HLD Panelists Impact of Race and Income on Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Workshop Summary

People of color with disabilities have fewer opportunities to live independently than their white counterparts because of the impact of the intersectionality of race, income and disability. They are generally excluded from “intentional” housing communities created by families able to invest generational wealth in creating housing for adult children with disabilities. This workshop will investigate the impact of inclusion of people with disabilities in typical affordable housing in overcoming segregation of people of color with disabilities in neighborhoods with reduced economic opportunity and in segregated care facilities with higher rates of infection and death from COVID-19.

Panelists

The Impact of Race and Income on Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Kalisha Webster
Kalisha Webster
Imani Pardue-Bishop
Imani Pardue-Bishop
Mark Nagales
Mark Nagales
Kalimah Salahuddin
Kalimah Salahuddin
Karim Tulloch
Karim Tulloch

Kalisha Webster is a Housing Coordinator at Housing Choices working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to help them find and maintain housing. She also trains and organizes community advocates to educate local elected officials, city and county housing staff, and housing developers about opportunities to plan for and include people with developmental and other disabilities in their local housing plans. In 2015, she graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and minor in Human Rights. Before working with Housing Choices, Kalisha interned as a School Social Worker at Davis Intermediate School in San Jose. She has also volunteered with Boys & Girls Club, working with at-risk youth between the ages of 6-18 and at Manzanita SEED in Oakland working with Transitional Kindergarten students between the ages of 4-5 years old.

My name is Imani Pardue-Bishop and I am the Cultural Diversity Specialist  (CDS) with Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC), a nonprofit agency that supports individuals with disabilities and their families in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin County. Serving as the CDS for just over a year and a half, I support with the proposal, development, and execution of service disparity projects based on Purchase of Service data. I conduct outreach to Community-Based Organizations and I am responsible for Cultural Competency Trainings for staff and GGRC Board Members.  I host an Annual Public Meeting with analysis of most recent Purchase of Service data to our community and stakeholders. Lastly, I consult with GGRC staff and vendors of GGRC on how to implement more culturally competent services (or improve methods). Prior to working as the CDS, I was a case manager with GGRC in San Francisco for two years, supporting individuals three years and older.

Mark Nagales grew up in South San Francisco and has been part of the community for over 30 years. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science. After graduating from college, Nagales served as an Aide to several elected officials, including former Assemblymember Fran Pavley, former Assemblymember Gene Mullin, and Congresswoman Jackie Speier. As Constituent Services Director for Congresswoman Speier, Nagales assisted countless seniors, veterans, and families access services, including recovering over $5 million in veterans’ benefits.

Prior to being elected to the city council, Nagales served South San Francisco as Parks and Recreation Commissioner (2008-2014, Chair in 2013) and Planning Commissioner (2015-2018, Chair in 2018). Nagales was elected to the City Council in November 2018, and is proud to be one of the first Filipinos elected in South San Francisco.

Nagales and his wife Amy are the proud parents of two young children, Aidan and Josephine.

Kalimah Salahuddin currently serves as President for the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education She is the immediate Past President of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) where she served for two years and continues to serve as the Coordinator for the SMCSBA Equity Network.  At the County level she serves on the COVID-19 Recovery Council and the Advisory Council for the Equity initiative. She was one of the founding members of the REACH Coalition to increase equity and community health for all. She also was recently appointed to the Board of the Housing Leadership Council and previously served as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco where she has been a regular site volunteer.  She is currently employed at Exelixis as a Coordinator on the Investor Relations / Public Affairs team and is mother to three wonderful adults, her oldest being Karim Tulloch.

Karim Tulloch is 24 years old and autistic. He is an extremely talented artist and has sold commissioned pieces. He takes classes at Community College and before COVID worked part-time at an Amazon Warehouse distribution center. He has a goal of living on his own, independently.

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