Approved by the NCIL Membership May 2001
WHEREAS, NCIL finds that people with disabilities are subject to discriminatory practices in housing such as:
- Segregated housing;
- Mandatory services attached to the housing including case management or therapy session;
- “Special or different terms and conditions” imposed on the person seeking housing such as mandatory means programs;
- Prohibited inquires by housing providers into a person’s nature or severity of disability;
- Denial of a reasonable accommodation/modification request, requirement on housing applications to prove an ability to live independently, and interference with or threatening, coercing, intimidating a person exercising their rights to acts of retaliation;
It is now agreed, by the NCIL Board and membership that people with disabilities must have equal opportunities to own or rent housing which is affordable, accessible, integrated in settings that are free from special terms or conditions and are of the individual’s choosing.
It is further agreed that the NCIL Board and membership shall affirmatively further their fair housing and civil rights of all people with disabilities through such actions as;
- Opposing any legislative initiatives on the federal, state or local levels which erode existing fair housing rights
- Encouraging all members to pursue state and local introduction of legislation to create a law requiring “Visit-ability” (basic access) in all affordable housing units financed with public funds;
- Actively encourage all members to assertively work toward changing oppressive housing policies and procedures which tend to isolate, segregate, treat different, deny a home loan, or require mandatory services on their local and state levels.
- Actively encourage all members to assertively work towards full enforcement and expansion of existing fair housing laws.
- Support provision of housing to accommodate people with Environmental Illness/MCS, due to the need for chemical free environment.
- Oppose initiatives which support CILs operating or managing “permanent housing”, or ownership initiatives which interfere advocacy and delivery of core IL philosophy.
The NCIL Board and members support real housing, which incorporates and reflects these principals of civil, human and fair housing rights contained in this resolution.
- Coordinate with DRACH for the benefit of obtaining necessary knowledge about Fair Housing issues, activist housing training, individual advocacy with exercising fair housing rights and work on the Consolidated and Housing Authority Plans. NCIL will share instructional “how to” action packets with members, through national mail outs, and refer members to DRACH for further assistance.
Submitted by: NCIL Organizational Member, DRACH
