On Wednesday, 18 June 2014, the Joint Committee on Housing of the Great Court of Massachusetts reported out a "resolve" S2329 creating a commission to study ways to prevent bullying and to protect elderly and disabled tenants living in subsidized, multi-family housing from bullying. Jerry Halberstadt, Coordinator of the Stop Bullying Coalition believes this resolve "to be the first effort in the nation seeking legislation to protect elderly and disabled tenants—urgently needed because bullying is truly harmful and deprives people of their human rights and their civil rights." UPDATES & NEWSLETTER AT StopBullyingCoalition.org

I am pleased to announce that we have bipartisan support to create a "resolve" that would create a legislative commission to study how to stop bullying in multi-family, public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled persons.

Guest post by Leo

As a Veteran of WWII, I served in combat, starting at age seventeen, and returned with three bronze stars. I did this because I believed in and fought for my Country’s freedoms. I have seen and believed in much in my eighty-seven years, but Bullying and Mobbing in my housing development has changed my mind about the right to freedom in my own home and my right to speak. I fought for our collective freedoms, and I am angry that I now have to fight for my right to live without fear in my home. I risked my life for people who now Bully me in my old age.

Crafting a law to stop bullying

Rep. Paul Heroux and Rep. Jay Livingstone invited Michael Kane, Executive Director of Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants and me to meet with them and other legislators yesterday (13 March) at the State House to help craft a bill to stop bullying of elders and disabled in housing programs. They invited Senator Joan Lovely, my own senator who has supported our efforts from the beginning. The new bill is intended to complement, build on, and improve the original effort, S604. UPDATES & NEWSLETTER AT StopBullyingCoalition.org

The Stop Bullying Coalition (SBC) announces a hearing on S604, An Act to protect residents of subsidized housing developments from bullying, including both elderly and those living with disability. The hearing will be held by the Joint Committee on Housing in Boston, MA. at the State House, Room B2 from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 28, 2014.

Bullying is harmful. We seek to enlist partners to work together to advocate for remedies, including but not limited to legislation. We have done our best to identify the issues, ideas for intervention, and have proposed the goals and vision outlined in this document. We now reach out to all individuals and organizations who have a stake in these matters, and we seek your collaboration and input. Our primary concern is for people living with age and/or disability in subsidized housing. But we recognize common challenges, concerns, and solutions that may affect other populations and we stand together with all who oppose bullying.