For Information contact:
Bob Kafka 512-431-4085
Marsha Katz 406-544-9504
Janine Bertram 503-504-9787
Washington, D.C.-- Oblivious to the pouring rain, 500 ADAPT activists descended on the Republican National Committee Headquarters and won a meeting with Ken Mehlman, the Chairperson of the Republican National Committee, to get support for “Access Across America,” and MiCASSA, the Community Choice Act (H.R. 910/ S401). Last spring a Republican dominated Congress passed “Money Follows the Person (MFP)” legislation, which over the next five years will allow 100,000 people to move from nursing homes and other institutions into homes in the community. Implementing “Access Across America” would provide affordable, accessible, integrated housing for those moving from nursing homes under MFP, and passing MiCASSA would make the principle of Money Follows the Person permanent.
As 150 ADAPT activists occupied the GOP Headquarters, a memo was faxed to Mehlman that read;
“ADAPT, the nation’s largest grassroots activist disability rights group wants the support of the Republican National Committee (RNC) to support the inclusion, independence and integration of people with disabilities in our communities.
ADAPT applauds the Money Follows the Person legislation Congress recently passed that will allow over 100,000 people to move from nursing homes and other institutions.
To give people with disabilities Real Choice in long term care options, and to help make the President’s New Freedom Initiative a reality, ADAPT wants the RNC to support;
ADAPT would like a meeting with you to discuss how the RNC can support the above two issues.”
The action at GOP headquarters came on the heels of a morning demonstration at HUD, where ADAPT demanded to meet with HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Jackson was out of town so ADAPT met with Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Kim Kendrick in his absence. Jackson had previously promised ADAPT he would write the nation’s Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), asking them to designate a number of Section 8 housing vouchers for Medicaid-eligible persons leaving shelters, nursing homes and other institutions. In addition, Jackson committed to ask the PHAs to take any unused vouchers and designate those also for people leaving institutional settings rather than turn them back in to HUD. Kendrick committed to get the promised directive out to the PHAs.
The voucher designation is one tool available to HUD to implement “Access Across America,” ADAPT’s proposal to HUD for a national program that would assist people leaving nursing homes or at risk of going into them who need affordable, accessible, integrated housing. AAA coordinates the receipt of subsidized housing vouchers with Medicaid-eligible persons who are receiving home and community-based services and supports. It additionally directs HUD, coordinating with The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), to work at state and local levels with federally authorized community-based organizations such as Independent Living Centers and Area Agencies on Aging to facilitate implementation of AAA.
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