Provided image
Paul Linet
1 hour ago
Op-Ed: We must act now to ensure accessible housing for all
By Paul Linet, 3i Housing of Maine
In 1944, the president of the United States proclaimed that “the right to a decent home” was essential to American security.
Today, more than 80 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s address, that vision remains unfulfilled — particularly for millions of Americans of all ages living with disabilities. The basic need for stable housing is under attack by the midnight machinations of a Congress propelled to slice benefits for our most vulnerable friends, neighbors, and family members.
Fewer than 5% of homes in the U.S. meet even basic standards for accessibility. Less than 1% are truly wheelchair accessible. For the 8.2% of Americans with a physical disability — and nearly 30% of older adults with mobility limitations — the housing landscape is bleak.
But there is a path forward — one that doesn’t rely on institutionalization, temporary fixes or outdated assumptions. This path is one of independence, premised on forward-thinking solutions that embrace community-based, person-centered services and emerging technology.
At 3i Housing of Maine (3i HoME), we’re building communities of integrated, universally designed housing, leveraging innovative assistive technology and essential person-centered services in ways that empower independence.
Our flagship project is Sturgeon Place, featuring 51 affordable, fully accessible apartments with groundbreaking planned in the next 6 to 9 months at the Downs in Scarborough. Also planned is 3i HoME’s first Caring Communities model — a mixed-income, fully accessible neighborhood in rural New England designed to serve people with disabilities, older adults, families and essential workers such as direct care professionals.
This kind of housing shouldn’t be rare. As a parent of an adult son with disabilities recently told us: “What you are doing to address the housing needs of people with physical disabilities is visionary and commendable, desperately needed, and immensely encouraging to those of us who are struggling to find appropriate housing solutions either for ourselves or a loved one with a physical disability.”
Unfortunately, during a late-night session on Sunday, May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives budget committee, in a 17–16 vote, advanced legislation that, if enacted, would place in jeopardy crucial services upon which millions of low-income people rely.
The proposed legislative package, rushed through the committee without the normal deliberative process, would slash federal Medicaid benefits by $625 billion.
According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, these cuts “will force states to make tough choices: maintain current spending on Medicaid by raising taxes or reducing spending on other programs; or cut Medicaid spending by covering fewer people, offering fewer benefits or paying providers less.”
Medicaid has been a critical lifeline that has enabled older adults and people with disabilities to live in the community through such programs as self-directed personal care attendants and home- and community-based services.
As one Medicaid recipient stated: “If I lose my services, my attendants — who have families to support — don’t get paid. If my services get cut, it will mean I can’t work because there is no one to help me bathe and dress for work. If I can’t work, I will be evicted and forced into a nursing home where I will lose my freedom and control over my life.”
These are not fringe issues. As bellwethers of broader systemic failures, they deserve thoughtful and comprehensive debate and consideration. How we respond to these converging crises — the accessible housing crisis, the direct care staffing crisis, the crisis of misplaced priorities — reflects who we are as a society.
The good news is we have the tools, technologies and talent to create homes and communities that are vibrant, inclusive and human-centered from the start. What we need now is the will to thoughtfully examine our priorities and act in a manner that reflects our collective character.
As Roosevelt said more than 80 years ago, “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.” There is no better time than now to finally turn that vision into reality.
Mainebiz web partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments