"Rewriting the Myths, Redefining the Realities"
A woman, lets call her Barbara, faces a housing
crisis. Until two years ago she worked, lived in a nice apartment,
and had her life under control. However in the last two years a
progressive illness has caused her to become disabled. She can no
longer work, and while she receives Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI), it is inadequate to pay her rent and other bills.
Still, she receives too much monthly income to move to the top of
the waiting list for a housing subsidy. She is in immediate danger
of becoming homeless.
Many persons with disabilities are homeless or they languish in an
institution waiting for a place to live in the community. Others, as
Barbara, live day-to-day just waiting and hoping for an answer.
Still others live with roommates or family members in inaccessible
or inadequate housing, hoping for an opportunity to live
independently.
On November 20, 2002 the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)
convened a conference of statewide leaders in the Independent Living
movement to explore opportunities for increasing the supply of
affordable, accessible housing for persons with disabilities.
Attendees received information on the federal Department of Housing
and Urban Development programs, state and local initiatives, and
private sector financing opportunities. Collaborative strategies
among state and local entities were discussed and options for home
ownership using HUD housing vouchers were presented. The primary
purpose of the conference was to assist Centers for Independent
Living to increase the stock of affordable, accessible housing in
each of their communities.
One of the agencies most active in providing housing for persons
with disabilities is the Supported Housing and Homeless Program (SHHP).
SHHP has been in existence for 25 years. It administers a wide
variety of programs that serve families, youth, veterans, and
persons with disabilities. It partners with over 70 community-based
organizations to deliver housing services throughout the state.
While SHHP is not a widely known agency, it should be. It serves
persons who have a great need in this most important area of life.
Marilyn Kirby is a Program Specialist with Colorado SHHP, a division
of the Office of Behavioral Health and Housing of the Colorado
Department of Human Services. Ms. Kirby serves on the SILC and has
worked to promote better housing access for persons with
disabilities. At one time she worked in a Kansas institution for
persons with developmental disabilities. “I have seen the wide
spectrum of living situations,” she says, “and it is very rewarding
to see persons with disabilities living in the community, having
jobs, and experiencing real independence.”
SHHP administers over 4,000 vouchers for low-income, homeless, and
disabled persons. The largest of these HUD programs that Ms. Kirby’s
division oversees is the Supported Housing and Homeless Program. It
targets families in danger of becoming homeless. It is especially
directed toward families who are receiving assistance through
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). While the 3,040
housing vouchers available in this program are not specifically
aimed at persons with disabilities, Ms. Kirby believes that many of
the recipients have disabilities.
SHHP administers over 1,100 vouchers in a variety of Section 8
programs. Section 8 is the part of the federal Housing Act that
creates the voucher program. Qualified persons receive a voucher
that provides a financial subsidy for housing. The voucher holder
rents a housing unit and pays a portion of the rent. Federal funds
make up the remaining rental amount. The sum paid by the individual
is based on their income and is usually about 30% of the income.
The bulk of the vouchers are available through two programs. The
Mainstream program provides 400 vouchers to Colorado community based
organizations such as Community Centered Boards, Mental Health
agencies and Independent Living Centers who partner with SHHP to
administer the vouchers.
Certain Development is the second of the large voucher programs.
This program is for persons with disabilities who are on waiting
lists to get into specific buildings that were constructed to
provide housing for elderly and disabled persons but now no longer
serve persons with disabilities. There are 560 vouchers in this
program.
SHHP has 40 vouchers in a program entitled Project Access. These
vouchers are to be used to assist persons with disabilities to
transition out of nursing homes. SHHP works closely with the
Independent Living Centers that administer the Medicaid Nursing Home
Transition grant.
Another small grant, Shelter Plus, provides housing and support
services to persons leaving homeless shelters who have histories of
substance abuse or mental illness. This program is a lump sum grant,
not a voucher program. However, the housing subsidy is similar to a
voucher. Supported services are mandatory.
Other small programs offer housing vouchers to youth between 18 and
21. The voucher only lasts for 18 months. This program is meant to
assist a young person to transition from adolescence to adulthood.
A new innovative program offers a voucher holder the opportunity to
become a homeowner. Ms. Kirby says that 27 persons with disabilities
have exercised this option, and 36 more are in the pipeline. She
says, “This is a beautiful program. It gives a person an opportunity
to own their own home and receive all the financial and personal
benefits that come with home ownership.”
In order to participate in the home ownership program, a person must
have held a voucher for one year and met basic criteria for
establishing personal stability.
Ms. Kirby says that her division often works with the Colorado
Housing Finance Authority to finance the purchase of a home by a
person with a disability. CHFA has a 3% interest loan for those
whose income is 30% or less of the median income. There is also a
loan program for persons whose income more nearly approximates the
median.
Ms. Kirby is assisting CBO’s to apply directly to HUD for Mainstream
housing vouchers. The Boulder County Center for People with
Disabilities, with assistance from SHHP, applied for and has been
awarded 75 vouchers. David Bolin, Executive Director of CPWD, says
that the vouchers will be ready for distribution in the early
summer.
For more information about SHHP programs, contact Marilyn Kirby at
303-866-7352.
Another method to provide housing has been developed by the Atlantis
Community Foundation. ACF owns 108 units in five locations. These
units offer fully accessible housing in an integrated setting. The
newest project was added to ACF’s inventory in December 2002. It is
a 46-unit facility that ironically is a converted nursing home. It
is known as Liberty House.
Vickie Gold, ACF Director, says “All our funding requires that we
offer an integrated setting. We hold our subsidized units to 50% of
our total, and we only have 20% of our units occupied by persons
with disabilities. We keep one of our units in each property for use
by persons who are transitioning from nursing homes. We do not
charge rent for those units. Often when a person leaves a nursing
home or even when they are homeless they are not enrolled in
programs that offer financial support. We provide housing while
their applications are processed. When they have support in place,
we move them out.”
ACF is a real estate development organization. Ms. Gold says that
ten agencies were involved in the financing of Liberty House. Wells
Fargo Bank provided the construction loan, CHFA holds the permanent
mortgage, the City and County of Denver contributed funds from three
separate programs, and a number of private foundations have also
made contributions.
Liberty House has seven fully accessible units. Two units are
reserved for persons with AIDS, and one is a transitional unit.
Thirty-two units are one bedroom, 13 are studio apartments, and
three have three bedrooms. Ms. Gold says that the units are filling
up quickly.
“What we are doing is unique,” says Ms. Gold. “We are providing
accessible housing in a fully integrated setting. I am proud of what
we offer.” ACF is aggressive. According to Gold, ACF is turning the
management of the properties over to a private company, so that she
can have more time to do development. She is already looking at a
new property.
For many persons with disabilities, housing is not very useable
unless it is accessible. A few Centers for Independent Living have
found ways to fund remodeling projects that may allow a person to
continue to live in his or her home or can open up a new unit for
accessible living. Both the Atlantis community and the Boulder
County CPWD have access to Community Development Block Grant funds
that can be used to create accessible housing.
The CDBG program is a part of the HUD. Local communities with a
population above 50,000 and state governments receive block grants
that they may use to assist low-income persons. In many communities,
private non-profit organizations can apply for funding from the
local allotment. Modifications to the existing housing stock are a
committed use of these funds, as long as the persons who will
benefit meet income guidelines.
Medicaid is a second funding source for making modifications that
achieve accessibility.
A person who is eligible for Medicaid can have needed modifications
made.
Recently I spoke with a woman who is a teacher and a filmmaker. For
a number of years she lived in an inaccessible apartment. She was
forced to leave her wheelchair on the sidewalk in front of her
building and crawl up a flight of stairs to her apartment. She
depended on neighbors to bring her wheelchair inside. Finally she
found an accessible apartment. This was such a relief to her that
when she received a job offer in another city, she refused to move
because she did not want to give up her accessible home.
“Persons with disabilities are the best tenants. They only leave
when they die,” says Vickie Gold. The effort to provide affordable, accessible
housing is bearing fruit but the need is almost overwhelming. All of the work
and hope for independence will only be as successful as the effort to provide
adequate housing. Many persons with disabilities are homeless. This is
especially true of those with histories with mental illness and substance abuse.
There must be a concerted effort on the part of all governments and the private
sector, and the disability community must vigorously advocate for more
appropriate and increased housing if the dream for freedom is to see the light
of day.
Copyright 2002 A&H Publishing Corporation