The U.S. Government of America, "Disability Discrimination should have no place in this Nation"

 "Laws in America require employers, schools, landlords, as well as governments to make services accessible to persons with disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations or modifications."

The year of 1990 in America found the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law as Justin Dart watched. Justin was given a pen that was used to sign this incredibly important piece of legislation, a symbolic item representing the efforts of countless People with Disabilities across the nation. The ADA is considered by many to be the most important civil rights law since Title 504. It has support from across this nation's largest minority population - People with Disabilities, as well as supporters and advocates.

Truly we are still a nation of prejudice, segregation, and harassment and we are also a nation of laws and rights. Fortunately, federal and state agencies work to apply the law to remedy injustice, and to develop administrative rules and remedies to assure that everyone can be protected. The rights persons with disabilities have to include equality before the law, freedom of speech, respect for privacy, the right to both marriage and family, the right to education, the right to health, and much more.  The year 2006 found the United Nations drafting the CRPD in recognition of the difficulty and overlapping barriers persons with disabilities face. The United States of America signed the CRPD in the year 2009, although it has not yet ratified the Convention.

Persons with Disabilities as a minority population in America experience an increased risk of becoming victims of violent crime. Women, especially with disabilities, experience a high rate of sexual harassment, assault, and domestic violence. Consent is crucial when any person engages in sexual activity, but it plays an even bigger, and potentially more complicated role when someone has a disability. Some disabilities may make it difficult to communicate consent to participate in sexual activity, and perpetrators may take advantage of this.The perpetrator may use this power to threaten, coerce, or force someone into non-consensual sex or sexual activities. An abuser may take away access to the tools a person with a disability uses to communicate, such as a computer or phone. People with disabilities may be less likely to be taken seriously when they make a report of sexual assault or abuse. They may also face challenges in accessing services to make a report in the first place. Many complaints are unreported due to the lack of confidence from the justice system and the fear of reprisal from the perpetrator.

Housing discrimination related to persons with disabilities in America is rampant. There is precious little in the way of housing that is accessible, affordable or designed with persons with disabilities in mind. One study found that greater than half of all persons with disabilities in America faced housing inquiry discrimination compared to nondisabled persons seeking similar housing. Persons with disabilities receive less encouragement to pursue rental agreements and are less likely to be offered an application than non-disabled renters.

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 together with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, is called the Fair Housing Act. the Fair Housing Act also deals with general prohibitions against discrimination based on disability in the sale or rental of most housing, reasonable accommodations in a housing provider’s rules and policies, and reasonable modifications of an apartment, due to a person’s disability. Furthermore, besides discrimination based on disability, the Fair Housing Act prohibits discriminatory housing practices based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, and/or national origin. "The Act also prohibits housing providers from refusing residency to persons with disabilities, or placing conditions on their residency, because those persons may require reasonable accommodations". 

HUD, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, has begun to apply the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to protect disabled tenants, and others in classes protected by the FHA, from harassment. Harassment is a legal term which includes behavior that is commonly called bullying. Bullying is a contagious social disease that flourishes in the absence of a legitimate social order, creates a toxic environment and an unhealthy community life, all while causing psychological and physical harm to victims. Bullying in the residential community restricts a victim’s rights as a tenant and citizen and is, therefore, a civil rights and human rights violation. Bullying has a terrible impact on victims, causing stress, emotional pain, mental disease, and physical disease. Bullying can start with housing providers who hire and fail to supervise poorly trained managers who use bullying to control staff and/or tenants; or who ignore and condone bullying. Bullying sometimes emerges as an informal system of social control when the formal system is ineffective. That happens when management is aloof and unresponsive to the needs of residents. HUD believes that additional protections should be available to all tenants of HUD subsidized housing and that the threshold for intervention ought to be lower in order to prevent all bullying in subsidized—indeed, in all—housing.

On October 21, 2015, HUD proposed a rule that would formalize and define harassment under the Fair Housing Act. This rule would recognize and protect important rights of persons covered by the Fair Housing Act in their home. And the rule would impose clear responsibility on the housing provider for any acts of harassment. In reaction to the proposed rule, many providers of housing—public, private, subsidized, affordable, or market rate—rushed to decry government intervention, reject any responsibility for tenant relations, and set their legal teams to work. (1) But while there may be a risk of legal exposure sufficient to motivate action by landlords, there are other excellent business reasons to prevent bullying and harassment.

"It is a violation of the Fair Housing Act for any person to refuse to make a reasonable accommodation in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a handicapped person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling unit, including public and common use areas." 

HUD can hold providers of housing, including landlords, managers, and their agents responsible for protecting tenants from harassment. With a proposed new rule, HUD seeks to prevent housing providers from making inappropriate sexual or other demands on tenants and clarifies the responsibility of the housing provider to prevent harassment that creates a hostile environment depriving tenants of their rights. Housing providers can not evade liability for harassment that takes place in their buildings.

"A person’s home should be where they feel the greatest level of comfort—not anguish and fear because of being subjected to humiliating and degrading comments,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Harassing a person because of their disability is not only disturbing, it is illegal.”

Persons with Disabilities in America face systemic and direct forms of discrimination. Disability harassment can take a number of forms such as insults, isolation, shunning, daily mockery, physical abuse, and disenfranchisement. Many courts in America continue to refuse consideration of disability harassment as a serious crime that is comparable to racism or sexism - something that leaves those who experience disability harassment without equal protections under the law.

Millions of Americans with Disabilities are deprived of their rights, despite legal protections related to them, due to a lack of awareness and failure to provide them with reasonable accommodations in a number of areas. Persons with disabilities in this nation continue to face considerable levels of discrimination related to employment, services, education, and housing, etc.

According to Census Brief 97-5, "About 1 in 5 Americans have some kind of disability, and 1 in 10 have a severe disability." According to the HUD, greater than forty-percent of the population of people who are homeless in America are persons with disabilities. More Than Two-Fifths Of Homeless Have Disabilities. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness. In comparison, only 6% of Americans are severely mentally ill (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). The one-hundred and fifty page 2008, 'Annual Homeless Assessment Report,' issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, did not provide encouraging news.

• 17.7% of adults in America experienced disability
• 42.8% of sheltered, homeless adults experienced disability
• 1.3 million children who are homeless at some point every single year

Disability, in particular, mental health disabilities, can make it difficult to work enough to afford adequate housing.

Adults with disabilities living in poverty comprise 30.7% relative to the population in America that experienced poverty as a whole.

The number of persons with disabilities who are homeless is higher than the number of people who are living in poverty - something that tells everyone that people with disabilities are having a difficult time finding a place to live, or a landlord who is willing to rent to them. The disability they experience is making it less easy to accommodate them without adaptive supports.The resources people with disabilities need in order to survive in America are simply not present in the amount they need to be where housing is concerned.

Apparently, programs such as SSI and SSDI are unable to keep people with disabilities (vets) from experiencing homelessness.The average annual-payment to a person on SSI for 2009 is $6,048, while the poverty rate for a single-person household is $10,830. One has to wonder what people are supposed to eat, let alone how they are supposed to afford rent. The average annual SSI payment is approximately 44% BELOW poverty level. People with a lack of sufficient work history do not qualify for SSDI; something that is common among persons with severe mental illness or substance abuse issues who are most susceptible to deep poverty in America.

Lack of opportunity, despite a person's skills - or inability to work, make affording a place to live extremely difficult if not impossible. Achieving accessible housing with accommodations such as adaptive supports may be impossible. The Community Choice Act has never been so important as it is right now.

It suggests that unreasonable and insane fears on the parts of government leaders and the public related to the misuse of Social Security funding have kept people with justified disabilities living in deep poverty and homelessness for entirely too long - reports such as this one by the Department of Housing and Urban Development prove it.

The continued, government-enforced impoverishment of People with Disabilities in America is tantamount to the very slavery that President Obama has recently described. Now, President Trump in office - statistics prove that no matter what party has been in office, this abuse of people with disabilities in America has continued.

There has been an Equal Rights Act in America; an Americans with Disabilities Act - and still this blatant, unremitting, and completely unjustified abuse of people with disabilities continues in this nation. The government of the United States of America, in order to ensure the rights of Persons with Disabilities, has a number of different obligations. The foremost obligation in this writer's mind is the obligation to Protect the Most Vulnerable - which means the U.S. government must actively reach out to those citizens with disabilities who are most marginalized and excluded from the communities of America and face the greatest barriers to the realization of their rights.

The United States government is obliged to ensure Non-discrimination - meaning it must work to prevent discriminatory outcomes due to ability, race, gender, language, or additional factors with the goal of ensuring equity in the fulfillment of the rights of everyone in America. Our government is obliged to protect us as persons with disabilities - meaning the U.S. government must take measures to prevent individuals or third parties such as employers or civil society organizations from interfering in any way from the realization of disabled rights. Until every citizen in America experiences true equality in America; until every citizen has equal access to public buildings - America still experiences the very slavery it speaks so proudly about having abolished.

Resources and References:

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm

The Discover Human Rights Institute - www.discoverhumanrights.org

http://www.stopbullyingcoalition.org/remedy

http://stopbullyingcoalition.org/fairhousing

Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment Harassment and Liability for Discriminatory Housing Practices Under the Fair Housing Act; A Proposed Rule by the Housing and Urban Development Department on 10/21/2015. Federal Register Oct 21, 2015, https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-26587

U.S. Census

https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-abuse-people-disabilities

Why America ignore the historical factors that African Americans are afflicted with "Racial Trauma."

What is Racial Trauma for African Americans/blacks in America? 

In addition to the mental health symptoms of individuals who have encounters with law enforcement, those who witness these events directly or indirectly may also be impacted negatively. In an attempt to capture how racism and discrimination negatively impact the physical and mental health of people of color, many scholars have coined the term "racial trauma" or race-based traumatic stress. Racial trauma may result from racial harassment, witnessing racial violence, or experiencing institutional racism (Bryant-Davis, & Ocampo, 2006; Comas-Díaz, 2016). The trauma may result in experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, feelings of humiliation, poor concentration, or irritability. 

Effects of Racial Trauma on Communities of Color 

Decades of research have noted the impact of discrimination and racism on the psychological health of communities of color. Although not everyone who experiences racism and discrimination will develop symptoms of race-based trauma, repeated exposure may lead to the following. According to a report on The Impact of Racial Trauma on African Americans, Dr. Walter Smith notes the following effects of racial trauma: 

Increase vigilance and suspicion – Suspicion of social institutions (schools, agencies, government), avoiding eye contact, only trusting persons within our social and family relationship networks 

Increase sensitivity to threat – Defensive postures, avoiding new situations, heightened sensitivity to being disrespected and shamed, and avoiding taking risks 

Increase psychological and physiological symptoms – Unresolved traumas increase chronic stress and decrease immune system functioning, shift brains to limbic system dominance, increase risks for depression and anxiety disorders, and disrupt child development and quality of emotional attachment in family and social relationships 

Increase alcohol and drug usage – Drugs and alcohol are initially useful (real and perceived) in managing the pain and danger of unresolved traumas but become their own disease processes when dependency occurs 

Increase aggression – Street gangs, domestic violence, defiant behavior, and appearing tough and impenetrable are ways of coping with danger by attempting to control our physical and social environment. 

  

Racial Trauma Causes 

During the Obama Administration: According to the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent in 2016 "Citing the past year's spate of police officers killing unarmed African American men, the panel warned against "impunity for state violence," which has created, in its words, a "human rights crisis" that "must be addressed as a matter of urgency." The group of experts, which includes leading human rights lawyers from around the world, presented its findings to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday, pointing to the continuing link between present injustices and the dark chapters of American history. 

"In particular, the legacy of colonial history, enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism, and racial inequality in the United States remains a serious challenge, as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent," the report stated. "Contemporary police killings and the trauma that they create are reminiscent of the past racial terror of lynching." (Washington Post, 2016). 

In its report, it specifically dwells on the extrajudicial murders that were a product of an era of white supremacy: Lynching was a form of racial terrorism that has contributed to a legacy of racial inequality that the United States must address. Thousands of people of African descent were killed in violent public acts of racial control and domination and the perpetrators were never held accountable. 

The reparations should come in a variety of forms, according to the panel, including "a formal apology, health initiatives, educational opportunities ... psychological rehabilitation, technology transfer and financial support, and debt cancellation." 

On August 13, 2017, a White Nationalist hate group came to profoundly erupted an evil protest in a quiet town Charlottesville, Virginia to exercise their 1st and 2nd Amendment rights. They arrived with machine guns, dressed with military uniforms and shields, "without masks" with bare faces shouting out hateful racist remarks provoking fights with young college students and counter-protesters ready to start a race war. In America, these White supremacist groups have a legacy of racial inequality shaped by the enslavement of millions of black people. After the era of slavery was followed by decades of terrorism, during the period between the Civil War and World War II, thousands of African Americans were lynched in the United States. Lynchings were violent and public acts of torture that traumatized black people throughout the country and were largely tolerated by local, state and federal officials. These lynchings were terrorism. "Terror lynchings" peaked between 1880 and 1940 and the 21st century claimed the lives of African American men, women, and children who were forced to endure the fear, humiliation, and barbarity of this widespread phenomenon unaided. 

Today lynching is such a different form. The rationalization of self-defense and fear of a black person is the "new law" and the logical excuse for the justice system. Such black motorist traffic stops [Philando Castile], black motorists in a "mental crisis" [Ryan LeRoux’s] , sleeping in our beds [Breona Taylor]; knocking on doors to turn down music [ Jaylene Jones ], or asking a question, walking through the neighborhood [Trayvon Martin], jogging through the neighborhood [Ahmaud Arbery], asking a neighbor a question  [Alike Owens] and not resisting arrest [George Floyd]. These unjustified murders give many racists to challenge the justice system on how to get away with murdering a black person. Just watching some of these murders exacerbate "racial terror" similar to ancestors watching their loved ones "hang on a tree" just because they read a book. 

Yet, still today the same protest rule doesn't apply to African American citizens who exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to bare arms; blacks get murdered without any re-approach. Statistics prove that 71% of murdered cops are by white offenders. However, the myth still remains that "Black people owning guns would upset the social order". At this KKK & White Nationalist protest in Virginia on TV lawmakers and police officers didn't say a word to these "hate" groups concerning their weapons as if it's tolerable to have them conceal such weapons to provoke and cause trauma to innocent protestors. We had too many local, state, and federal politicians quiet about these white supremacist hate group protests in Charlottesville, VA and it is traumatizing for minorities. 

It's the truth how African Americans were enslaved for the purpose of "free forced labor" and slavery was the worst oppression of human mankind that America has ever known but the psychodynamics of the racist psychopaths in America wants to return back to slavery.  However, most of the protestors don't desire slavery and are opposed to returning back to those evil racist days. But when racism is not protested, it is still hidden and affecting African Americans in other ways such as systemic or institutionalized bigotry; blacks are still statistically economically, and socially unequal in pay, advanced job opportunities, housing, boardrooms, education and CEOs in companies, etc., however, harassed by police targets and stops, patterns of excessive force, search, fined and arrest black residents at a disproportionate rate; it's not about public safety but for revenue; mass incarceration "free forced labor" (servitude) and unfair justice system that the usual pattern or practice of unlawful conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and federal statutory law." According to Pew Research Center, Republicans and Democrats politicians both agree that African Americans experience the most racial discrimination from society however local, state and federal civil rights agencies ignore these statistics and refuse to properly investigate complaints from African Americans.

America is not yet a "colorblind" or a "diversified' society in a lot of areas especially when we witness politicians besides Donald Trump who believed there was evil on "two sides" in the quiet town of Charlottesville, Va. which led to a murdered young lady; two helicopter police officers died; and several innocent injured protesters by a car by one KKK member.  The White Nationalist protesters who were aggressively narcissistic dressed in military combat, guns, and shields igniting a "race war" and shouting out racial obscenities to protesters; surprisingly there were no "direct" arrests or injuries against the hate group members because of their "evil" actions in Charlottesville, Va. I am sure there was no "risk or fear" that these racists didn't lose their employment expressing "hate" who are possibly teachers, judges, police officers, etc.,  working in the community with African Americans who have to deal with these racist actions every day.  Whereas if blacks express their rights "silently"  and refuse to stand -stating "no hateful or evil words" to a flag and song that was created during slavery; lose their employment or income without any recourse. That is how powerful "White Supremacy" is in this Nation.

Most African Americans and/or blacks view "White Nationalist" as a psychopathic and evil hate group with a history of lynching, rapes, dominating, and torture, which exacerbates anxiety and trauma to minorities, "How can anyone compare these racists to be "good people?" America watched the actions of Presidents and other politicians negatively handle the situation similar to past politicians choosing to ignore, be silent, or manipulate statements that there were no good "two sides" from the protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. While the White Nationalist represents the (below) picture they are "psychopaths and sadists" that is controlling and in the business of deriving pleasure from the suffering, and/or inflicting physical pain on blacks or homicide.

References:

http://www.people-press.org/2016/12/08/2-discrimination-and-conflicts-in-u-s-society/

DOJ Files Complaint Against City of LA and CRA/LA Alleging They Fraudulently Obtained Millions in Housing Grants for Disabled

"The complaint filed yesterday underscores the Department's commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are provided equal access to federally-funded public housing, as required by law..."

The United States late yesterday filed a complaint in intervention against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA (formerly the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles) alleging that together they fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in housing grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by falsely certifying that the money was being spent in compliance with federal accessibility laws.

The complaint in intervention -- which replaces a complaint previously filed on behalf of the United States by a "whistleblower" -- alleges the city and CRA/LA received federal money by falsely promising to create accessible housing for people with disabilities. Instead of creating accessible housing, they used the money to create inaccessible housing that deprived people with disabilities an equal opportunity to find housing of their choice.

The city repeatedly certified its compliance with federal accessibility laws to obtain the federal funds without taking the required steps to ensure it complied, according to the complaint, which further alleges that many of the HUD-assisted apartment buildings failed to meet minimum accessibility requirements. The city allegedly approved the design and construction of inaccessible buildings, with, among other things:

• Slopes and ramps that are too steep for safe passage by persons with mobility disabilities;
• Door thresholds that are too tall for wheelchairs to roll over;
• Steps that prohibit access to common areas;
• Kitchen cabinets, shelves, and surfaces that are outside of the accessible reach ranges of persons who use wheelchairs;
• Sinks, grab bars, mailboxes and circuit breakers mounted beyond the reach of wheelchair users;
• Pipes below sinks and lavatories that are not insulated, thereby posing a physical threat of burns to people who use wheelchairs; and
• Insufficient numbers of accessible parking spaces in garages and lots.

"The complaint filed yesterday underscores the Department's commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are provided equal access to federally-funded public housing, as required by law," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department's Civil Division.

"Despite the federal government investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Los Angeles to create housing for everyone, the City of Los Angeles instead created housing only for some," said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Brown for the Central District of California. "For 17 years, the city falsely certified that it had complied with federal law and covered up its repeated disregard of historic and important civil rights laws."

The city and the CRA/LA allegedly violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act, as well as failed to fulfill their duty to affirmatively further fair housing. Congress passed these accessibility laws to ensure people with disabilities have an opportunity to live in an integrated society, achieve independent living, and have the same opportunities for economic and social self-sufficiency as other citizens.

By law, the city and the CRA/LA are required to comply with the federal accessibility laws. They could not -- neither directly, nor through contractual or other arrangements -- deny people with disabilities the opportunity to benefit from housing services or subject them to discrimination based on disability.

The accessibility laws require recipients of federal funds to operate their housing programs in a manner that is accessible to people with disabilities. Among other things, they must have a system in place to ensure compliance with the laws. They are required to develop nondiscriminatory policies and practices, hire a coordinator knowledgeable about accessibility, and implement a grievance procedure that allows for just resolution of complaints. They also must maintain a publicly available list of accessible units and their accessibility features so that people who require those features are able to find housing.

The federal accessibility laws also require that recipients of federal monies have a method in place to avoid giving accessible units needed by people with disabilities to people who do not need accessibility features. The laws also require that recipients of federal monies monitor apartment buildings to ensure they are designed, constructed and altered in compliance with the law so that, among other things, five percent of all units in certain multifamily housing will be accessible to people with mobility impairments, and an additional two percent will be accessible to people with visual and auditory impairments.

The United States' lawsuit alleges that the city and CRA/LA failed to meet these legal obligations.

The lawsuit, United States ex rel. Ling, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al., CV11-974-PG, was originally filed in U.S. District Court by whistleblowers Mei Ling, a resident of Los Angeles who uses a wheelchair, and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a non-profit civil rights advocacy group. The United States elected to intervene in the lawsuit and take over the litigation, which prompted the unsealing of the whistleblowers' complaint in June. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez.

The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam -- or whistleblower -- provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States when they believe that a party has submitted false claims for government funds, and to receive a share of any recovery.

This matter was investigated by the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the HUD Office of Inspector General.

The claims asserted against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Published: 2017-08-01 - U.S. Files new complaint against city of LA and a former redevelopment agency to recover millions of federal grant dollars allegedly obtained by making false promises to provide housing to persons with disabilities. For further information pertaining to this article contact: USDOJ Office of Public Affairs (SMO) at justice.gov.

Housing Opportunity Commission of Montgomery County Maryland fails the Fair Housing Act against the Disabled Section 8 voucher holders

 "Laws in America require employers, schools, landlords, as well as governments to make services accessible to persons with disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations or modifications." However, millions of Americans with Disabilities are deprived of their rights, despite legal protections related to them, due to a lack of awareness and failure to provide them with reasonable accommodations in a number of areas. Persons with disabilities in this nation continue to face considerable levels of discrimination related to employment, services, education, and housing, etc. We all heard the saying, "Politics is dirty" but when it comes to discrimination it's not politically correct to cease it however it's ignored. "Disability discrimination should have no place in this nation " and it doesn't matter what political party in office" its disregard intentionally.

"Disability Lives Matter", this new journey of being disabled is realizing life is a gift, the importance of our voice and existence in this world! Disabled & Inspired: Still believe, achieving dreams and renewed hope! We started this blog in 2016 after Obama passed "Mental Illness Awareness Month" 2016 to write about our journey, experience, injustice, and challenges as a disabled person. And connecting with others around the globe, networking and sharing our journey and exchanging information. 

As we started this journey blogging about disability, we discovered it's a dark side to be disabled as we try to fit in this "culture" to have equal access, treatment, reasonable accommodation, and ADA, etc., and to cease discrimination, inequity, and bullying. We decided that our "voices" need to be heard just like any other American; that because we are a disabled person, "we should be included" in society not excluded from the general public. While some expect us to be fearful, dismissive, passive or silent because of our income status, gender or disability;  we're human capable, able and assertive in communicating in a clear, concise, and honest manner, respecting our own rights and feelings and the rights and feelings of others.  Similar to our admirer Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who started the Poor People’s Campaign in a nonviolent approach who address issues of economic justice and housing for the poor in the United States which still remain unresolved.  

March 2017, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill that landlords must not discriminate against Section 8 voucher holders in Maryland. So what about these agencies and/or housing providers such as HOC and other agencies who use their powers to help discriminate and oppress Section 8 voucher holders? For example, An HOC Market Analyst sent an email to a landlord to cancel my friend a disabled Section 8 voucher holder application for an accessible apartment before the approval process wasn't finalized! As you can see that HOC employee conspires with the landlord against Section 8 voucher holders, the Maryland lawmakers need to know that landlords aren't the only ones that discriminate against Section 8 voucher holders. In addition, that it's permissible that Section 8 voucher holders pay $150 dollars and over more than their vouchers are worth to keep their home, "what a financial struggle" for those who are considered impoverished.

The difference of source income status and/or disability we shouldn't be condemned with institutionalized bigotry oppression. We are guaranteed to the highest secular law of this nation: the Constitution and its promise of equality before the law and its implicit purpose to guarantee the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. The promotion of freedom of speech which is our first fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Bill of Rights. Is America not a totalitarian country or government? Some agencies hate the vulnerable clients they serve. I am sharing a story about a friend; how agencies try to suppress her speech; to force her to stay where a contractor sexual harassed her and she is disabled. While it's hard for her to gain access to her apartment after her doctors warned that it's not good for her health, she is only receiving this form of punishment because of her "freedom of speech. 

Against the founder of "Disabled Lives Matter," I decided to write her story about her direct discrimination experience that is happening against her with the Housing Opportunity Commission in Montgomery County, Maryland. They don't like Section 8 advocacy, association or the poor to advocate in Montgomery County, Maryland; it's intolerable.  She was diagnosed with 4 chronic illness and she needs to relocate to a 1st-floor unit due to her physical impairments supported by doctor's certifications. The Housing Opportunity Commission (HOC), EEOC employee sent her an email and said her request was denied to relocate was because of a $4.00 difference. In addition, he turned down her reasonable accommodations down by misleading and misrepresenting the facts by email to her with various excuses out of retaliation only to abuse his powers. Can you imagine an EEOC officer who supposes to believe in "Equal Opportunity" for all would try to coerce a disabled person from her fair housing rights? In addition, try to intimidate and interfere with her exercising her fair housing rights by refusing to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, and services to have access to an accessible unit on an equal basis as a nondisabled person? Dirty politics.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law that bans housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status, which are often described as “protected classes.” It can also mean giving an illegal preference to one group over another because of a protected status. In a nutshell, the FHA makes it unlawful to deny housing to someone—or treat him adversely—because he is a member of a protected class. Under the FHA, it’s unlawful to refuse requests for reasonable accommodations and/or modifications when necessary to allow individuals with disabilities to fully use and/or enjoy a dwelling.  Title II prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs, services, and activities provided or made available by public entities. HUD enforces Title II when it relates to state and local public housing, housing assistance and housing referrals. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities conducted by HUD or that receive financial assistance from HUD. 

Another HOC employee, a Market analysis slander her name to a landlord and aggressively instructed the landlord to cancel her application. Now the landlord will not talk or return her phone calls, this is how HOC employees spend their 8 hours harassing or abusing their powers against Section 8 voucher residents. She thought the landlord had a good relationship because they talked once a week before this incident occurred with HOC.  However,   she had filed a fair housing complaint against Housing Opportunity Commission (HOC) in the past, therefore, HOC employees find every opportunity to retaliate against her which is against the law.  You can assume that the employees get recognition or a promotion against any Section 8 voucher holders they may have issues against.  They label her as a "troublemaker" just because she filed a fair housing complaint which is lawful and within her rights. "No civil rights officer, employee or agent may intimidate, threaten, harass, coerce, discriminate or otherwise retaliate against anyone who has filed a complaint of alleged discrimination or who has participated in any manner in an investigation or other proceeding raising allegations of discrimination".   

Housing Opportunity Commission already certified her current unit on June 26, 2017, even though it is unsafe and unhealthy before she picked up her new voucher on June 28th, 2017. HOC already made a decision that she will not be able to move to an accessible unit on the 1st floor. Even though her doctors informed HOC that it's unhealthy to stay in her current unit since May 5th, 2017. HOC is gambling with her life which they are held liable if something happens to her because she has bad pulmonary issues, if a fire or electric or anything of such happens the State of Maryland or anyone who is aware is held liable that violates her life. She provided several doctors notes to HOC and other agencies on May 5, 2017. HOC and staff personally believe that they will not be held responsible for her life because of their hate and discrimination, "Hate Never Wins". Her church community opens their doors to allow her to stay with them until she gets her accessible unit as HOC is being retaliatory and bullying a disabled person.  However, she is paying rent in her current unit and not living there which the landlord is being honored with "free rent" by HOC (taxpayers money).  In addition, the extra funds over the voucher amount which she struggled to pay for 2 years as a disabled person. You have to wonder why the politicians and/or other agencies supporting such rhetoric and "hateful acts" in Montgomery County, MD against the vulnerable? "Equal justice and equal opportunity should be a reality but it's not". 

The shared values of diversity, inclusion, and access to opportunity are central to who we are as a nation, but, all too often, our ability to fulfill that vision of America is undermined by our failure to take thoughtful, strategic action to promote fair housing choice. HOC desire to disempower the Section 8 voucher holder and/or the disabled community who speak about any rights that HOC don't agree with; and if you speak up about any rights you are "bullied". "On October 21, 2015, HUD proposed a rule that would formalize and define harassment under the Fair Housing Act. This rule would recognize and protect important rights of persons covered by the Fair Housing Act in their home. And the rule would impose clear responsibility on the housing provider for any acts of harassment. HUD can hold providers of housing, including landlords, managers, and their agents responsible for protecting tenants from harassment. With a proposed new rule, HUD seeks to prevent housing providers from making inappropriate sexual or other demands on tenants and clarifies the responsibility of the housing provider to prevent harassment that creates a hostile environment depriving tenants of their rights. Housing providers can not evade liability for harassment that takes place in their buildings.

HOC and the MD county politics realize that Section 8 voucher holders have the fewest protections, no rights in forming associations and least access the legal resources. Poverty without a voice is the way they like it and to forbid the vulnerable their civil and human rights by controlling their voucher, withhold programs and to ignore they are living in an unsafe environment or they will threaten to make Section 8 voucher holder homeless.  Why or what she writes or speaks bothers them? Because it's the truth. If it's not true and it's fabrication, why retaliate? Why take away her civil rights or dignity? Why her disability bothers them?  Section 8 voucher holder is basic institutional slavery? Want to control her because she is Section 8 voucher resident? Don't like her politics? What is the truth? Are these human rights standards or abuses committed by Housing Opportunity Commission acceptable because of income status?  Because the politicians turn their head and ignore the abuses because most of the clients are "people of color, disabled and our seniors."

There are those in power both democrats or republicans who oppressed the vulnerable community and protect agencies who abuse us. There has been an Equal Rights Act in America; an Americans with Disabilities Act - and still this blatant, unremitting, and completely unjustified abuse of people with disabilities continues in this nation.

"There are people who groom themselves too aggressively victimized and convert abuse to intimidate people like the vulnerable community only to distort or misrepresent to gain favor". 

References:

http://www.hocmc.org/rental-programs/fair-housing.html

HUD to Apply Fair Housing Act Against Bullying

Fair Housing Laws and Presidential Executive Orders

Fair Housing Complaint Process

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” — Lord Acton