Surplus Properties

2006 Race for Fourth Barnstable District:
United Candidate Questionnaire

In early August, the United Disability Housing Partnership sent each of the declared candidates in the race for the Fourth Barnstable District a questionnaire focusing on major housing issues for persons living with disabilities. All candidates were given the opportunity to respond. Below you will find the answers we received from those candidates who responded to the questionnaire. The responses of the candidates who will appear on the general election ballot are listed first.

The questionnaire covered four issues vital to the disability community: funding of rental assistance programs; proposed restrictions to the siting of disability housing programs; implementation of universal design and visitibility regulations; and the disposition of former state school and state hospital properties.

Below, you will find links to each of the questions as well as all of the responses we received. Please note that the responses are taken verbatim from correspondence with the candidates. No attempt has been made to edit the answers in any way.

Read the candidates' responses on:

  1. Rental Assistance
  2. Civil Rights
  3. Physical Accessibility
  4. State Schools and State Hospitals

Read the questionnaire and candidates' responses in PDF
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  1. Housing costs in Massachusetts are among the highest in the country. A disproportionate number of persons with disabilities are low income, with many relying almost exclusively on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI provides monthly payments that are wholly inadequate to afford fair market rent in any region of the Commonwealth. The only way these individuals can afford a home is with some sort of assistance, often times a rental voucher. Unfortunately, current funding levels for state rental assistance programs are so low as to only serve a small fraction of the total population in need.
    • If elected, will you increase funding for state rental assistance programs such as the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) to more adequately address the housing needs of low-income and homeless persons with disabilities?

      Aaron Maloy: "Yes."

      Sarah Peake: "Yes."

      Ron Bergstrom: "Yes."

      Ray Gottwald: "Yes, I would sponsor legislation to increase funding for voucher programs."

      Don Howell: "Yes."

    • What other housing policies will you propose to address the specific needs of the disability community?

      Aaron Maloy: "- More funding for public housing renovation and modernization.
      - Stiffen penalties for those who don't honor State's anti-discrimination law.
      - Promote optional disabled-only housing communities tailored to specific needs.
      - Continue long-term rental support.
      - State and federal funding will go directly toward building and improving the quality of housing units for the disabled. Eliminate red tape.
      - Index aid to the disabled with inflation and cost of living.
      - Legislation that allows for the disabled to maintain a standard in their quality of life: Equal Right to attain High Quality of Life.
      - Make the cost of home improvements that are necessary to a disabled tax-payer a deductible medical expense. No minimum or maximum cap for visibility improvement medical deductible."

      Ron Bergstrom: "The State must aggressively support the production of affordable housing for people with disabilities and require privately produced housing to be accessible."

      Ray Gottwald: "Work with the towns and the Disablity Rights Committee's in my district to make sure the disabled have equal access to housing. Form greater collaborations between agencies serving senior citizens and the disabled. Work to increase funding for the Dept. of Housing and Community Development."

      Don Howell: "Most of the new units in Harwich are not coming from the Housing Authority, but rather HECH (an affordable housing provider). This is the same district wide (Lower Cape CDC and Habitat). As a board member of HECH, I can tell you that we are beginning to turn over our older portfolio to affordable purchasers (many times to their occupants). This is enabling us to go on an aggressive new build strategy. Since it is hard for us to even cover carrying costs/maintenance on the older units, retro-fitting them for accessibility is really not an option. But building new allows accessible considerations to be addressed in the build. Problem is, all state grant seed money has virtually evaporated towards "smart growth" initiatives (and other 'one size fits all' approaches). I would sponsor legislation to get the state back to measuring the merits of each project (including, of course accessibility considerations) as the sole determinant for seed capital."

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  2. Recently, the communities of Worcester and Framingham have proposed regulations that would restrict the siting of residences offering supportive services to individuals with disabilities. These regulations are in direct violation of existing federal and state law including the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Dover Amendment, and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If enacted, they would establish troubling precedents for the entire state.
     
    If elected, will you publicly support the right of persons with disabilities to live in any community and speak against discriminatory local proposals that seek to limit housing choice?

    Sarah Peake: "Yes."

    Aaron Maloy: "Yes."

    Ray Gottwald: "Yes, I served as the ADA Coordinator for the Division of Medical Assistance and as the Director of CARES ; a AIDS Service Organization. I have a long history as an advocate for individuals with disabilities."

    Don Howell: "You bet!"

    Ron Bergstrom: "Yes"

    Jump to Question 3 →

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  3. Over the past several decades, the environmental community has advocated successfully for State legislation that provides tax incentives for developers who build housing under the "green model."
     
    For persons with mobility impairments, particularly those who use wheelchairs, physical accessibility is a vitally important issue. If included during the initial construction phase, principles of universal design and visitability would add a negligible sum to total development costs and would allow new housing units to be easily modified for persons with disabilities. Additionally, implementing these design principles would allow residents to age in place, which would permit residents to remain in their homes rather than move to more expensive skilled nursing facilities.
    • If elected, what incentives would you offer to developers to incorporate principles of universal design and visitability into new housing?

      Sarah Peake: "Tax Credits and supplemental funding through establishing grant programs."

      Aaron Maloy: "- Income tax deduction.
      - Property tax deduction.
      - Ease zoning regulations.
      - Charitable tax credit."

      Don Howell: "One approach would be to offer zoning density bonuses for such construction to induce the market place to do this. I would also be inclined to support tax incentives, but without knowing more about what a developer would react to (and what we can reasonably offer within the budget), I really can't talk intelligently about that yet."

      Ron Bergstrom: "Transferable tax credits are one incentive."

      Ray Gottwald: "Yes."

    • Will you commit to helping strengthen the Architectural Access Board's (AAB) regulations to improve access to newly constructed housing units for persons living with disabilities?

      Aaron Maloy: "- Income tax deduction.
      - Property tax deduction.
      - Ease zoning regulations.
      - Charitable tax credit."

      Sarah Peake: "Tax Credits and supplemental funding through establishing grant programs."

      Don Howell: "One approach would be to offer zoning density bonuses for such construction to induce the market place to do this. I would also be inclined to support tax incentives, but without knowing more about what a developer would react to (and what we can reasonably offer within the budget), I really can't talk intelligently about that yet."

      Ron Bergstrom: "Transferable tax credits are one incentive."

      Ray Gottwald: "Yes."

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  4. With the advent of more cost-effective, humane, community-based services, it is now possible to consolidate former and current state hospital and state school sites, which saves valuable tax dollars and frees the sites for new uses. However, with large unmet housing needs for Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) clients, any state hospital or state school property that closes and is sold must provide benefits for the people with disabilities that once used such facility.
    • If elected, will you support the timely disposition of these surplus state properties and the use of a portion of the land where housing is to be developed on site, or the use of proceeds from these sales to address housing needs of DMH and DMR clients?

      Sarah Peake: "Yes."

      Aaron Maloy: "Yes."

      Don Howell: "Yes. My brother was institutionalized twice for severe depression and I had a mentally impaired cousin with whom I was extremely close. We have abandoned our weakest citizens and this is unconscionable."

      Ron Bergstrom: "Yes."

      • Ray Gottwald: "Yes."

    • How will you accomplish this?

      Aaron Maloy: "All proceeds from the sale and use of state facilities that provide or provided services to DMH and DMR clients will go directly toward constructing diverse residential communities for the disabled."

      Don Howell: "Work with all my colleagues (in both parties), bring it to the public at hearings - or go straight to the press, if need be. I was very successful as a Selectman in holding out funds for earmarking on the disposition of real property. Actually, I think the public likes to know where these proceeds go, especially when it goes to a cause that they can grasp and support; otherwise they just assume it goes into that 'government black hole' never to be seen again."

      Ron Bergstrom: "A limited time frame should be established during which public input would be taken on the disposition of these properties. After that they should be marketed and the proceeds targeted toward programs supporting the creation of housing for DHM and DMR clients."

      Ray Gottwald: "As the candidate who has been endorsed by SEIU 509 which represents employees in DMH and DMR, I will be a strong voice for DMH and DMR clients. I would work with the DCPO to make sure the best interests of the clients is represented."

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