My name is Shira Leeder. I am a disability rights advocate, and I am writing regarding an urgent issue that requires immediate attention. As an advocate for myself and others with disabilities, I am deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in the California state budget. IHSS is under immediate threat. Californians with disabilities, older adults, family caregivers, and allies need to act now to protect this essential lifeline.
Act today:
- Call your California state senator and your California state assemblymember, to find your representatives at ca.gov(enter your address on the page to find your representatives), and Governor Gavin Newsom, Contact the Governor | Governor of California – telephone 916-445-2841.
- Say this: “I am asking you to reject any cuts to IHSS in the final state budget. IHSS keeps people with disabilities and older adults safe, independent, and living in their own homes. Protect IHSS funding.”
- Ask directly: Will you oppose cuts to IHSS and support full funding?
- If you do not get a clear answer, call again and ask for the district office, budget staff, or a legislative aide. Send a follow-up email the same day.
- Bring in more people. Ask allies to call, email, and attend budget hearings or town halls. Request meetings with local offices.
- If lawmakers still will not commit, go public. Contact local media, write a letter to the editor, and organize a protest or rally.
Why IHSS Is Important
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) allows people with disabilities and older adults to live independently and stay out of institutions. It provides caregiver support with everyday living so people can remain in their own homes, stay connected to their communities, and keep their freedom.
Institutions and group homes take people’s freedom away. They tell you what to do all the time. They tell you when to go to bed and what to eat. They can take away your Social Security money to pay for the group home, and without money, you cannot do anything. People who live in institutions are not able to leave freely and are cut off from community life. This segregates people with disabilities, makes them invisible, and can lead to abuse and neglect. Institutions for people with disabilities have a long and horrible history of abuse.
IHSS helps prevent that. It provides organized caregiver support without gaps in coverage. It allows family members to get paid for taking care of their loved ones. It also provides jobs for caregivers and helps people stay safe at home.
IHSS is often less expensive than living in a nursing home. In nursing homes, staff may not know you well, may not be there for long, and may not respond with the care you need. Instead of calling 911 for non-emergency situations, we should adopt the model of Easy Does It Emergency Services, https://easydoesitservices.org, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency services for individuals with disabilities and seniors who need assistance with personal assistance in emergencies and other emergency services. Fire departments should not have to respond to situations like that. They should be used for real emergencies.
IHSS is for everybody who needs help:
- people with disabilities
- elders who need support to live in their own homes
- people without family caregivers
- the many baby boomers aging into care needs
A double-edged sword of IHSS is that caregiver pay is already low. This keeps costs down, but it also makes it hard for caregivers to afford to live.
Protect IHSS. Protect independence. Protect dignity. Reject cuts now.