Action Alert: Affordable, Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities

Affordable, Accessible Housing for
People with Disabilities

Dear Friends,


We’ve got a historic chance this year to come closer to meeting the need for affordable housing that is accessible to people with disabilities.


The Homes and Jobs Act - Senate Bill 391 - will provide a permanent funding source for affordable housing for all Californians who need it. At least 10% of the units in the new affordable housing are to be mobility accessible, and 4% are to be communications accessible.


Here’s what you can do to help:


1.   Sign the new petition Our allies who originated the petition are shooting for 200 signatures. I think that goal is way too low. With the thousands of people who get this action alert, we should be able to do a lot better than that. Let’s show them what the disability community can do.
 
2.   Call your state assemblymember. We got the bill through the Senate with the needed two-thirds majority last year, and we have to do as well in the Assembly this year. The message is simple: politely but firmly ask your assemblymember to vote for Senate Bill 391, or give you a good reason why not. Here are some other tips for making these kinds of calls: http://thearcca.org/46.html. (If you don’t know who your assemblymember is, he or she probably don’t know who you are, either -- and it’s time for them to find out. Here’s where you can find out: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.)
 
3.   Forward this action alert to anyone you think can be motivated by the need for more affordable, accessible housing in California and the chanced for a big win for the disability community.
 
Thank you, too, to everyone who contacted Assemblyman Kevin de Leon to ask him to pass the bill to double the number of accessible units for all new publicly funded multifamily housing. I’m sorry to report he didn’t do what we asked. But we intend to try again next year – and if we succeed, our win this year with the Homes and Jobs Act will become twice as important.


Thank you for your advocacy.
Greg


Greg deGiere
Public Policy Director
The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration
1225 Eighth Street, Suite 350
Sacramento, CA 95814