Testimony to
The Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility
Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century
November 7, 2001
by
Kathleen Mesler

Yes, my name is Kathleen Mesler. I'm also from Fontana. I'm the service coordinator in a building with 150 apartments. We have 43 people who are frail. We have 37 who are at risk.

I worked in two buildings -- I've been a service coordinator since January '93. I was hired for two buildings in two different cities. One city (sic) was in Chino, California, and the other building was in Fontana, California.

I just recently became service coordinator for one. They got funding for the Chino building and I got to come home to Fontana, where I've lived since 1949.

I know most of the people in our building. They are retired Fontanans. It breaks my heart -- we have a beautiful building. We have wonderful facilities, but we don't have enough of them. People -- our waiting list is -- 18 to 36 months to get on our waiting list. We have 80 to 97 people on our waiting list at all times.

I would just like to say, if there's any way possible, we need the 202s. We need all housing. Every disabled person in the United States, if they're lucky enough, is going to be a senior disabled person. If we put in senior buildings, I think what we should do is know -- we don't need bathtubs. We need showers that they can step in or take a wheelchair into from the beginning.

Then aging in place is what we need. No senior -- don't care whether they're in their home, whether they're in an apartment or whether they're in a trailer, they want to stay there. That's their desire. If there's any way you can do that -- I'm a senior. I'm going to have to be quitting soon, but I hope you have other coordinators in all buildings. Thank you very much.