For Information Contact;
Randy Alexander (901) 359-4982
Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504
http://www.adapt.org
50 Arrested as ADAPT Takes Affordable, Accessible Housing Crisis to
Congress
Washington, D.C.--- ADAPT activists fanned out on the Hill today to hit
congressional leaders who can help solve the housing crisis for low
income people with disabilities. Visits to the offices of Rep. Barney
Frank (D, MA), a longtime leader on housing issues, and Senators Chris
Dodd (D, CT) and Richard Shelby (R, AL), the Chair and ranking Member of
the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs resulted in a
total of 50 arrests.
"Last year Rep. Barney Frank told us that he could get 500 housing
vouchers from HUD that would be targeted to free people with disabilities
who live in nursing homes and other institutions, " said Diane Coleman of
ADAPT in Rochester, New York. "He repeated that promise for months, and
then one day he suddenly says he can't help us. We were also working with
him to have funding that pays for segregated housing redirected to support
integrated housing. Sen. Frank arranged a hearing on this funding, and not
only did he not invite any people with disabilities to testify, he didn't
even notify us about the hearing. So, today, we decided to confront him on
his broken promises and bad faith."
Shortly after 13 ADAPT members entered Frank's office, he ordered staff to
have them arrested, refusing to even discuss the ADAPT concerns, or
strategies to address the housing crisis for low income people with
disabilities trapped in institutions for lack of affordable, accessible,
integrated housing.
ADAPT went to the offices of Dodd and Shelby because HUD and housing fall under the purview of their committee. Sen. Shelby told ADAPT, "I don't
help people who can't help themselves." There were 19 arrests made in
Shelby's office. An aide to Sen. Dodd spoke with ADAPT, then declined to
put her remarks on paper after indicating she might be willing to do so.
ADAPT continued to wait for the written statement, and eventually nearly
25 people were arrested.
"The TV is full of news about the bank crisis, and the mortgage crisis,
and the need for candidates to appeal to middle income people," said
Cassie James, Philadelphia ADAPT organizer. "Meanwhile, people who live
on disability benefits, and people who are trapped in nursing homes
because of no housing are being held hostage while the government bails
everyone else out. Rent has gone up so much, it's higher than many monthly
disability benefits. Not only do us younger people with disabilities need
affordable, accessible housing, older people need it, too. This is a
crisis, and we need help to solve it."
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