On August 3, 2016, in association with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid’s Disability Law Center, Anthony Ostlund filed a class action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of people with disabilities who are being denied access to individualized housing options and forced to remain in group homes.
The case is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which require states to ensure people with disabilities receive services in integrated settings. The lawsuit claims that the Minnesota Department of Human Services allows very few people to access individualized housing options and refuses to help hundreds of people currently forced to remain in corporately owned and operated homes. They experience isolation, lack of control, and an overall helplessness about their lives. The plaintiffs are asking for help to find and move into homes they choose with services they control.
More information on this lawsuit can be found at the following links:
http://www.accesspress.org/blog/2016/08/10/housing-is-focus-of-class-action-lawsuit/
