging Maryland to put the brakes on budget cuts to programs and services for disabled individuals, saying the cuts are putting extreme hardships on individuals and families dependent on training, transportation and other services.
Nearly 300 residents packed into the Melwood campus, a training facility in Upper Marlboro for the disabled, for a town hall meeting Dec. 3 with representatives from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration, a state agency that funds community services and support to people with developmental disabilities and their families.
The administration has seen its budget cut by $30 million during the last year as the state looks to alleviate a budget shortfall. The DDA helps fund family and respite organizations, employment programs and residential services, and assists adults with significant disabilities.
The meeting Dec. 3 was one of more than a dozen town hall meetings that had been scheduled across the state to address what advocates call a growing problem for individuals with disabilities as services such as transportation, employment, training and therapy have all had their funding scaled back or cut completely.
Residents pleaded with politicians and state officials that funding for the DDA is essential to their way of life. Others said the strain left by cuts in services is tearing their families apart and forcing them to make tough decisions relating to their care.
More than 19,000 state residents who have disabilities and are in need of services are on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Community Services waiting list.
Prince George's County is second only to Montgomery County with the highest number of individuals on the waiting list, with 2,953 as of June, according to the DDA. The number represents a 134 percent increase from 2004.
Dorma Rodriguez of Bowie said cuts to the services she received meant she had to decide between speech therapy and physical therapy for her 8-year-old daughter, Gabby, who has cerebral palsy.
"I need to pay for my daughter's therapy," she said.
Other complained the waiting list, which also provides housing for the disabled, should be shortened to relieve pressure from the aging parents of older disabled individuals.
"This is a devastating cut; unfortunately, when the governor went in, he had to make cuts," said Del. Tawanna Gaines (D-Dist. 22) of Berwyn Heights. "Many of their people have been in their parents' homes all their lives."
Bill Ohge of Largo said that housing for the disabled should be better integrated with communities and not isolated.
"People should be living in the community with a house of their own," he said. "[Disabled] people need to be living in the community," he said.
Michael Chapman, executive director of the Developmental Disabilities Administration, urged residents to be patient, saying that economic pressures have caused constrictions in funding for the DDA. Chapman said it could be another seven to 10 years before the state is in a position to expand the administration's programs, and that things will get worse before they better.
"Next year's budget looks worse. There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about [those affected by the cuts]," he said. "We're trying to understand the needs of people in this state."
E-mail Joshua Garner at jgarner@gazette.net.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/12102009/lanhnew173125_32580.php
Copyright © 2009 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net
by Joshua Garner, Staff Writer
Gazette.Net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online
December 10, 2009
Prince George's County residents and disability advocates are urging Maryland to put the brakes on budget cuts to programs and services for disabled individuals, saying the cuts are putting extreme hardships on individuals and families dependent on training, transportation and other services.
Nearly 300 residents packed into the Melwood campus, a training facility in Upper Marlboro for the disabled, for a town hall meeting Dec. 3 with representatives from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration, a state agency that funds community services and support to people with developmental disabilities and their families.
The administration has seen its budget cut by $30 million during the last year as the state looks to alleviate a budget shortfall. The DDA helps fund family and respite organizations, employment programs and residential services, and assists adults with significant disabilities.
The meeting Dec. 3 was one of more than a dozen town hall meetings that had been scheduled across the state to address what advocates call a growing problem for individuals with disabilities as services such as transportation, employment, training and therapy have all had their funding scaled back or cut completely.
Residents pleaded with politicians and state officials that funding for the DDA is essential to their way of life. Others said the strain left by cuts in services is tearing their families apart and forcing them to make tough decisions relating to their care.
More than 19,000 state residents who have disabilities and are in need of services are on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Community Services waiting list.
Prince George's County is second only to Montgomery County with the highest number of individuals on the waiting list, with 2,953 as of June, according to the DDA. The number represents a 134 percent increase from 2004.
Dorma Rodriguez of Bowie said cuts to the services she received meant she had to decide between speech therapy and physical therapy for her 8-year-old daughter, Gabby, who has cerebral palsy.
"I need to pay for my daughter's therapy," she said.
Other complained the waiting list, which also provides housing for the disabled, should be shortened to relieve pressure from the aging parents of older disabled individuals.
"This is a devastating cut; unfortunately, when the governor went in, he had to make cuts," said Del. Tawanna Gaines (D-Dist. 22) of Berwyn Heights. "Many of their people have been in their parents' homes all their lives."
Bill Ohge of Largo said that housing for the disabled should be better integrated with communities and not isolated.
"People should be living in the community with a house of their own," he said. "[Disabled] people need to be living in the community," he said.
Michael Chapman, executive director of the Developmental Disabilities Administration, urged residents to be patient, saying that economic pressures have caused constrictions in funding for the DDA. Chapman said it could be another seven to 10 years before the state is in a position to expand the administration's programs, and that things will get worse before they better.
"Next year's budget looks worse. There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about [those affected by the cuts]," he said. "We're trying to understand the needs of people in this state."
E-mail Joshua Garner at jgarner@gazette.net.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/12102009/lanhnew173125_32580.php
Copyright © 2009 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net
Friday, November 13, 2009
Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at 11 Multifamily Housing Complexes in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alab
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 6, 2009
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced a settlement of its lawsuit alleging that those involved in the design and construction of 11 multifamily housing complexes discriminated on the basis of disability. The complexes are located in four states and contain more than 800 units covered by the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility provisions.
Under the settlement, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 11 defendants will pay all costs related to making the complexes for which they were responsible accessible to persons with disabilities and pay up to $117,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the inaccessible housing. The settlement requires all the defendants to undergo training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and provide periodic reports to the government.
"The Fair Housing Act requires equal access to housing for persons with disabilities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "This comprehensive settlement ensures that these multifamily housing complexes will be retrofitted to comply with the Fair Housing Act, thus allowing persons with physical disabilities an equal opportunity to live in and visit these complexes."
The complaint was originally filed in Memphis, after the United States Attorney received a copy of a survey conducted by the Memphis Center for Independent Living of three of the Memphis properties indicating violations of the Fair Housing Act. In jointly announcing the filing of the Consent Order U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Laurenzi said, "This Consent Order is an example of our office’s commitment to enforcing the civil rights of all people and in particular highlights the high degree of cooperation between our office and the Civil Rights Division in enforcing the rights of individuals with disabilities."
The defendants responsible for the payments and retrofits are Steve Bryan, Bryan Construction Company, Patton & Taylor Construction Co., Taylor Gardner Architects, Looney-Ricks-Kiss Architects, Richard A. Barron, The Reaves Firm, Smith Engineering Firm, David W. Milem, Belz/South Bluffs and HT Devco. Two defendants, Steve Bryan and Bryan Construction Co., will also pay a civil penalty of $12,000 to vindicate the public interest. The defendants will retrofit the following complexes in Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas:
Sunset Bay at Bon Secour, Condominiums, Gulf Shores, Ala.
South Bluffs Apartments, 4 Riverview Drive West, Memphis, Tenn.
Island Park Apartments, 1440 Island Park Drive, Memphis, Tenn.
The Apartments on Harbor Town Square, Memphis, Tenn.
The Horizon, 717 Riverside Drive, Memphis, Tenn.
Grand Pointe Apartments, 3606 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, La.
Highlands of Grand Pointe, 3601 Kaliste Saloom Drive, Lafayette, La.
Ashford Place Apartments, 107 Ashford Drive, West Monroe, La.
Island Park Apartments, 1105 Island Park Boulevard, Shreveport, La.
Reflections of Island Park, 2600 Celebration Cove, Shreveport, La.
Cumberland Place, 2088 Blue Mountain Blvd, Tyler, Texas
The retrofitting includes modifying walkways to eliminate steps, excess slopes and level changes, providing accessible curb ramps, and providing accessible parking and routes to site amenities, such as clubhouses, pools, mailboxes and trash facilities. The settlement also provides for the replacement of inaccessible knob door hardware, the widening of inaccessible narrow doorways, and the reconfiguration of bathrooms and kitchens to accommodate persons who use wheelchairs.
Persons who believe they may have been harmed by the lack of accessible housing at one of the complexes involved in this matter should contact the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, and select menu option 996.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination should call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line (1-800-896-7743) or email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov. Such persons may also contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
Fair housing enforcement is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-ag-1205.html
09-1205
Attorney General
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 6, 2009
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced a settlement of its lawsuit alleging that those involved in the design and construction of 11 multifamily housing complexes discriminated on the basis of disability. The complexes are located in four states and contain more than 800 units covered by the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility provisions.
Under the settlement, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 11 defendants will pay all costs related to making the complexes for which they were responsible accessible to persons with disabilities and pay up to $117,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the inaccessible housing. The settlement requires all the defendants to undergo training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and provide periodic reports to the government.
"The Fair Housing Act requires equal access to housing for persons with disabilities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "This comprehensive settlement ensures that these multifamily housing complexes will be retrofitted to comply with the Fair Housing Act, thus allowing persons with physical disabilities an equal opportunity to live in and visit these complexes."
The complaint was originally filed in Memphis, after the United States Attorney received a copy of a survey conducted by the Memphis Center for Independent Living of three of the Memphis properties indicating violations of the Fair Housing Act. In jointly announcing the filing of the Consent Order U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Laurenzi said, "This Consent Order is an example of our office’s commitment to enforcing the civil rights of all people and in particular highlights the high degree of cooperation between our office and the Civil Rights Division in enforcing the rights of individuals with disabilities."
The defendants responsible for the payments and retrofits are Steve Bryan, Bryan Construction Company, Patton & Taylor Construction Co., Taylor Gardner Architects, Looney-Ricks-Kiss Architects, Richard A. Barron, The Reaves Firm, Smith Engineering Firm, David W. Milem, Belz/South Bluffs and HT Devco. Two defendants, Steve Bryan and Bryan Construction Co., will also pay a civil penalty of $12,000 to vindicate the public interest. The defendants will retrofit the following complexes in Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas:
Sunset Bay at Bon Secour, Condominiums, Gulf Shores, Ala.
South Bluffs Apartments, 4 Riverview Drive West, Memphis, Tenn.
Island Park Apartments, 1440 Island Park Drive, Memphis, Tenn.
The Apartments on Harbor Town Square, Memphis, Tenn.
The Horizon, 717 Riverside Drive, Memphis, Tenn.
Grand Pointe Apartments, 3606 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, La.
Highlands of Grand Pointe, 3601 Kaliste Saloom Drive, Lafayette, La.
Ashford Place Apartments, 107 Ashford Drive, West Monroe, La.
Island Park Apartments, 1105 Island Park Boulevard, Shreveport, La.
Reflections of Island Park, 2600 Celebration Cove, Shreveport, La.
Cumberland Place, 2088 Blue Mountain Blvd, Tyler, Texas
The retrofitting includes modifying walkways to eliminate steps, excess slopes and level changes, providing accessible curb ramps, and providing accessible parking and routes to site amenities, such as clubhouses, pools, mailboxes and trash facilities. The settlement also provides for the replacement of inaccessible knob door hardware, the widening of inaccessible narrow doorways, and the reconfiguration of bathrooms and kitchens to accommodate persons who use wheelchairs.
Persons who believe they may have been harmed by the lack of accessible housing at one of the complexes involved in this matter should contact the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, and select menu option 996.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination should call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line (1-800-896-7743) or email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov. Such persons may also contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
Fair housing enforcement is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-ag-1205.html
09-1205
Attorney General
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
HUD OFFERS $20 MILLION TO HELP SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CONTINUE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME
News Release
HUD No. 09-166
Lemar Wooley (202) 708-0685
www.hud.gov/news/
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering $20 million in grants to help elderly residents and non-elderly residents with disabilities the services they need to continue to live independently in their own homes. HUD is making these grants available through the its Service Coordinator Program that will support the hiring of service coordinators to help frail and at-risk elderly individuals and persons with disabilities access health care, meals and other critical support services.
"HUD is helping to provide older Americans and those with disabilities with safe, affordable housing. These grants will help provide the services they need to allow them to remain in their homes, connected to their communities and friends, rather than face unnecessary institutionalization," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
These grants will be awarded to owners of privately owned multifamily housing developments that receive money from HUD to house low-income individuals. The owners or their management companies will use the funding offered today to either hire or contract service coordinators with backgrounds in providing social services, especially to the frail elderly and people with disabilities, to assist their residents with special needs.
HUD will award grants to approximately 100 applicants.
Applications may be downloaded from HUD's website. Applications are due on or before November 5,2009.
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-166.cfm&CFID=6805004&CFTOKEN=67772646
HUD No. 09-166
Lemar Wooley (202) 708-0685
www.hud.gov/news/
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering $20 million in grants to help elderly residents and non-elderly residents with disabilities the services they need to continue to live independently in their own homes. HUD is making these grants available through the its Service Coordinator Program that will support the hiring of service coordinators to help frail and at-risk elderly individuals and persons with disabilities access health care, meals and other critical support services.
"HUD is helping to provide older Americans and those with disabilities with safe, affordable housing. These grants will help provide the services they need to allow them to remain in their homes, connected to their communities and friends, rather than face unnecessary institutionalization," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
These grants will be awarded to owners of privately owned multifamily housing developments that receive money from HUD to house low-income individuals. The owners or their management companies will use the funding offered today to either hire or contract service coordinators with backgrounds in providing social services, especially to the frail elderly and people with disabilities, to assist their residents with special needs.
HUD will award grants to approximately 100 applicants.
Applications may be downloaded from HUD's website. Applications are due on or before November 5,2009.
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-166.cfm&CFID=6805004&CFTOKEN=67772646
Friday, October 16, 2009
Russia's Disabled Suffers Neglect and Abuse
By Richard Galpin
BBC News, Moscow
Vadim Voevodin was attacked outside his own home.
The BBC has obtained shocking evidence of the abuse and prejudice which campaigners say is widespread against the estimated 13 million people with disabilities in Russia.
Many are like prisoners inside their own homes, unable to go outside because of the lack of basic facilities in the towns and cities, while tens of thousands of children with disabilities go without any education.
Vadim Voevodin, who has suffered more than most, is behind a campaign to improve life for those with disabilities in Russia, and as we sat inside his tiny Moscow apartment, he showed me a shocking video.
In the black and white CCTV footage a man kneels on the ground outside his apartment, under attack.
He tries to fight back but is pushed down and held in a neck-lock.
But this is no banal brawl between two angry able-bodied men.
The man on the ground is Mr Voevodin, and he is kneeling because he is paralysed from the waist down.
He has just been dragged from his wheelchair after answering a knock on the door from a local resident who came with the intention of beating him up.
Two years after this brutal attack Mr Voevodin still lives in fear, and the two small rooms which he calls home are packed with surveillance equipment.
CCTV cameras and microphones protrude from every corner and a bank of monitors, video recorders and computers dominate an entire wall.
But the electronics are not only there because of his fears about security; the apartment is also the nerve-centre of his campaign.
And that is because he has no other choice of location.
He said he has not been able to go outside for the past 10 years because his front door is too narrow to get through in a wheelchair and, even if it was wider, he would not be able to get into the lift to go down to the ground-floor because it is too small.
And if he ever made it onto the city's streets he would face a maze of obstacles - steep kerbs , flights of steps, cars parked on pavements and a public transport system almost all of which is inaccessible for those with disabilities.
But even all this is not what troubles him the most.
'Undeclared war'
On his website he has posted a series of photographs of associates whom he said have died because of the acute prejudice within Russian society against those with disabilities.
"The situation for people with disabilities here is now worse than in Soviet times, it's like an undeclared war against us," he said.
"A wheelchair user I know, who was an active fighter for the rights of people with disabilities… was left to die in a hospital ward.
"There was another incident in Saratov. One of our members had a stroke and when they rang up the hospital they said they did not take invalids on Mondays. She died that day.
"In the last 10 years, 40 of my colleagues have died."
It is extremely difficult to verify these claims, but there was a swift denial from the authorities.
"The attitude in our health system is the same for everyone whether for people with disabilities or for people who are normally healthy," said Igor Gordeev of the social defence department of Moscow's city government.
"There is the Hippocratic Oath for doctors and they should follow it."
Mr. Gordeev also insists the Moscow authorities are now spending $300m (£190m) to improve facilities in the city for those with disabilities.
At a large school in central Moscow there are the first signs of a change in attitude within the general population. The school is one of a handful involved in a project to include children with disabilities in the city's schools.
Most are still either educated in separate schools or at home - which according to the government's own figures means 170,000 children with disabilities in Russia do not receive any education at all.
Twelve-year-old Natalya, who was born deaf and has limited speech, has settled into her new school well. Students at Natalya's new school are no longer bothered about her deafness.
She said: "I like it very much here. I am more keen to learn here than in my previous [separate] school. Here I only get excellent marks."
Resistance
Some of the children in her class admitted they had never seen a person with disabilities before.
"I have changed my attitude to these people and I now think they are normal," said one pupil.
"I don't think they are different or that there is anything wrong with them."
A senior teacher said initially there had been resistance from some parents who said they did not want their children studying with people with disabilities.
But that resistance has now faded away.
It is a small beginning.
But the challenge of overcoming decades of neglect is formidable, and for now most of those with disabilities here remain isolated and vulnerable.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8302633.stm
© MMIX MMIXMMIX
British Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcasting House,
Portland Place,
London,
W1A 1AA
BBC News, Moscow
Vadim Voevodin was attacked outside his own home.
The BBC has obtained shocking evidence of the abuse and prejudice which campaigners say is widespread against the estimated 13 million people with disabilities in Russia.
Many are like prisoners inside their own homes, unable to go outside because of the lack of basic facilities in the towns and cities, while tens of thousands of children with disabilities go without any education.
Vadim Voevodin, who has suffered more than most, is behind a campaign to improve life for those with disabilities in Russia, and as we sat inside his tiny Moscow apartment, he showed me a shocking video.
In the black and white CCTV footage a man kneels on the ground outside his apartment, under attack.
He tries to fight back but is pushed down and held in a neck-lock.
But this is no banal brawl between two angry able-bodied men.
The man on the ground is Mr Voevodin, and he is kneeling because he is paralysed from the waist down.
He has just been dragged from his wheelchair after answering a knock on the door from a local resident who came with the intention of beating him up.
Two years after this brutal attack Mr Voevodin still lives in fear, and the two small rooms which he calls home are packed with surveillance equipment.
CCTV cameras and microphones protrude from every corner and a bank of monitors, video recorders and computers dominate an entire wall.
But the electronics are not only there because of his fears about security; the apartment is also the nerve-centre of his campaign.
And that is because he has no other choice of location.
He said he has not been able to go outside for the past 10 years because his front door is too narrow to get through in a wheelchair and, even if it was wider, he would not be able to get into the lift to go down to the ground-floor because it is too small.
And if he ever made it onto the city's streets he would face a maze of obstacles - steep kerbs , flights of steps, cars parked on pavements and a public transport system almost all of which is inaccessible for those with disabilities.
But even all this is not what troubles him the most.
'Undeclared war'
On his website he has posted a series of photographs of associates whom he said have died because of the acute prejudice within Russian society against those with disabilities.
"The situation for people with disabilities here is now worse than in Soviet times, it's like an undeclared war against us," he said.
"A wheelchair user I know, who was an active fighter for the rights of people with disabilities… was left to die in a hospital ward.
"There was another incident in Saratov. One of our members had a stroke and when they rang up the hospital they said they did not take invalids on Mondays. She died that day.
"In the last 10 years, 40 of my colleagues have died."
It is extremely difficult to verify these claims, but there was a swift denial from the authorities.
"The attitude in our health system is the same for everyone whether for people with disabilities or for people who are normally healthy," said Igor Gordeev of the social defence department of Moscow's city government.
"There is the Hippocratic Oath for doctors and they should follow it."
Mr. Gordeev also insists the Moscow authorities are now spending $300m (£190m) to improve facilities in the city for those with disabilities.
At a large school in central Moscow there are the first signs of a change in attitude within the general population. The school is one of a handful involved in a project to include children with disabilities in the city's schools.
Most are still either educated in separate schools or at home - which according to the government's own figures means 170,000 children with disabilities in Russia do not receive any education at all.
Twelve-year-old Natalya, who was born deaf and has limited speech, has settled into her new school well. Students at Natalya's new school are no longer bothered about her deafness.
She said: "I like it very much here. I am more keen to learn here than in my previous [separate] school. Here I only get excellent marks."
Resistance
Some of the children in her class admitted they had never seen a person with disabilities before.
"I have changed my attitude to these people and I now think they are normal," said one pupil.
"I don't think they are different or that there is anything wrong with them."
A senior teacher said initially there had been resistance from some parents who said they did not want their children studying with people with disabilities.
But that resistance has now faded away.
It is a small beginning.
But the challenge of overcoming decades of neglect is formidable, and for now most of those with disabilities here remain isolated and vulnerable.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8302633.stm
© MMIX MMIXMMIX
British Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcasting House,
Portland Place,
London,
W1A 1AA
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Facing Eviction, Schwarzenegger Aids Tenants With Disabilities
By Michelle Diament
For Disability Scoop
September 18, 2009
When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heard Thursday that a group of people with developmental disabilities would be kicked out of their apartments, he swooped in to save the day.
Schwarzenegger read a story in the Los Angeles Times Thursday about a group of people with disabilities who were being evicted from a Monrovia, Calif. apartment building. The reason: the landlord said he was following rules that dictate that people under age 62 cannot live in senior housing.
In disbelief, Schwarzenegger stepped in personally to fix the situation after his own staff told him nothing could be done. The governor learned that the landlord had spent weeks digging through bureaucracy unsuccessfully trying to get the matter resolved.
In just two hours, however, Schwarzenegger was able take care of the problem and he secured a letter from the landlord saying that the residents would no longer be asked to leave, reports NBC4, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/09/18/schwarzenegger-housing/4968/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
For Disability Scoop
September 18, 2009
When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heard Thursday that a group of people with developmental disabilities would be kicked out of their apartments, he swooped in to save the day.
Schwarzenegger read a story in the Los Angeles Times Thursday about a group of people with disabilities who were being evicted from a Monrovia, Calif. apartment building. The reason: the landlord said he was following rules that dictate that people under age 62 cannot live in senior housing.
In disbelief, Schwarzenegger stepped in personally to fix the situation after his own staff told him nothing could be done. The governor learned that the landlord had spent weeks digging through bureaucracy unsuccessfully trying to get the matter resolved.
In just two hours, however, Schwarzenegger was able take care of the problem and he secured a letter from the landlord saying that the residents would no longer be asked to leave, reports NBC4, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/09/18/schwarzenegger-housing/4968/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Judge: NY Violated Disabilites Act With Mentally Ill
A federal judge said in a Tuesday ruling that the state health department violated the rights of mentally ill patients by housing them in inappropriate facilities.
By Barbara Benson, Crain's Health Pulse
September 08, 2009 7:01 PM
Advocates for the mentally ill won a big victory Tuesday when a federal judge ruled that New York is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by providing inadequate services to residents warehoused in for-profit, privately run adult homes, including 44 in the city.
The judge gave Albany until mid-October to come up with a "remedial plan." The decision, by District Court Judge Nicholas Garfaufis, says that “in carrying out their administration of New York's mental health services system,” the state's departments of health and mental health denied thousands of New Yorkers “the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.”
Supported housing, where individuals live in apartments but receive services, was seen by the court as a more appropriate setting. The lawsuit was filed by Disability Advocates. It is not yet known if the state will appeal the ruling to the Second Circuit.
Email: bbenson@crainsnewyork.com
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090908/FREE/909089977
http://www.crainsnewyork.com
© 2009 Crain Communications, Inc.
By Barbara Benson, Crain's Health Pulse
September 08, 2009 7:01 PM
Advocates for the mentally ill won a big victory Tuesday when a federal judge ruled that New York is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by providing inadequate services to residents warehoused in for-profit, privately run adult homes, including 44 in the city.
The judge gave Albany until mid-October to come up with a "remedial plan." The decision, by District Court Judge Nicholas Garfaufis, says that “in carrying out their administration of New York's mental health services system,” the state's departments of health and mental health denied thousands of New Yorkers “the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.”
Supported housing, where individuals live in apartments but receive services, was seen by the court as a more appropriate setting. The lawsuit was filed by Disability Advocates. It is not yet known if the state will appeal the ruling to the Second Circuit.
Email: bbenson@crainsnewyork.com
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090908/FREE/909089977
http://www.crainsnewyork.com
© 2009 Crain Communications, Inc.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Judge: New York ‘Adult Homes’ Violate Americans With Disabilities Act
By Michelle Diament
For Disability Scoop
September 8, 2009
New York state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by leaving thousands of people with mental illness in large, segregated facilities resembling the psychiatric hospitals of yesteryear, a judge said Tuesday.
United States District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis said that the 4,300 residents of such facilities were relegated to segregated environments with little hope of interacting with the community around them. Thus, the homes denied these individuals “the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs,” Garaufis said.
Currently, there are 44 so-called adult homes in New York City, 28 of which have over 120 beds each. Disability Advocates, the nonprofit which brought the lawsuit, said that individuals with mental illness should instead be placed in individual apartments or homes where their needs could be better met at similar cost. The state of New York insisted that the current set-up was sufficient.
However, the judge found the adult homes to be worse in some cases than the state-run psychiatric hospitals they replaced in the 1960s and 1970s. Specifically, Garaufis said residents have limited opportunities to practice the independent living skills they are supposed to be learning.
The judge is now asking the state of New York to submit a “remedial plan” by the middle of October as a step toward remedying the situation, reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/09/08/mental-illness-lawsuit/4843/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
For Disability Scoop
September 8, 2009
New York state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by leaving thousands of people with mental illness in large, segregated facilities resembling the psychiatric hospitals of yesteryear, a judge said Tuesday.
United States District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis said that the 4,300 residents of such facilities were relegated to segregated environments with little hope of interacting with the community around them. Thus, the homes denied these individuals “the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs,” Garaufis said.
Currently, there are 44 so-called adult homes in New York City, 28 of which have over 120 beds each. Disability Advocates, the nonprofit which brought the lawsuit, said that individuals with mental illness should instead be placed in individual apartments or homes where their needs could be better met at similar cost. The state of New York insisted that the current set-up was sufficient.
However, the judge found the adult homes to be worse in some cases than the state-run psychiatric hospitals they replaced in the 1960s and 1970s. Specifically, Garaufis said residents have limited opportunities to practice the independent living skills they are supposed to be learning.
The judge is now asking the state of New York to submit a “remedial plan” by the middle of October as a step toward remedying the situation, reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/09/08/mental-illness-lawsuit/4843/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
2009 Money Follows the Person Conference
This conference, scheduled for March 2-4, 2009 in Baltimore, MD, will address subjects such as community inclusion for persons living with disabilities, innovative ways to increase housing capacity, Medicaid rebalancing, self direction and quality management systems. The Money Follows the Person (MFP) program is designed to help states move individuals enrolled in Medicaid from institutions back to the community, where they will keep their Medicaid coverage.
For more information, go to CMS website on Money Follows the Person
For more information, go to CMS website on Money Follows the Person
Monday, October 29, 2007
Opportunities for Collaboration Across Human Services Programs
The Finance Project Welfare Information Network
[The following is excerpted from the Introduction.]
Purpose of this Paper
The importance of collaboration and cooperation in the development and implementation of human service programs at the state and local level is increasing dramatically both from the perspective of effective services to families and that of efficiently stewarding resources in a time of fiscal pressure.
This paper provides agency and program leaders, governors staff, and legislative staff with a concise overview of some of the major human service programs administered at the state and local level. It also discusses the interdependence of those programs, their common goals, and the way in which those programs might work together. While directed largely at individuals new to these responsibilities it can also prove of value to more experienced staff as well.
Background
The leaders of state human services agencies and programs face an extraordinary series of challenges in the years ahead. These challenges are exacerbated by a combination of factors, including a slower than expected economic recovery, the extremely tight fiscal situation of government at all levels, and a continuing change in the underlying structure of federal programs as they go through the reauthorization process.
Increasingly, political leaders, advocates, researchers and public administrators are recognizing that social problems cannot always be solved within the constraints of individual programs and funding silos. Many families and individuals face multiple problems. And, many problems cannot be solved within the confines of a single program. As a result, there is a growing recognition that success will, in many cases, depend upon the ability of government to work with nonprofits and the private sector to create ready access to the comprehensive services needed.
While there are, and will be, many attempts to achieve comprehensive services through statutory changes and formal requirements for the integration of services, these efforts will probably fall short of the mark. As a result, both short- and long-term improvements will probably depend on efforts at the state and local levels to improve cooperation and coordination among existing programs and organizations.
Such efforts are difficult at best and are often hampered by a lack of information on the roles and responsibilities of other program and agencies. Efforts often fail because they begin with a demand for what one agency needs, rather than with the recognition of common goals and objectives or with a willingness to bring a resource to the table that can be shared with others.
In an effort to encourage greater dialogue at the national level, The Finance Projects Welfare Information Network invited leadership from ten organizations that represent state officials that administer fourteen human service programs to come together to discuss their individual organizations and to examine areas where they might work together. At its first meeting, this group identified the importance of collaboration at the service delivery level. It also noted the lack of information and tools that could assist their members in exploring opportunities for collaboration. Following an intensive discussion, the organizations agreed to explore a number of joint activities. This publication represents the first of those activities.
Click here for the complete publication.
[The following is excerpted from the Introduction.]
Purpose of this Paper
The importance of collaboration and cooperation in the development and implementation of human service programs at the state and local level is increasing dramatically both from the perspective of effective services to families and that of efficiently stewarding resources in a time of fiscal pressure.
This paper provides agency and program leaders, governors staff, and legislative staff with a concise overview of some of the major human service programs administered at the state and local level. It also discusses the interdependence of those programs, their common goals, and the way in which those programs might work together. While directed largely at individuals new to these responsibilities it can also prove of value to more experienced staff as well.
Background
The leaders of state human services agencies and programs face an extraordinary series of challenges in the years ahead. These challenges are exacerbated by a combination of factors, including a slower than expected economic recovery, the extremely tight fiscal situation of government at all levels, and a continuing change in the underlying structure of federal programs as they go through the reauthorization process.
Increasingly, political leaders, advocates, researchers and public administrators are recognizing that social problems cannot always be solved within the constraints of individual programs and funding silos. Many families and individuals face multiple problems. And, many problems cannot be solved within the confines of a single program. As a result, there is a growing recognition that success will, in many cases, depend upon the ability of government to work with nonprofits and the private sector to create ready access to the comprehensive services needed.
While there are, and will be, many attempts to achieve comprehensive services through statutory changes and formal requirements for the integration of services, these efforts will probably fall short of the mark. As a result, both short- and long-term improvements will probably depend on efforts at the state and local levels to improve cooperation and coordination among existing programs and organizations.
Such efforts are difficult at best and are often hampered by a lack of information on the roles and responsibilities of other program and agencies. Efforts often fail because they begin with a demand for what one agency needs, rather than with the recognition of common goals and objectives or with a willingness to bring a resource to the table that can be shared with others.
In an effort to encourage greater dialogue at the national level, The Finance Projects Welfare Information Network invited leadership from ten organizations that represent state officials that administer fourteen human service programs to come together to discuss their individual organizations and to examine areas where they might work together. At its first meeting, this group identified the importance of collaboration at the service delivery level. It also noted the lack of information and tools that could assist their members in exploring opportunities for collaboration. Following an intensive discussion, the organizations agreed to explore a number of joint activities. This publication represents the first of those activities.
Click here for the complete publication.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Housing News & Events Update:
State Policy in Practice: A Medicaid Primer for Housing Officials
SUMMARY: The most striking characteristic of housing and health care in this country is the disconnection between the two. Access to affordable, accessible housing is critical to the success of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program, which will provide opportunities for thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries living in institutions to relocate to the community. Presented in a concise question and answer format, this document explains many of the features of what can be a complicated program.
DisabilityInfo.gov
HUD Awards More Than $18 Million in Grants to Fight Housing Discrimination
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded 88 grants totaling $17.1 million to recipients in 37 states and the District of Columbia to help fight housing discrimination. One of the grant recipients, Access Living of metropolitan Chicago, is part of the Department's national effort to reduce discrimination against persons with disabilities. Access Living will use the grant to conduct fair housing enforcement activities.
Click the titles for more information.
SUMMARY: The most striking characteristic of housing and health care in this country is the disconnection between the two. Access to affordable, accessible housing is critical to the success of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program, which will provide opportunities for thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries living in institutions to relocate to the community. Presented in a concise question and answer format, this document explains many of the features of what can be a complicated program.
DisabilityInfo.gov
HUD Awards More Than $18 Million in Grants to Fight Housing Discrimination
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded 88 grants totaling $17.1 million to recipients in 37 states and the District of Columbia to help fight housing discrimination. One of the grant recipients, Access Living of metropolitan Chicago, is part of the Department's national effort to reduce discrimination against persons with disabilities. Access Living will use the grant to conduct fair housing enforcement activities.
Click the titles for more information.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Monday Blog.
Unspent HOME Funds Returned to HUD:
Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues
Click here for back issues of other Information Bulletins.
Resources for People with Disabilities Update: ABILITY House Program
NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS THE SEVERE HOUSING CRISIS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER LONG-TERM DISABILITIES IN AMERICA
Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues
In the past seven years, nearly $17 million dollars from the HOME Investment Partnership program was returned to HUD for failure of a participating jurisdiction to meet the statutory two-year commitment requirement. That is, each year HUD allocates HOME funds. Recipients, state and local participating jurisdictions, must commit how these funds will be actually spent within two years. If this requirement is not satisfied, the uncommitted HOME funds must be returned to HUD as and they are lost by the participating jurisdiction.Click here to read the jurisdictions and the amount of HOME funds lost.
As was explained in recent Information Bulletins, HOME funds can be used as Tenant Based Rental Assistance grants for low income persons. These are like housing vouchers. Given the desperate need for housing vouchers, it is quite amazing and depressing that the following jurisdictions, rather than allocate the funds as Tenant Based Rental Assistance, returned these HOME funds because the jurisdiction did not commit them to TBRA grants.
Click here for back issues of other Information Bulletins.
Resources for People with Disabilities Update: ABILITY House Program
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates, each ABILITY House is an accessible home built for a family where one or more members have health conditions or disabilities. The project also reaches out to volunteers, including veterans and students with disabilities, to help in building the homes.This information has recently been updated, and is now available - Click here.
NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS THE SEVERE HOUSING CRISIS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER LONG-TERM DISABILITIES IN AMERICA
The report is published by the Technical Assistance Collaborative and the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities, and is available to read and download. Click here.
Priced Out in 2006 documents the continued lack of affordable and accessible housing for people with long-term disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic illness, and mental illness. The national average for a one-bedroom apartment is at $715 and a studio/efficiency is at $633, and both are higher than the entire monthly income of people with disabilities who rely on the Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) program.
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