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Resident of Roslindale apartment building for the elderly and disabled charged with gun, heroin possession
By adamg on Fri, 01/29/2016 - 12:07am
Boston Police report arresting a resident of the BHA's Roslyn building, 1 Cliffmont St. in Roslindale, on gun and drug charges Thursday.
Using a search warrant, drug-control officers raided James Killings's apartment and seized two guns, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and a plastic bag containing heroin, police say, adding they also seized a replica gun.
Killings, 60, was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of heroin.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Does anyone know the age
Does anyone know the age criteria to be considered elderly? For some reason I got 65 in my mind, but I could be wrong.
Disabled
He could be classified as disabled.
Disabled classification
It's my understanding that addicts can be classified as disabled and are therefore eligible to live in these facilities. It's a problem at some of the elderly housing sites in Dorchester.
It's a problem all over the state, and country, actually
The mixing of drug or alcohol-dependent adults with seniors in public housing has been going on for about 20 years and has gotten very little attention. Housing authorities have no say -- the regulations require them to offer housing to the disabled.
You can only be deemed "disabled" for alcohol and drug dependency if you cannot stop using. You're dependency renders you unable to work or support yourself, just as if you were suffering from MS or a permanently debilitating stroke or had been paralyzed in an accident. As long as you keep using, you stay disabled and you get to keep your subsidized apartment. Once you do the work to get clean, you're out.
This is not accurate
Addiction is not a qualifying disability to receive benefits. One may receive Social Security for health problems that result from addiction, but one does not qualify for any thing based solely on addiction. Typically, what folks in this situation will do is attempt to receive disability status based on a psychiatric condition. As psychiatric disabilities are a little tougher to empirically prove or disprove, and given the wide range in skill levels of mental health practitioners, we end up seeing a lot of "disabled" folks who really shouldn't meet that qualification.
As a social worker, I've been asked to fill out such paperwork in the past, for housing and monetary benefits. It is frustrating as these folks would often believe that it is their right to access because of addiction. When I would turn them down, they would frequent just go find someone else who wouldn't.
Disabled Classification
Addicts can no longer be classified disabled in order to receive benefits.