Thread: Today is the 22nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark #Olmstead decision, which held that states must serve people with disabilities in the community rather than institutions when community-based services can meet their needs. olmsteadrights.org/about-olmstead/
Lawmakers have a historic opportunity to fulfill the promise of #Olmstead to ensure that people with disabilities can live in the community with the supports they need to stay out of institutions.
While progress has been made over the last two decades, many people with disabilities are still forced to live in institutional settings due to inadequate home- and community-based services (#HCBS) and affordable #housing.
Many people living in institutions have been unnecessarily exposed to #Covid19; people living in long-term care facilities account for nearly one-third of all people who have died from COVID-19. kff.org/coronavirus-co…
Lawmakers have a unique opportunity to help more people live in the community and protect public health by expanding #housing vouchers and #HCBS as part of the recovery proposals Congress is considering. cbpp.org/blog/rental-as…
Since many seniors and people with disabilities (such as those who rely solely on SSI) don’t have enough income to afford rent, rental assistance *and* #HCBS are needed to help them live stably in the community. tacinc.org/resources/pric…
More #housing vouchers will be crucial to ensure that people with low incomes can fully benefit from an expansion of #HCBS, such as the $400 billion proposal in Pres. Biden’s #AmericanJobsPlan.
Expanding vouchers is also critical to ending #homelessness. Vouchers can be paired with intensive services to create #SupportiveHousing, an evidence-based solution to #homelessness for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. cbpp.org/research/housi…
In the meantime, the Administration should extend the #CDC #EvictionMoratorium that is set to expire June 30th.
Extending the #CDC order would give communities time to distribute urgently-needed short-term rental assistance funded by the #AmericanRescuePlan and prevent evictions that could force more people with disabilities into institutions or #homelessness.
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