"Its ridiculous! Who can afford this, who can? Alot of you guys do know I exist, (and see the impact yet) but I do care. What you kids going to do, WHAT ARE YOU KIDS GOING TO DO?"
Fred Christian is a longtime activist and a member of the disabled community. Fred partakes in advocacy for his community and the younger generation. He fights for affordable housing, healthcare, gun violence, along with many other social justice issues. Fred attended Rowan University and began the foundation of his social media organization titled, #IMPACT, in 2015.
- "How Many?" by Fred Christian
During the oral history interview with Alyssa Vargas, Fred shares his point of view on the affordable housing crisis and worries for future generations. As he has lived throughout many different cities in the United States, Fred recalls his own experiences with housing, rent, survival, and barriers within the disabled community.
In this episode, we discuss important laws like Fair Housing Act from 1988, which prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing for housing on the basis of disability. We also did research on how affordable housing would make a difference for elders and disabled if they lived independently or lived in a more restrictive setting. Miami’s ranking of #220 in a chart that compares metro areas is discussed along with a test conducted for members of the disabled community when they tried to purchase or rent a home.
Fred Christian has a highlight during the interview which is when he questions what the younger generation is going to do… What are we going to do with this crisis? His call for action is for the younger generation to take action and get involved. Although this is an ongoing situation that may not be resolved easily, we as a group decided to make this podcast for younger generations to get involved. It is easy to research and find information online about situations, it is easy to find organizations online. Below we will provide just a few of the organizations that we have found that take place in the Miami area:
1. Casa Familia
Informative articles and video's from topics mentioned here
The Fair Housing Act ( A Federal law placed to protect residents and prohibits discrimination in housing.)
Disability Services for People Living Independently (DSAIL) (Program that can provide services to Miami residents who are disabled.)
(How Many By #Impact Founder Fred Christian At The Let's Stop #gunviolence Community Meeting (A original poem written by Fred during the Parkland Shooting to end Gun Violence.)
Click here to read our conclusion on our oral history project.