Housing Justice is Violence Prevention

Housing justice serves as a vital component of violence prevention, as it directly impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities and their ability to thrive. In the United States, the lack of accessible housing poses significant challenges, with less than 1% of housing being wheelchair accessible and only a fraction of that suitable for those with moderate mobility difficulties. These statistics highlight the pressing need to address the housing crisis and ensure equal access for all. In this blog post, we will explore the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, the financial burden they experience, and the importance of incorporating their voices and needs into housing solutions.

Barriers Faced by Individuals with Disabilities: Approximately 64% of households in the US rely on assistive devices, underscoring the widespread impact of disability on housing requirements. However, the availability of accessible housing remains dismally low, with fewer than 5% of residences deemed livable for individuals with moderate mobility difficulties. This lack of accessibility perpetuates exclusion and denies individuals with disabilities the fundamental right to housing.

Financial Burden on Renters with Disabilities: A staggering reality is revealed in the financial strain faced by individuals with disabilities. In 2018 alone, over 4 million renters with disabilities spent more than half of their monthly income on rent, mortgage, and utilities. This excessive cost burden not only limits their ability to meet other essential needs but also exacerbates the cycle of poverty and inequality. It is crucial to recognize that individuals with disabilities are more likely to be extremely low-income renters, further exacerbating their housing challenges.

Discrimination and Marginalization: Discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists, contributing to their housing insecurity. They face higher rates of discrimination, limiting their choices and opportunities. To address survivor homelessness and housing insecurity effectively, it is essential to prioritize the voices and specific needs of survivors who are most impacted, including Black immigrant, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, these needs often remain an afterthought in conversations surrounding actionable solutions.

Resources for Inclusion and Change: To delve deeper into the subject, we recommend accessing the following resources:

“Housing, Disability Justice, and Sexual Violence Prevention” by Natalie Sokol-Snyder: This 4-part blog series provides valuable insights into the foundations of disability justice, reasonable accommodation mandates, independent living supports, and prevention strategies. It offers a comprehensive perspective on the intersection between housing, disability justice, and violence prevention.

“The Importance of Home Healthcare” on the Hub: Engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Jody Michele Courtney, Danielle Pitmon, and Diane Pitmon, who shed light on the significance of home healthcare in supporting individuals with disabilities and promoting accessible housing.

“Learning from Lived Experiences: Policy Solutions from Culturally Specific Communities to Increase Survivor Access to and Retention of Safe Housing” – National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: This report focuses on policy solutions to enhance survivor access to safe housing. It emphasizes the critical need to include the perspectives and needs of marginalized communities in creating effective solutions.

Pursuing Housing Justice: Interventions for Impact: this This guide profiles a series of policy and programmatic interventions that advance housing justice, as defined in Building a Housing Justice Framework: “Ensuring everyone has affordable housing that promotes health, well-being, and upward mobility by confronting historical and ongoing harms and disparities caused by structural racism and other systems of oppression.”

The journey toward housing justice and violence prevention begins with recognizing the pressing need for accessible housing for individuals with disabilities. It is essential to break down the barriers that perpetuate inequality and discrimination, ensuring that housing solutions prioritize the needs of survivors most impacted. By embracing inclusivity, advocating for policy change, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, we can forge a path forward toward a more just and accessible future for all.

By Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Indiana Disability Justice

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Authenticity by Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams

During a meeting on the intersectionality of race and disability, we discussed what it means to be authentic. There were many great answers. The one below was one of the most vulnerable. tt was given by Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams:

I don’t trust myself, so authenticity feels really elusive. Is that REALLY me? I have a loud voice and excited loving personality. I need to be weird. I need to be able to make mistakes and say things that might not be right. I talk to figure things out. I need to be able to be accepted to be fully myself. I am wildly insecure and sometimes need to name that. I too need to feel comfortable to be Disabled and Miwok. Sometimes I avoid revealing these parts out of shame, but they’re so salient. When I can talk from these parts I am the most me.

 

We hope Cierra’s words will encourage others to consider authenticity and their relationship with it. Does it come easy or difficult? How so? Think about it and let us know! P

 Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams is a fat and sassy thoyewa (disabled) Miwok cisgender assa (woman) with salt and pepper hair. Cierra is a survivor of poly violence with CPTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and is on the bipolar spectrum. She is smiling into the camera and is wearing a pink floral shirt in the picture below.

Cierra is a Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she co-founded Indiana Disability Justice.

Judith Heumann, In Loving Memory

By Jennifer Milharcic, IDJ Webinar Coordinator and Jody Courtney, IDJ Communications and Hub Coordinator

Image description: The center is a picture of Judy Heumann. She has on a print shirt with palm leaves in shades of blue. Her collar length hair is light-brown, and she has a big smile. At the top of the picture are the words “In Loving Memory,” and underneath it reads “Judith Heumann 1947-2023.” The background is made up of pinks, purples, and yellows. The words "Disability Justice," "Advocate," "Activist," and "Author" are around the picture.

Image description: The center is a picture of Judy Heumann. She has on a print shirt with palm leaves in shades of blue. Her collar length hair is light-brown, and she has a big smile. At the top of the picture are the words “In Loving Memory,” and underneath it reads “Judith Heumann 1947-2023.” The background is made up of pinks, purples, and yellows. The words “Disability Justice,” “Advocate,” “Activist,” and “Author” are around the picture.

Indiana Disability Justice grieves the recent death of Judy Heumann.  We recognize her decades of disability advocacy which paved the way for the work that we do today.

1970, Judy Heumann filed the first disability lawsuit in federal court because the New York School System would not hire her as a teacher.  They said Heumann would be a “fire hazard, ” which was the same argument they gave when she was enrolling in kindergarten.  Heumann won the case and became the first New York teacher who used a wheelchair.

In 1977, Heumann helped lead over 100 Disabled advocates and allies in overtaking a federal building in San Francisco for 4 weeks. They would not leave until government officials listened to what they had to say.  The US government needed to create regulations to how Public Law 504 was enforced. PL 504 prohibited publicly and federally funded entities from discriminating against people with disabilities. Heumann and the others won the battle.

Heumann helped establish the first independent living center for people with disabilities.  These organizations support people with disabilities in their independence.

Heumann had a big role in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and she later served under the Clinton and Obama administrations.

Heumann also had a passion for empowering disabled people around the world, and her 2020 autobiography “Being Heumann” illustrates this.

Judy Heumann was about disabled people having dignity, respect, accessibility, and directing their own lives.

Indiana Disability Justice upholds and will be carrying on these values. We encourage you to do the same.  Visit us at www.indisabilityjustice.com.

We will always remember Judy for helping the disability community get where we are today.  May we keep working forward.

Luna: My Emotional Support Dog by Anya Thomas-Rigdon

By Anya Thomas-Rigdon

Luna helps me because she is happy all the time! When I am sad or stressed, I just play with Luna and it allows my brain to relax. When Luna feels lonely, she comes and eats her bone on my lap. Luna is my emotional support animal because she is always worried about me 24/7 and always wants to see me.

Luna is a grey dog with blue eyes. She is laying on her tan dog bed and smiling at the camera.
Anya and Luna. Anya has wavy dark hair. They are both smiling.
Anya and Luna. Anya has wavy dark hair. They are both smiling.