An Open Letter to the Honorable Governor Charles D. Baker on COVID-19

Jerry Halberstadt Tue, 12/08/2020 - 20:06

December 8, 2020

The Honorable Governor Charles C. Baker
The State House

Dear Governor Baker,

We urge you to you pay heed to the warnings and counsel of experts in public health and act now to stop the spread of COVID-19, specifically by preventing gatherings that have been shown to enhance the spread, and by ongoing monitoring and enforcement of mandates.

Tags

housing
COVID-19
elderly
disabled
public health

An Open Letter to Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Public Health

Jerry Halberstadt Fri, 12/04/2020 - 21:12

December 4, 2020

To: Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Public Health

c/o Dr. Edward Bernstein, Public Health Council

Dear Commissioner Bharel,

In the Commonwealth, as well as across the nation, the valuable expertise of public health is being ignored, as people heedlessly expose themselves and others to COVID-19.

Tags

public health
housing
elderly
disabled

Alert: A Public Health Crisis Threatens Lives of Elderly & Disabled

Jerry Halberstadt Fri, 11/20/2020 - 20:40
Team of neighbors distribute masks to all tenants: Cheryl, Judy, Irene
COVID-19; the average age of death from COVID is 80. You, the leaders of the Commonwealth—our legislators, the Governor, and the Department of Public Health—are responsible for acting to enable, empower, and enforce public health protocols for landlords and tenants. We tenants have already begun. To save our lives, this is what you—Governor Baker and legislators—must do.

Tags

COVID-19
public health
housing
elderly
disabled

A Home Safe from COVID

Jerry Halberstadt Sun, 10/25/2020 - 23:23
Apartment building, fall foliage, clouds
In many communities the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths is on the rise. This increases the risk of spread to and within housing. Those of us who live and work in housing for elderly and disabled, including public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled, as well as nursing homes, assisted living, rest homes, market rate, and affordable housing are at an elevated risk of serious impacts and even death from COVID-19. Our best protection is to avoid infection. We know how to protect ourselves. And to be effective, everyone in the housing community must be part of the solution. The new activities that protect us take continuing effort, positive reinforcement, and sometimes sanctions, to become ingrained habits.

Tags

public health
COVID-19
housing
elderly
disabled

Gossip & Bullying in the Time of COVID

Bonny Zeh Wed, 10/21/2020 - 15:47

Bonny Zeh, co-founder of the Stop Bullying Coalition, shares her observations and ideas. Updated 24 October—JH

Gossip and bullying not only target people in public and subsidized housing but also inhibit the essential collaboration needed to protect everyone from COVID. Gossip and bullying together are a contagious social disease that destroys trust and drives us apart from each other. Together, we can find a way to overcome these barriers so all of us can survive this plague.

Tags

COVID-19
housing
public health

The Little Red Hen Method for Fighting COVID

Jerry Halberstadt Sun, 10/04/2020 - 13:42
The Little Red Hen, illustation by Florence White Williams
Tenants in public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled, as well as market rate and affordable housing, are vulnerable to an outbreak of COVID-19. Once COVID-19 gets into our residence, it can spread like wildfire. To stop an infectious disease like COVID-19, we need to know where it is. But no agency is looking, no agency is guiding landlords and tenants. Like the Little Red Hen, it is up to us. We'll do it. Please join us!

Tags

COVID-19
public health
housing
elderly
disabled

Editorial: Let's Protect Elderly & Disabled Tenants from COVID-19

Jerry Halberstadt Mon, 09/07/2020 - 16:00
Storm clouds loom over apartment building
In Essex County, there are unofficial reports of current cases of COVID-related deaths and illness in public and subsidized housing. This as just the beginning of what can swiftly become a statewide disaster unless there is rapid and immediate implementation of protocols based on best practices and enforcement of public health rulings. For this, we need new legislation.

Tags

legislation
COVID-19
elderly
disabled
public health