June, 2020: Letter from the President

Dear Community,

Specialized Housing is an organization that values connection through community and finding meaning within relationships. We also promote inclusion, advocacy, diversity, and forward thinking. With the recent protests over the tragic deaths of Black individuals, we are reminded that our values must be applied beyond the developmentally disabled community we directly serve. If we support community, inclusion, advocacy, diversity and forward thought, we cannot remain silent while we witness the pain and suffering of Black people across our country and within our own community. Our role in this societal struggle must be intentional and meaningful, or we will continue to convince ourselves that we are not part of the problem. We must begin with understanding ourselves and our relationship with racism, discrimination, our own prejudices or biases, before we can begin to change and perhaps influence or even support those around us. Specialized Housing is committed to this necessary process of introspection and discourse in order to better support Black members within our community and listen to them and learn from their experiences, reflecting on our role in those experiences and the various forms of privilege that many of us take for granted. Black Lives Matter, and we will not be silent as we stand with our Black community members.

– David Wizansky, President, Specialized Housing, Inc.