Discrimination

Article on discrimination I wrote for a Wisconsin newspaper back in 2010

Local   Landlord   Discriminates   against   Elderly   and   Disabled   HUD Tenants   and   their   families 

It   has   been   brought   to  this  freelance   writers   attention   by disabled   veteran   Gary  Graham   that   his  elderly,   disabled,   and   ill  health sixty   years   old  mother   is  being   discriminated   against   in  a  section   eight housing   property   in    Sparta,   Wisconsin.  

   I  have   known   Mr.  Graham  for five   years   now  and   he  is  not  the   kind  of  man   to  make   a  ‘mountain   out of  a  molehill’  per   say.    Sunday,   November   4th  Mr.  Graham   went   to  visit his   mother   as  usual   at  her   home   at  Heritage   Haven   with  his  service  dog.     As  usual,   Mr.  Graham   had   his  white   Samoyed   female,   Destiny, on  her   leash   even   before   they   stepped   out  of  his  vehicle.     Destiny,   his service   dog, is  a  highly  trained   service   dog  that   loves   interacting   with other   people   especially   Mr.  Graham’s   ailing   mother   and   the   other  residents   at   the   housing   property   where   she   lives.    

Mr.  Graham   was  confronted   the   moment   he  arrived   on  the   property   by  the   property  manager   and   was  told  that   he  was  not  allowed   on  the   property   with ‘that   dog’.    Mr.  Graham   asked   him  since   when   were   animals  prohibited   but   the   property   manager,   Jim  Grub,   did  not  have   an answer.     Mr.  Graham   next  asked   Mr.  Grub   where   was  the  signs  posted   stating   that   family  and   friends   could   not   bring   family  pets   or therapy   /  service   /  hearing   /  seeing   dogs   onto   the   property   to  visit their   family  that   resided   at  Heritage   Haven.     Mr.  Grub   informed   Mr. Graham   that   there   were   not  any  signs   and   that   he  did  not  need   any.   Mr.  Graham   informed   Mr.  Grub   that   until  he  saw   in  writing   that   the  new   rules   were   in  effect   and   the   signs   were   posted   Mr.  Grub   could   not stop   anyone   from   visiting   their   family  as  they   had   been. 

Not   only  did  Mr.  Grub   attempt   to  bar   Mr.  Graham’s   entrance  with   his  needed   service   dog   but  he  also  tried   to  deprive   Mrs.  Sandra  Graham,   Mr.  Graham’s   mother,   the   visit  she   had   been   waiting   for  all week.     Mr.  Graham   needs   his  service   dog  since   he  has  substantial  hearing   loss and service related PTSD and   Destiny   alerts   him   to  people,   vehicles,   objects,   etc  and   without   her,   he  would   be  in  severe   danger   wherever   he  goes.   

  If you  have   had   the  privilege   to  spend   any  time   around   elderly   people  either   in  nursing   homes,   retirement   centers,   or  in  properties   like  this  you  will  know   that   the   highlight   of  the   elderly   people’s   week,   month,  or   year   is  when   they  get   any  kind  of  visitor,   especially  family.    Now  imagine   being   one   of  those   elderly   people,   you  have   one   child,  you both   love  animals,   and   that   child   has   a  well-trained   service   dog   that  he   brings   to  see   you  every   time   he  comes   to  see   you  since   he  needs  the   dog’s  assistance.     Now   imagine   the   manager   where   you  live  telling him   he  cannot   come   see  you  if  he  has  ‘that   dog’  with  him.    If  your  child   was   not   a  strong   willed   individual   you  would   not  get   your   visit because   your   child  would   turn   around   and   walk  away,  thankfully  Mrs.  Sandra   Graham’s   son,  disabled   career   Army  veteran   of  18  years   Mr. Gary   Graham,   is  a  strong   willed   individual   and   would   not  be  pushed  around   by  Mr.  Jim  Grub! The  following   day  after   this  incident   between   Mr.  Graham   and  Mr.  Grub,   Mrs.  Sandra   Graham   received   a  threatening   notice   from  Mr.  Grub.     This  notice   warned   her   that   if  her   son  continued   to  ignore  the   ‘rules’,   which   again   are   not  in  writing   or  posted,   she   would   be forced   out   of  the   her   home.     This  as  one  could   imagine,   highly distressed   Mrs.   Graham   who  has   a  heart   condition,   and   she   contacted  her   son   in  tears   to  see   if  this  was   something   the   property   could   do.   

 It is  disturbing   that   a  company   that   specializes   in  housing   for  the   elderly and   the   disabled   would   choose   to  attempt   to  limit  the   amount   of visitors   that   their   elderly   and   disabled   residents   have   as  well  as their  quality   of  life.     The  question   remains,   what   is the   reason   behind   the   sudden   shift  in  the   policy  of  Allegiant   Property  Management   LLC  towards   the  residents   and   their   family  members   of Heritage   Heights?