Recent Advocacy Efforts

*Updated*

Read commentary I wrote during the wee hours of an all-night I pulled Saturday evening (March 28th), which relates to some of my recent advocacy efforts concerning mental health, homelessness and housing pertaining to Vermont and cross-posted on four different blogs, here (via Green Mountain Daily) as well as, here (via Beyond VSH blog), here (via Vermont Watch blog) and, here (via iBrattleboro).

*Update*: Video version posted online (via Seesmic):

*Note*: last updated on Friday, April 3, 2009 at 3:33 AM (EDT).

Big Dreams, Tiny Houses

Video Credit: Eva Sollberger, Stuck in Vermont, 7Days, here (11/19/2008).

Additional information as well as several related photos, here (via Tiny House blog; 11/22/2008).

Read more about Peter King as well as his Vermont Tiny Houses dream and projects, here (via Burlington Free Press; 3/7/2009).

My Housing Search blist: 2009

Housing Search 2009

Housing Search 2009

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Housing Dreams?

Sometimes, including recently, I have been asked that if possible to acquire, what type of housing would I like?

Something along the lines of a Katrina Cottage have caught my interest a while ago when they first came to my attention.

In fact, although I had been aware of these cottages well before, earlier this year they were featured on Vermont Public Radio (VPR) during an episode aired concerning the need for affordable, efficient housing, here (click onto either the Listen or MP3 button(s) within the right-hand sidebar to hear the archived audio of the broadcast; Tuesday, February 12, 2008).

Seven Days also published an article about these matters as well, here (Wednesday, February 13, 2008).

As I understand it, these cottages were initially conceptualized and designed for victims of the Katrina Hurricane disaster, etc.

This type of housing might work for those who need it of various incomes and, also having them in different sizes — particularly families of course, at least if there were land available to put Katrina Cottages type of housing up on.

Yet, such cottages would of course have to be ones built and equipped to meet the needs of the long, cold, hard Winters of places like the Northeast in order to make such work within this region.

It would be even better if the cottages could be owned by those living there, possibly with the land held in public trust via a land trust or whatever, thus keeping costs lower and then with the owner only being able to sell the cottage for only so much depending on circumstances if they move and sell, etc.

It is just one of the dreams I have.

Hoping for the Best, Planning for the Worst

When I move out of my Winter digs this year, whether it be late Spring or early Summer, I will need to either have permanent (read: long term affordable) quarters to move and live or be forced to get rid of much of what belongings I have. This is a result of the fact that the place I have been able to store my stuff for free and have daily access to over several years in town will no longer be available to me. Thus, the way I figure it, I have maybe 3 months to attempt to find a place before then or dump anything I cannot manage to carry with me, which is not much these days. If the latter ends up being the case and, since I would not have a place to keep it both secure or available to me on a daily basis whenever I would want to ride it and, if they do not already have one and would be interested in it, I have already made the decision to let one of my adult children have the bicycle as well as everything that goes with it. While I am of course hoping for a best case scenario to happen, experience has taught me to plan as much as I am able in the event things do not work out as I hope they would and need them to occur. There is not much else I can do but that, except to give up and I will do my best to avoid that as well.

Podcast: Essay: Gracious Extra Miles & Beyond

Where I share an old essay of mine, which is actually an updated and slightly edited version drawn from an original essay of mine written during the early autumn of 2002.

Listen to this podcast, here; posted on my podcast page, here

Download:

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Read a previous version of the essay, here (August 31, 2006).

Patty Cooper is Not Horsing Around

Two weeks ago tomorrow (Sunday, October 14, 2007), one of my many Google News alerts notified me of yet another blog post by someone living in Vermont whose blog I had been aware of since about the time they first set up their blog and starting blogging post back in July of this year, which was about their new replacement service animal — a miniature horse named Earl (i.e., My New Service Animal).

It was something I found myself being somewhat skeptical about at first, yet decided to take a wait and see approach concerning, at least until that blog post of theirs posted nearly two weeks ago (here), which finally compelled me to give a more slow and careful read to more of their posts as well as do further research of my own on the subject.

As I did even more reading and research during the course of the day, I came to find out that the person had indeed done their homework and research on the subject. This led me to send out some of her posts as well as additional information on the subject to various parties, including to certain members of Vermont press, a few of whom responded with interest and wanting to learn the contact information for the blogger. Initially, this was a problem, since I only knew as much as they did due to the fact that the blog was somewhat anonymous with no means to contact the person directly other than via comments post to their blog.

Then it came to me as to one possible way to search for such and fortunately I was able to come across what was being requested. While I struggled about whether I should share it or not at first, I ended up deciding that since I found it all within the public domain, that it would be okay to do, especially since I knew the person could always request that they remain anonymous if need be and thus the decision about such would still be up to them.

As it turned out though, the individual ended up being fine with being contacted by the press. Additionally, I e-mailed the person myself, so they would be forewarned and know why the press was making inquiries and whom had sent them their way.

Last week David Gram‘s article hit the Associated Press wire and ended up being picked up all over the place, here [via Barre - Montpelier Times Argus; Saturday, October 20, 2007].

Finally, for those like myself who may have read the blog posts and wondered who the person was behind the blog, there was a name and a face as well as photos with some scale and perspective showing Earl and Patty Cooper side by side as she sat in her wheelchair.

Earlier this week I learned about a news segment that had WPTZ – Channel 5 – News had aired about Patty and Earl and, since I had missed it when it originally was broadcast, viewed it online, here.

Just today I came across an embed of the archived video clip:

[via LiveLeak, here; posted by beck64 (October 23, 2007); length: 1:49 minutes/seconds]

[came across the above embedded video via Nothing To Do With Arbroath, here]

Then I learned that on Thursday (10/25/2007) Patty was interviewed live and by telephone on Froggy 100.9 FM radio during the early morning show.

Prior to going on-air Patty had blogged the following (excerpted, here):

[...]

[...] I am getting a radio for Earl, so he can listen to Froggy 100.9

Although I was not able to catch that one either and it was not recorded for podcasting, I have since been informed by the morning radio show host that Patty will be back on for future updates, something I hope to be able to listen in on.

For those not already in the know, although the Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT) and others are referring to Earl as being a pony, the fact is there is a big difference between ponies and mini horses, just like there is a huge difference between ponies and larger horses. It is much like comparing apples to oranges.

In addition, an example of another person with a disability using a mini horse as a service animal can be found, here; via USA Today; 1/28/2007.

Make sure to read Patty’s blog in order to keep up with any forthcoming news regarding her situation.

On the Move, Again

[cross-posted at Green Mountain Daily, here]

When I moved into my Winter quarters last October 22nd (here), the arrangement agreed upon was that I would be moving out on the 22nd of either by April or some following month to be decided upon later by my kind and generous hosts, which ended up being June, just like what turned out to be the case last year as well.

Was informed last evening (Tuesday, June 19, 2007), however, that I could stay until next Monday (June 25th). Thus I will have this weekend to stay put, rest and relax prior to becoming mobile (read: houseless aka homeless) once again; at least until I can either make arrangements for next Winter or hopefully find permanent housing of my own with which to reside instead: Which means that come Monday I will basically be in couch surfing mode.

a home is a garden of life

let people find a place
where they can plant
fertile seeds — that contain
their own hopes and dreams,
from which they may then
draw harvests of plenty to
share with others and,
which they will call home,
for it is a garden where
lives thrive and are grown.

by Morgan W. Brown
August 13, 1999
Montpelier, Vermont, USA
On Monday of this week I began the daily process of gradually moving items into town to the place where I will once again be able to store and have easy access to them. This way come next Monday I will not have to end up hauling too much all at once and, when I do leave that morning, will be grabbing my hat off the door from where it has hanged since I had moved back in last Autumn.

P.S.

With apologies for the rather light posting for these last several months; especially given that most of my blogging efforts have been concentrated at the Montpelier Matters blog for some time now.

Myths re: Vermont Evictions

Recently Vincent Demetrios Midnight (emberiris) wrote (here; excerpted):

A Vermont eviction.
Apparently in “the cold months” you can’t be evicted in the state of Vermont, regardless of the circumstances. “The cold months” are until April if I’m not mistaken, meaning while my landlords will indeed hate me forever for taking a few liberties with the rent legally they can’t do much about it other than just hate me after I pay them the back-due rent. I’m not going to bother to look into all the details because I’m too lazy and all I really need is another few weeks of leniency, not months. Regardless, Other Girl has voiced that she doesn’t want to be homeless and what have you but the law is working in our favor this moment so that won’t be an issue. [...]

Read the entire blog post, here [via LiveJournal].

While it seemed to me that this was a common myth that is entirely false, I decided to e-mail Jack McCullough (Rational Resistance), a lawyer I know whom is well informed concerning housing and tenant law within the state, about it.

He got back to me and confirmed what I thought had been true. Jack’s e-mail (excerpted; posted with permission):

The post is entirely incorrect. Vermont does not, and never has had, any prohibition against winter evictions. This is a common myth, but it is dangerous to believe it or conduct yourself on the assumption that the winter months provide you with protection against eviction. The likely result is that you may be facing eviction during the worst possible time to be without housing.

For more information the poster may want to follow this link [here].

[...]

Additional information can be found at the Vermont Tenants, Inc.

Housing Now!

Just thought it was high time to repost the following poster, which I initially came across a couple of years back on Flickr (here; via irregulargirl):

housing, originally uploaded by irregulargirl
Amen!

[previously posted at Norsehorse's (Old) Home Turf, here (Tuesday, January 11, 2005); in addition, make certain to read a follow-up blog post of mine concerning: Housing First!, here (Thursday, January 13, 2005)]