Letter to Hon Charles D Baker, seeking action on bullying of elderly and disabled persons in public and subsidized housing. Revised for publication.

We have a vision and plan for a home that is safe, secure, and peaceful, protecting us from bullying and harassing. The storms of mobbing and hostile environment harassment are the worst threats. When a community harasses and bullies a victim, and the landlord initiates, condones, or ignores these attacks, that is mobbing. When victims are unable to have the peaceful enjoyment of their residency, that is hostile environment harassment. We need to create protection for victims and hold landlords to account for their illegal behavior.

• Report to Mass Union
• Survey research, much progress
• Legal research, accountability
• Comparing toxic and healthy communities
• Outreach and education on legal protections
• Best practices
• Working together, bridging differences
• Action items

On October 19, 2017, Jerry Halberstadt, Coordinator of the Stop Bullying Coalition and a Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission on Bullying, spoke on the role of advocacy and legislation on bullying at the online conference of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition in the context of National Bullying Awareness Month.

Victims of bullying ask, "Does anyone, anywhere care?" We do care. We are the Massachusetts Commission on Bullying, and I am one of the Commissioners as well as Coordinator of the Stop Bullying Coalition. Your Beacon Hill legislators do care, and they gave us the responsibility not only to care, but to find ways to protect you from harm and protect your rights. We will find ways to protect elderly and disabled residents. Now we are reaching out to you to learn what causes bullying and what can prevent bullying and create healthy communities.

The main way to understand what conditions permit or inhibit bullying is to ask How and Why? through qualitative research: observing, listening, and comparing. The main way to understand prevalence is to ask How many? and count, or estimate through a sampling process, the number of locations with bullying and compare it to the total number, which for public and subsidized housing in Massachusetts, is 1,400 residential developments, with over 92,000 units.

• Commission survey opens
• Background to survey
• Success through collaboration
• Chairwoman Linn Torto recognizes the Stop Bullying Coalition
• Announcing meeting of the Commission on Bullying

October is National Bullying Awareness Month, and on October 19 the National Workplace Bullying Coalition will host an online conference. http://www.workplacebullyingcoalition.org/ I have been invited to speak on the role of advocacy and legislation, and will give an update on the work of the Massachusetts Commission on Bullying and the impact of advocacy by the Stop Bullying Coalition.

• Mobbing explained by Janice Harper
• Update on work of the Commission on Bullying
• Research: qualitative, survey, evaluation of protections
• What are best practices in other settings?
• Outreach and community input
• One person's search for justice

Read more: http://stopbullyingcoalition.org/collaboration

Pamela Goodwin, a 69-year-old woman living in public housing has challenged what she sees as poor management and disregard of the rights of tenants at her housing development at the housing authority in Upton Massachusetts. Goodwin has argued that the housing is dangerous for elderly persons as well as those with disabilities because it is not ADA compliant with regard to the stairs at each apartment because the entrances lack ramps or handrails, and the development lacks adequate parking, with limited parking for persons with disability. Instead of dealing with those issues, members of the housing authority and the manager have portrayed Goodwin as a danger to the community.