CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE
105th Congress (1997)
FAIR HOUSING REFORM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH ACT OF 1997 (4/4/97)
The House of Representatives is considering HR 589, the "Fair Housing Reform and Freedom of Speech Act of 1997." The Judiciary Committee Constitution Subcommittee has secheduled a hearing on HR 589 for April 17, 1997. Members of the committee will vote on it soon after the hearing.
BACKGROUND:
HR 589 would exclude group homes for "recovering drug addicts,
convicted felons and sex offenders" from neighborhoods with single family dwellings. HR 589 would wipe out current Fair Housing Act protections for individuals in recovery from drug dependence by permitting localities to enforce zoning laws that restrict the number of unrelated occupants in such homes and their proximity.
For more information on HR 589,contact the Public Policy Office via e-mail at publicpolicy@ncadd.org.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your representative, and ask him or her to oppose all
amendments to the Fair Housing Act. Tell him or her:
- Drug treatment programs, drug courts and other
court diversion programs depend on group homes
to help individuals remain drug free.
- HR 589 is not necessary to create safe neighbor-
hoods because individuals who use drugs are
evicted from recovery homes and are not protected
by the Fair Housing Act. HR 589 could actually
lead to relapse by denying clean and sober housing
those in need.
- HR 589 would permit discrimination against
someone who has not used drugs even for 5, 10,
15 years or more, yet has to live in a group
home because of AIDS, mental illness, or other
disability.
HOW TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Email:
The U. S. House of Representatives
Write:
The Honorable --
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Call:
The Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask for
your representative's office.