Editor’s note: This post was submitted by Jennifer Valente, a case manager with Solid Ground’s Homeless Prevention Programs. Thanks also to Jeanne Winner for her help with the article.
Imagine, you have just lost your housing – not to any fault of your own, you’ve been an excellent tenant – but your apartment is being renovated. You are wheelchair bound, you have no family or friends to help you, and you’re out of resources. You need housing immediately. As a last resort, you call King County 2.1.1 and are directed to Solid Ground’s Housing Stabilization Services program. You ask for help.
Basic knowledge of social services would lead one to believe, to hope even, that between the many Fair Housing Laws and benefits of the Americans with Disabilities Act, someone in the above situation would have a number of options available to them – that they would not end up in this predicament.
Unfortunately the above scenario is far too common, and the case managers with Housing Stabilization Services at Solid Ground are often faced with trying to help clients secure housing against unfavorable odds. Specifically with regard to handicap-accessible apartments, it is not that suitable apartments do not exist – but there are too few to support the growing demand, and long waiting lists act as barriers for those in urgent need. Clients too often hear the words, “Sorry, but…” and grow frustrated and discouraged.
Indeed, an October 2011 press release describes testing that confirms discrimination does exist for people living with disabilities (as well as for African Americans) in far higher percentages than expected, and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights is taking action by prosecuting six property owners. The release states that more than half of all properties recently tested showed evidence of illegal housing discrimination.
While the battle against discrimination is ongoing, Solid Ground is committed to being an ally to those in need. By acting as a resource hub to current and prospective tenants and providing direct case management to clients like the one above, Solid Ground serves as an advocate and friend to individuals and families who have nowhere else to turn and may otherwise end up in shelters or on the streets.
Sarajane Siegfriedt says
Good article on an important subject, but as an ADA advocate, I feel it is my duty to speak up. Some of the language used is objectionable to the disability community. For example, no one is “wheelchair-bound” unless she or he is manacled to the wheelchair. The preferred language is “uses a wheelchair. You are correct to use “people with disabilities” in your headline. This is always the preferred “people first” language. The word “handicap” went out with the passage of the ADA in about 1991. Every such reference was removed from WA State code by Gov. Lowry. There are no “handicap-accessible” apartments, only ADA-accessible apartments. Please invite someone with disabilities to train your staff on appropriate and acceptable language. This seems to me to be as important as anti-racism awareness. They are both civil rights, based on moral imperatives.