The Ford Foundation recently announced its first-ever program focused on advancing the rights of people with disabilities in the United States. Rebecca Cokley leads the new program as Ford’s program officer.
The Kelsey is proud to be among the first grant recipients in this program. Ford has invested in The Kelsey’s work to build advocacy and field leadership to support disability-forward housing solutions that are affordable, accessible, and inclusive. Their support will invest in work to increase visibility around housing and disability, build the capacity of a housing movement co-led by people with and without disabilities, and identify national and regional policy interventions and best practices to scale disability-forward housing. Across all these efforts, strategies will support the intersection of housing access, economic justice, and disability rights.
The investment will enable The Kelsey to increase work with disabled advocates, partner organizations, and policymakers to define a campaign for an inclusive housing future. Specific solutions include supporting the housing needs of people with disabilities who use supportive services and who are low and extremely low income. Informed by The Kelsey’s 240 home pipeline in the Bay Area, the work will build awareness, power, and a policy platform for housing solutions that include people with disabilities. The work will be led by Fatimah Aure, Director of Field Building and Capacity, and Allie Cannington, Manager of Advocacy and Organizing.
Stay tuned for the next episode of the Leaders for Inclusive Community podcast where Rebecca joins Isaac Haney-Owens, Host, for a conversation on advocacy, philanthropy, and increasing representation and inclusion in both.