President Obama Designates "Year of Community Living"

President Obama Designates "Year of Community Living" On June 22, President Obama marked the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court Olmstead decision by designating this year as “The Year of Community Living.” The President directed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan to work together to identify ways to improve access to housing, community supports and independent living arrangements for older people and people with disabilities.   Secretary Sebelius announced several HHS initiatives for the “Year of Community Living,” including: Formation of a HHS Coordinating Council made up of  the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address barriers to community living and give  people more control over their lives and supports; New grant program to expand the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) program; and Listening sessions for stakeholders that will help HHS craft its agenda to improve federal programs and better support the efforts of state and local government in providing HCBS.

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