ADAPT in DC

ADAPT has put up a website, http://www.duhcity.org/
to consolidate information, videos, and pictures about their action to open up housing to people with disabilities instead of nursing homes. Check it out!

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

ADAPT in DC

More Pictures:



ADAPT heading out for HUD at 4:am



The HUD building at night, no police wait for ADAPT



ADAPT color leader taking charge at HUD



HUD Security is helpless to prevent the construction of DUH City



At the center of ADAPT's city people share their personal experiences


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

From ADAPT in DC

ADAPT Promises Pre-Election Surprises in D.C. to Get Community Choice Act Passed


For information contact;
Randy Alexander (901) 359-4982
Chris Hilderbrant (585) 267-0343
Washington, D.C.---Over 500 ADAPT disability rights activists committed to getting the Community Choice Act passed during this Congress are coming to town September 13-18 to exert some pre-election pressure on policymakers. The Community Choice Act (S. 799, H.R. 1621) would allow people with disabilities and older Americans to choose to live in their own homes and communities instead of being forced into nursing homes and other institutions by the current institutional bias in the nation's Medicaid program.
"We are coming up on an election," said Chris Hilderbrant, ADAPT organizer from Rochester, New York, "and one of the two candidates for president, Sen. John McCain, has blatantly refused to endorse the Community Choice Act even though he says he supports community services. On the other hand, Sen. Obama and his running mate Sen. Biden have both signed on to this legislation. Maybe Sen. McCain needs some more convincing."
ADAPT will be in D.C. to confront a variety of policymakers and systems that continue to put up barriers to community living for disabled and older Americans. Home and community-based services, housing, transportation, hospital discharge planning, and managed care of long-term supports and services are all on ADAPT's list of possible targets.
ADAPT celebrated 25 years of activism in Washington, D.C. in April of this year, closing down both the Republican National Committee offices and Sen. McCain's office in the Russell Senate Building demanding that Sen. McCain, himself a person with a disability, sign on to the Community Choice Act.
"Not only does Sen. McCain have a disability himself, but he has an aging mother," said Randy Alexander, ADAPT organizer from Memphis, Tennessee. "You'd think he'd understand our issues, but maybe having all that money and all those homes puts him totally out of touch with the reality that older Americans and Americans with disabilities live everyday. Being able to live free in the community shouldn't only be available to the ultra-rich. Civil rights are not based on income!"
Since its inception in 1983, ADAPT has fought for the right of people with disabilities, old and young, to live in their own homes and communities. ADAPT efforts have resulted=2 0in a significant shift toward community of the Medicaid dollars formerly directed overwhelmingly to institutions. ADAPT has also been credited by former federal Medicaid officials with creation of the Money Follows the Person portion of the 2006 federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. ADAPT is the nation's largest cross-disability grassroots disability rights organization.
During the week of September 15, 2008, ADAPT will debut internet tools that will help the disability community across the country stay closely in touch with ADAPT action activities as they happen. ADAPT will widely publicize these tools as soon as they are available to the public.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Public Housing Authorities and Nursing Home Transition

from Steve Gold:


Information Bulletin # 259 (9/08).

Throughout the country, Public Housing Authorities have waiting lists for
both their housing vouchers and public housing units.

In many states, people are in nursing homes because they cannot afford to
rent an apartment or housing unit on their limited SSI incomes. Without
either a housing voucher or a public housing units, many people in nursing
facilities will continue to be institutionalized.

The question that has been raised a number of times is whether or not your
Public Housing Authority could target their vouchers and public housing
units to help transition people out of nursing homes and other
institutions?  People have complained that their Public Housing
Authorities, because they have waiting lists for housing vouchers and
public housing units, have not been responsive and have presented a number
of excuses to using their vouchers and housing units to end unnecessary
institutionalization.

Here are a number of points you should be aware of:

1.  Yes, your Pubic Housing Authority can open its waiting list for one
preference category of people - for example, people transitioning out of
institutions.

2.  Yes, it is possible for your Public Housing Authority to establish a
preference for persons transitioning out of institutions, so long as the
preference is not targeted towards people with a specific disability
(e.g., MI, or PD) and the preference is not based on where a person
resides (e.g., one particular institution).  Other than those two, it can
give the preference.

3.  Yes, your Housing Authority's waiting list can be opened indefinitely
for the preference group of people transitioning out of institutions.

4.  A Public Housing Authority can limit the number of applicants who
qualify for any specific preference.

5.  In order for your Public Housing Authority to establish the preference
for both its housing vouchers and housing units for persons transitioning
out of institutions, the Public Housing Authority must prepare a revision
of its administrative plan that states the new preference and complies
with other HUD procedural hoops.

Disability and elderly advocates:

   What are you going to do to ensure that your Public Housing Authority
establishes a preference for persons transitioning out of institutions?

   Advocates have to make sure it does.  This requires a strategy and
some political clout.  Do you have it?

   "Power concedes nothing without a struggle."  Frederick Douglas.

   Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at
http://www.stevegoldada.com
with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.

To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com
or call 215-627-7100.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/