Megan O'Neil

Writing this article places me in an uncomfortable position. Usually our program strives to help people with disabilities build assets in order to get off benefits; yet, the current debate over the future of Social Security finds me arguing to save this vital safety net for millions of disabled people. The disability community finds itself in uneasy territory, as well. After decades of battles for self-determination- some won, some lost, some on going- we once again find ourselves fighting for the program we love to hate.

This is not an article over the politics or economics of the Bush Administration; it is just one example of how support programs- like Social Security and HUD's community support programs- can serve as the first rung of the ladder out of poverty. This is an article about combining supported living projects with asset-based community development. It is how, with a little help from caring, committed organizations working with our government, people with disabilities can live, work and build assets in the communities of their choice. This is a story of support and how no one can or should survive alone. There will be times in all our lives when we need a helping hand- from our friends, our families, and maybe even our government.

War Over Social Security

There is a war being waged- not in Iraq or Afghanistan; but right here in the U.S., played out in the media and soon to reach the debate floors of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. This is the war over Social Security and it could have grave implications for people with disabilities. The Bush Administration has decided that after the November elections, they now have enough political capital to "re-invent" Social Security by allowing personal investment accounts; what has not been discussed in public are the effects on disability benefits.

Calculation of retirement and disability benefits uses the same formula, so if future promised retirement benefits are cut, then disability benefits also would be reduced -- unless the program is separated. "Anything they do to the retiree formula will affect people with disabilities," said Marty Ford of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities. That is what occurs in the main plan offered by Bush's 2001 Social Security Commission, which is responsible for designing a proposal for investment accounts. Promised disability benefits are reduced along with retiree benefits, in some cases up to 46 percent.ⁱ

Who are the people on Social Security?

Social Security protects more than retirees from abject poverty. According to the Coalition on Human Needs:
Over a third of the benefits paid by the program go to 17 million non-retirees. These include disabled workers and their dependents, and spouses and children of workers who are retired or deceased. Of particular concern are:

• Children make up 8% of beneficiaries. In fact, Social Security pays more benefits to children than does Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

• Disabled workers comprise 12% of beneficiaries.

• Women receive benefits as retirees, disabled workers, spouses and widows. About 44% of non-married elderly women rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income. For African American women the figure is much higher, at 74%.ⁱⁱ

Why Social Security is Necessary

Social Security guarantees working and retired Americans and their families economic stability that keeps them out of poverty. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) protects workers and their families against a physical or mental disability that can render someone unable to work; the survivors' insurance provides benefits to the families of deceased workers.ⁱⁱⁱ "The Social Security programs are insurance programs, not investment programs, designed to reduce risk from certain life events," said Marty Ford of the Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities.^iv

With all the recent talk over potential cuts in Social Security, not to mention Medicaid, Medicare, and a host of poverty-reduction programs, it bears mentioning the value these programs often play in the lives of people with disabilities. One of the biggest struggles that disability rights advocates have been championing over the last several decades is the right to live in the community. Largely due to programs like Social Security and the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision, which ruled that "unnecessarily" institutionalizing people with disabilities is a form of discrimination, people with all types of disabilities are finally living in the communities of their choosing.

"Asset-Based Community Development" meets "Supported Living"

At one time, institutions isolating individuals were once the only and thought to be the best option for people with severe disabilities. At that time, there were very few social support networks, entitlement programs or medications, and consumers at least had a place that provided minimal care in an institution^v.

Traditional residential programs for people with disabilities focused predominantly on what people could not do and tried to offer a treatment plan designed to teach people how to do what they could not do. Supportive living focuses on what people can do, provides community-based support for things people cannot do, and provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to acquire new skills that may open new employment opportunities or help live a more independent life^vi.

John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, who work at the Centre for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Northwestern University in Illinois, have developed an alternate approach to community development that, when combined with supported living techniques, can be inclusive to people with disabilities. Instead of assessing a community's deficiencies and needs, their process involves looking at all of the community's assets, capacities and resources. The first steps in this process involve building community networks and coalitions, who may then work together to solve their issues. By first mapping a community's asset base, it is easier to find creative solutions to fulfill current and future needs. This process builds community participation from the grassroots level upwards, and motivates and empowers the citizens to help themselves^vii.

The strategy of "asset based community development" proposed by Kretzmann & McKnight combined with the principles of supported living is not merely a theoretical abstraction. There are organizations across the country that have been implementing these concepts for years.

Ray Graham Association

For 54 years, Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities has been supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities. Serving over 2,300 children and adults at 39 locations across Illinois, Ray Graham is an innovative, person-driven organization that supports and works with people with disabilities, their families and the community to improve their quality of life.

However, the Ray Graham Association goes beyond providing financial assistance. They begin with a future planning assessment to determine if homeownership is a feasible or even a desirable option. Ficker Terrill reminds us that homeownership is not for everyone- disabled or not. She worked with the Home of Your Own Alliance to help produce a financial curriculum for homeownership for people with developmental disabilities. They altered language to be more user-friendly and employed more real-life circumstances. Ficker Terrill welcomes community organizations to partner with the Ray Graham Association to empower adults with developmental disabilities to have equal access to employment options, affordable housing, inclusive education and accessible transportation^viii.

Community Vision Inc.

Community Vision Inc., located in Portland, Oregon, is a non-profit organization providing living and employment support for persons with developmental disabilities. They empower people to live and work in the communities of their choice. Community Vision pioneered and has proven that in a cost effective manner, assisting one person at a time to live in their own home with 24-hour staffing provides the stability they need to work, volunteer and actively participate in communities of their choice. Community Vision has demonstrated for more than a decade that Oregonians with disabilities can live productively, with dignity, and greater self-determination at vastly reduced cost to taxpayers.

According to Joe Wykowski, executive director, their inclusive program works with lenders like Washington Mutual in combination with Fannie Mae's Homechoice Program, to develop flexible lending plans including waiving requirements like lack of extensive credit histories. Community Vision collaborates with not-for-profit and for-profit developers and community land trusts to build accessible homes for their clients. They also work with the city government and Federal Home Loan Bank to find down-payment assistance. In some instances, HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency program has been able to help some of their Section 8 clients use their vouchers to build assets towards homeownership. Wykowski points out that there is not one template to use for every person. Each individual has existing supports to utilize, as well as the opportunity to develop new options from programs and ideas that have yet to be employed.

Financial counseling for first time homebuyers is also offered. Community Vision staff meet with each person individually to accommodate for his or her needs. Sometimes it is merely a matter of providing a quiet space to concentrate or explaining concepts in more concrete terms using personal examples. Since Oregon Housing and Community Services support the ABC's of Homebuying training course, most community organizations use the same curriculum which helps streamline the process. This is especially true for Wykowski, who teaching classes and conducts seminars for Realtors and lenders in the Portland Metropolitan area.

Community Vision also offers on going post-purchase assistance on an as-needed basis. They have provided tax-deferral advice for some new homeowners and staff members work with community volunteers to donate their time to help with routine maintenance. Wykowski insists that despite all they do to help make homeownership a reality, the hardest part is convincing people with disabilities that it is possible to own a home of your own^ix.

Conclusion

This edition of EQUITY marks our first year as an online publication. We started EQUITY with the help of our fellow AATPP partners as a vehicle to unite two communities that can clearly benefit from one another's knowledge. Beginning with 1,000 initial recipients, we have grown to an audience of nearly 20,000 receiving EQUITY in January 2005.

A survey we conducted in December found that our readers are a very diverse group. Thirty percent of respondents are affiliated with asset building organizations; thirty percent are from disability organizations; with government agencies, policy and research organizations, credit union representatives, and individuals with disabilities accounting for nearly ten percent each.

This article provides an excellent example of how our two communities can collaborate. Fusing asset-based community development concepts and supported living principles supplies a mechanism for helping a segment of society that so desperately wants to improve their quality of life. Tapping into community resources, both at Independent Living Centers and through asset building community-based organizations, is vital to the success of people with disabilities to become homeowners.

At first glance, it would seem that reforms that encourage personal savings and investments would only strengthen our causes; yet, we urge a deeper analysis of the proposed budgetary changes. Programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and HUD's community support programs, including Community Development Block Grants (which according to the Washington Post could be cut by as much as 50%^x), Food Stamps, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), and Earned Income Tax Credits are all at risk of facing devastating cuts^xi. These programs are vital to both of our communities: the connection between us has never been more important.

Want to help preserve Social Security as a social safety net? Get involved! Join USAction Activist Network and send a letter to President Bush and your Senators today.

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i Strope, Leigh, 2005. Disability benefits could face cuts: BUSH SOCIAL SECURITY PANEL LOOKS AT PERSONAL ACCOUNTS. San Jose Mercury News, Jan. 18, 2005.

ii CHN Human Needs Report: Social Security: A Human Needs Issue (1/14/05).

iii Economic Policy Institute, 2004. Introduction to Social Security.

iv ibid.

v Kretzmann, John and McKnight, John. "Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets.". Chicago, IL: ACTA Publications, 1993.

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/introd-building.html

vi Klein, Jay, 1994. The Principles of Supported Living. Excerpted from "Not Just Another "Rung" on the Continuum" TASH Newsletter, 1994.

vii ibid.

viii Interview with Cathy Ficker Terrill, conducted on January 5, 2005.

ix Interview with Joe Wykowski, conducted on January 12, 2005.

x Weisman, Jonathan, 2005. "Bush Plans Sharp Cuts in HUD Community Efforts" Washington Post, Friday, January 14, 2005; Page A01.

xi Human Needs Report, 2005. Bruising Budget Battle Looms; Entitlements at Stake (1/14/05) Coalition on Human Needs. January 14, 2005.