Why Engaging in Public Policy is Important for Clare Housing — August 23, 2013
In a few days the staff of Clare Housing will welcome five new residents to Spirit on Lake, a new affordable housing project for GLBT Seniors. As part of this development, Clare Housing will be providing supportive services for five GLBT seniors who are living with HIV/AIDS and are currently homeless. This week I had the opportunity to meet two of our new residents, mid-afternoon in a non-air conditioned church on what felt like the hottest day of the year. One took the bus with several transfers from the western suburbs and the other came from a homeless shelter. It was inspiring to hear their stories and be at their side as they sat quietly and signed mountains of paperwork in order to verify their eligibility for both rent subsidies and services. At the end of our hour together they expressed their gratitude and excitement about moving into Spirit on Lake, finally having a place they can call home and receive the supportive services they need to manage the day-to-day challenges they face living with HIV/AIDS. This is why we do the work we do.
Now in my second month on the job, I’m quickly understanding how difficult it is for low-income people who are living with HIV/AIDS and are homeless to find affordable housing, maintain their healthcare and for some to just find a shelter or bed where they can be safe and have a good night’s rest. This story brings home for me why we are deeply engaged in both advocacy and public policy activities. Clare Housing provides an important bridge between policy makers and their constituents. We promote and encourage the development of good public policy that ensures individuals can easily access affordable housing and the services they need to maintain their dignity and health. When we are successful we build our own capacity to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people we serve.
Earlier this year Clare Housing led an effort to mobilize a growing coalition of tenants, advocates, individuals and providers who share a fundamental belief that all people, including people with disabilities, should have meaningful choice in their housing decisions. The Coalition for Choice in Housing was formed in response to recent legislation restricting the number of people (most often those who are disabled) that can live in one facility. Based on a common belief that no one should be forced to “choose” between deciding where they should live, with whom, or in what type of housing environment and the services they are entitled to be successful, the Coalition has come together to advocate for a full spectrum of housing options which are as diverse as the individual desires and the needs of those who chose to live in them.
Over the next several months we will continue to work with the Coalition to educate both elected and appointed officials of the importance for choice in housing as they complete Minnesota’s new Olmstead Plan . With a goal of achieving a better Minnesota for all Minnesotans, the Coalition strives to ensure that individuals will have the opportunity to choose the housing and services they need and have the ability remain close to their families and friends, to live more independently, to engage in productive employment and to participate in community life.
I am excited about this work and look forward to what we as a community can accomplish to make Clare Housing’s vision a reality – that all people living with HIV/AIDS in the state of Minnesota will have a permanent, affordable home with access to the services they need.