MINUTES

HOUSING COMMITTEE

May 21, 2001

 

 

PRESENT:  Legislators Lois Bronz and Michael Kaplowitz, Barbara Dodds, Jean Cloidt

 

GUESTS:  John Strothenke, Barbara Layton and Rosalye Licchi from Westchester Disabled on the Move, Bill Randolph, County Executive’s Office

 

Meeting called to order at 3:20 p.m. by Legislator Bronz.  Legislator Bronz discussed the debate that is on-going with regards to Shared Housing with Seniors and the Disabled – at that point she introduced Mr. John Strothenke of the Westchester Disabled on the Move Organization.

 

Mr. Strothenke stated that on September 28, 2000, a meeting was held by the Westchester Disabled on the Move, along with the business community and the Housing Support Group of Westchester Disabled on the Move and out of that meeting was formed a committee called WDCCH.  WDCCH stands for Westchester Disability Community Coalition for Housing.  They have 20 to 30 members who meet regularly.

 

At their meetings they discuss Section 504 – Rehabilitation act which protects people with disability as a class of people.  Thereby affording them the same rights as everyone else.  He briefed the committee on CBDG funds with respect to the disabled that all housing built with those funds need to have five person of handicapped individuals with mobility impairment and two percent of hearing/visual impairments, those are the lowest levels of handicapped individuals to utilize CBDG funded housing.

 

Mr. Strothenke feels that these levels are too low because people with disabilities have low fixed incomes.  They have a Section 8 program, which sometimes can raise the voucher upwards to 140 percent when it has been reprocessed.

 

They have been trying to educate landlords so that they accept handicapped individuals because it is a good idea.  Renting to these individuals can bring benefits to the landlords.  Mr. Strothenke handed out material – which is attached. 

 

At their conference Joel Levy of Social Services and Norma Drummond from Planning were there as well as all the municipalities.   They had approximately 12 landlords attend.  The problem is the fair-market rents are high and the voucher does not necessarily cover it. 

 

He feels that the shelters in Westchester does not help the handicapped as they are not easily accessible and they don’t address their issues.  When a handicapped person becomes homeless it is very difficult for them because sometimes they need to live with their family which can put them at odds.

 

When he discussed this with Joel Levy about accessibility to wheelchair bound individuals – Joel provided him with some shelters but then there was another problem – that being an Aid to help a person.  In Westchester shelters Aids are not allowed in because of security and the service work that the shelter does. 

 

At that point Legislator Bronz suggested that maybe Joel Levy and Norma Drummond need to come to the committee and discuss what could be done to help the handicapped with the Shelters. 

 

Legislator Bronz stated that when the Seniors went to Albany recently that they brought to their attention that New York State has not applied for new Federal funds that are available for planning.  There are $50,000 grants available for strategic planning for states.  She feels that our State representatives will be talking to the Governor about applying for these funds.

 

Discussed ensued about an article on Verna James – that ran in the Journal News who was in a Westhab shelter, victim of violence, got flooded out, evicted.  She was an active member of their group and when she was flooded out of her room she finally got a Section 8 housing voucher.  Two of the priorities for receiving Section 8 are to be homeless and the other flooded so she qualified and received a voucher in one day.  They don’t want to do this with every case but she did receive results.

 

Legislator Bronz assigned Program Specialist Dodds the responsibility to research if there is any legislation proposed or in place that would allow us to find out if there is any language, whereby we could place such legislation with regards to discrimination of handicapped because of their source of income.

 

Legislator Kaplowitz motioned to adjourn – seconded by Legislator Bronz.  Meeting adjourned at 4 p.m.