Community Housing for People with Disabilities:
Integrating Affordability and Supported Living: A White Paper
By Dale DiLeo
Lack of Affordable Housing is a Barrier to Supported Living
Does The Existence of Affordable Housing in a Neighborhood Lower Property Values?
Keys to Developing Affordable Housing
Overview of an Innovative Affordable Housing Project in Florida
Recommendations for Expanding Local Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities
Resources for Affordable Housing
Appendix
Recommendations for Federal Policy Changes to Increase Affordable Housing
Other State and Local Housing Initiatives
Other State and Local Initiatives in
Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities
According to the National Council on disability, there are a number of efforts in local communities that demonstrate creative financing for housing for people with disabilities that maximizes choice and autonomy. Atlantis Community, an independent living organization in Colorado run by people with disabilities, in conjunction with Northwest Bank, created a Disability Home Ownership Program that assisted more than 100 individuals in buying their own homes while generating more than $6 million in mortgage loans.
Experiments are under way in a number of communities exploring affordable housing models such as mutual housing associations and limited equity cooperatives to produce accessible housing in integrated settings. A number of home modification programs are also in operation, using Community Development Block Grants and state funds to support adaptations of homes and rental units for people with disabilities and elders. In 1993, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Health and Human Services funded the National Home of Your Own Alliance to promote home ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. The Alliance is currently working on local demonstrations in 13 states and intends to initiate coalition building among housing and disability advocates in 23 states.
Hawaii Adult Mental Health
Division
Supported Housing/Bridge Subsidy Program
The State of Hawaii's Adult Mental Health Division's (AMHD) bridge subsidy program began in 1998 and is administered in the same way as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The bridge rental assistance is available to AMHD clients for up to two years or until a Section 8 voucher is available. When a voucher is issued to a person participating in the program, the AMHD bridge subsidy is re-issued to another participant.
AMHD has partnered with Steadfast Housing Development Corporation (SHDC), a private non-profit housing organization that administers the bridge subsidy on behalf of AMHD. SHDC also offers participants housing support services, and - with permission - contacts case managers if a consumer needs clinical assistance. However, participation in the bridge subsidy program is not contingent on the receipt of supportive services.
AMHD
works closely with both the state PHA and the City and County of Honolulu.
Both have worked in partnership with AMHD to facilitate the linkages
between the bridge subsidy program and Section 8 - including a waiting
list preference established by the state PHA. AMHD has also worked closely
with these PHAs to encourage them to apply for new Section 8 vouchers,
including those set aside for people with disabilities. This advocacy
ensures that people with mental illness have better access to vouchers
and helps more people move off the bridge subsidy program and onto permanent
housing assistance.
Massachusetts Accessible
Housing Registry
Initially funded with a 1995 Fair Housing Initiative Program grant from HUD, the Mass Accessible Housing Registry is a free program that helps people with disabilities find rental housing in Massachusetts, primarily accessible and barrier-free housing. The Mass Access database keeps track of accessible and affordable apartments throughout the state and maintains information about their availability. With this database, people with disabilities can search this information to identify housing opportunities that suit their needs.
The program is administered by Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) . CHAPA's core task on the Mass Access program is working with housing managers to maintain up-to-date housing and vacancy information. For the first five years of the program, people with disabilities searching for an apartment needed to contact an Independent Living Center (ILC) to learn about available apartments. Today, this information is available via the Internet as well as through the ILCs. Ongoing funds are from the state budget - an annual appropriate of state funds.
For more information: www.massaccesshousingregistry.org .