2015 Election Disability Issues Survey

Alex White
For City Council

1. Would you support a city ordinance to develop an affordable and accessible housing trust fund for people with disabilities?

Yes, If we cannot convince the NYS housing trust fund to do this in Rochester then we must create one ourselves. Too much of the city’s efforts go to building high end housing. Being there is a shortage of housing which meet visitability requirements our city should help those in need to convert existing housing to meet this need. Housing trust funds have proved a good way to finance such work in other cities. We should also consider some sort of property tax relief, or at the least protection from property tax increases for disabled and elderly persons as well as property tax credits for improvements which are done to make a home accessible. Finally persons with disabilities or the elderly on fixed incomes should always receive preferential treatment for home repair assistance from the city.

2. Would you be in favor of more City resources being used to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice in the winter? What would be your plan to ensure accessible sidewalks throughout the winter months?

Yes, but I would need to see a plan which would do this. The city presently plows the streets 50% more frequently than sidewalks and spends only slightly more to plow many more miles when salt costs are removed. The problem is that we contract out sidewalk plowing while roads are plowed by staff. As a result we are not getting the most for our money. So we could do better, but the plows do not leave the sidewalks in a conditions that wheelchairs can navigate them anyways. Further street plowing blocks the entrance and exit to sidewalks. So without a completely different system we are not going to be able to make the sidewalks navigable.

3. Do you support a city plan to promote independent living for seniors and people with disabilities and ensure Olmstead compliance within NYS? And if so, what is your plan?

Yes. As part of my platform I would like to rehab most of the 4000 vacant houses in the city and return them to use. Some of these would be sold, but others should be given to some agency to help provide housing for people of need. As Olmstead compliance would be cheaper than institutionalization, using these buildings for disabled people or seniors would save money and provide better housing.

4. Would you support a city ordinance requiring Visitability legislation that would require all publicly funded newly constructed single family homes to have at least one no-step entrance, a first floor bathroom, and 36 inch clearance passage for all main floor internal doorways?

Yes. Building new homes to these standards would not cost much more money but would make the houses more valuable. I cannot understand why this has not already been done by previous administrations.

5. As a member of City Council, what will you do to make sure that the City Department of Neighborhood and Business Development ensures building accessibility?

Well the job of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development is to enforce the law and presently there is no local codes supporting building accessibility. So as a City Council member I would try to get accessibility and visitability rules into the city code and then I would check with the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development to make sure this is enforced.