Wednesday, September 17, 2008

50 Arrested as ADAPT Takes Affordable, Accessible Housing Crisis to Congress

For Information Contact;
Randy Alexander (901) 359-4982
Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504
http://www.adapt.org/

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."

"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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FOR MORE INFORMATION on ADAPT visit our website at http://www.adapt.org/