NLIHC, in partnership with the Association for the Preservation of Rural Independent Living (APRIL), the World Institute on Disability, and the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, will host a webinar entitled “Emergency Relocations and Non-Congregate Sheltering: Using Federal Disaster Recovery Resources to Save Lives” on May 26, 1-2:30 p.m. ET. Register for the free webinar here.
Individuals with disabilities are among the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19. Both congregate shelters and congregate care facilities place unhoused individuals and those with disabilities at greater risk of COVID-19 infection and death. While some Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are attempting to access FEMA reimbursements to pay for the cost of moving individuals with disabilities out of congregate facilities and into hotels, others have been unable to do so, being informed by local governments that they plan to only work with shelter providers. Given the dangers congregate care facilities pose during a pandemic and the interconnected nature of independent living, housing, and homelessness, advocates in these respective fields must work together to ensure that FEMA and HUD assistance can be accessed and utilized to care for those most in need during this pandemic and during future disasters.
The May 26 webinar will focus on how this disparity in assistance occurred, its implications, and how housing and disability justice advocates can move forward to ensure that this assistance can be accessed by all.
The webinar will be moderated by Dara Baldwin, director of National Policy at the Center for Disability Rights. Panelists will include Marcie Roth, executive director of the World Institute on Disability; Priya Penner of the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies; and Jodey Baney, director of Programs and Services at the Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living of North Central Pennsylvania.
Register for the free webinar at: https://bit.ly/3vbxgYr