Affordable and Accessible Housing Strategies to Access Affordable Housing for Persons with Disabilit

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Affordable and Accessible HousingStrategies to
Access Affordable Housing for Persons with
Disabilities
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AGENDA

• Housing Affordability for Persons with
  Disabilities
• Major Federal Housing Programs
• - What they are?
• - Strategies to access these programs for
  persons with disabilities.
• Other Housing Efforts in Your Community

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Housing Needs and Housing Affordability

• Priced Out in 2002 Study
• Released on May 30, 2002
• Compares SSI income to housing costs
• Nationally
• By state
• Locally in 2,702 housing market areas
• Housing crisis for people with disabilities
  receiving SSI is worse than 2 years ago

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Housing Needs and Housing Affordability

• Priced Out in 2002 Findings
• SSI means extreme poverty
• Nationally, SSI income equal to 18 percent of
  median income
• Average one bedroom rent is 105 percent of
  monthly SSI
• Average studio rent is 89 percent of monthly SSI
• SSI equal to earning 3.43 per hour
• From 2000-2002, rents rose twice as fast as SSI
  cost-of-living adjustments
• Only subsidized housing assistance can close the
  housing affordability gap for people with
  mental illness

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Housing Needs and Housing Affordability

• IF affordability is defined as paying no more
  than 30-40 percent of income towards housing
  costs
• THEN SSI recipients should pay no more than
  160-220 towards housing costs
• SSI recipients need subsidized housing programs
  such as Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher
  Program).

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Federal Affordable Housing Programs

• Key federal housing subsidy programs
• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
• Public Housing
• Privately Owned HUD Assisted Housing
• McKinney Homeless Assistance programs for
  Homeless People with Disabilities (Shelter Plus
  Care program, Supportive Housing Program, Section
  8 SRO program)
• Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with
  Disabilities program
• Other federal affordable housing program
• Consolidated Plan Programs (HOME, CDBG, HOPWA)
• Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

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Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program

• Over 2,600 Public Housing Agencies administer
  Section 8 programs
• Largest federal housing program
• Provides a rent subsidy based on (1) household
  income and (2) the cost of housing
• Many PHAs have a poor Section 8 success rates
• New use it or lose it HUD policy
• PHAs with utilization lt97 cant apply for new
  vouchers
• Even if waiting lists are long!
• Over 60,000 vouchers available for people with
  disabilities since 1997.
• Over 470 PHAs have these vouchers.
• PHAs not required to apply for them.
• Non-profits can apply for a small number of
  vouchers each year.
• List of these vouchers are available on TACs
  website.

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Benefits of Section 8

• People can rent/own housing of their choice in
  communities of their choice
• It is permanent, long-term, and affordable
• It is independent housing which can be linked
  with but is separate from flexible services
  and supports

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How Does the Section 8 Program Actually Work?

• Households apply to get on PHA Section 8 waiting
  list sometimes lists are closed!
• Once selected from the waiting list, household is
  issued a Section 8 voucher
• Household has 60-120 days (or more) to search for
  housing which meets Section 8 requirements
• Rent is within Fair Market Rent limits
• Rent is reasonable based on market
• Unit passes Housing Quality Standards inspection
• Landlord agrees to accept Section 8 payments
• PHA subsidy paid directly to landlord
• Tenant rent paid directly to landlord

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Other Section 8 Rules

• Tenants will pay between 30 and 40 percent of
  income upon move-in
• Tenant may pay more than 40 percent only if
  required by a rent increase
• When tenant moves, voucher moves with them
  (tenant based assistance)
• Section 8 voucher is portable anywhere in the
  U.S. One year geographic restriction adopted by
  PHA policy
• Income targeting - 75 of a PHAs Section 8
  vouchers must be provided to households below 30
  of median income (Some PHAs seek exceptions to
  this rule)

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Reasonable Accommodation and Reasonable
Modification

• Reasonable Accommodation
• A change in rules, policies, practices, or
  services that may be necessary to provide a
  person with a disability an equal opportunity to
  obtain housing and to use and enjoy her home.
• Examples PHA allowing Section 8 vouchers to be
  used in congregate housing.
• Reasonable Modification
• Allow a person with a disability to alter their
  rental housing to meet his/her unique needs.
• Examples of a modification Installing a ramp or
  a roll-in shower.

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Strategies to Access the Section 8 Program

• Outreach
• Accepting Applications
• Waiting List Preferences
• Screening Criteria
• Payment Standards
• Voucher Size
• Housing Search Assistance

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Outreach

• Outreach
• Notifying the disability community before opening
  the Section 8 waiting list.
• Providing training on the Section 8 application
  process to the disability community and other
  interested parties.

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Accepting Applications

• Providing applications in Braille, large print,
  and alternative formats.
• Providing assistance to complete the application.
• Allowing applications to be dropped off by a
  friend, family member, advocate, etc.
• Allowing applications to be mailed or faxed.
• Visiting the applicants home in order to
  complete an application.
• Allowing additional time to submit an
  application.
• Allowing secondary contact person to be listed on
  the application.

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Waiting List Preferences

• Allowable preferences for
• People with disabilities
• People who are homeless
• People in transitional housing
• People receiving state-funded supportive services
• People with Medicaid Waivers
• People receiving Bridge subsidies
• People covered by the Olmstead decision

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Screening Criteria

• Mandatory lifetime ban on assistance to persons
  convicted of manufacturing methamphetamines
  and/or registered sex offenders.
• PHA may screen for other violent criminal
  activity.
• However, as a reasonable accommodation
• PHA may consider the severity of crime, extent
  of culpability, evidence of rehabilitation,
  mitigating circumstances related to disability of
  family member .
• Allow for extra time to gather documentation for
  verification and screening purposes.

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Payment Standards (PS)

• PHA may set the rent standard (PS) between
  90-110 of Fair Market Rent (FMR)
• There are exceptions
• PHA may provide an exception PS for a person with
  a disability up to 110 of FMR.
• PHA may request an exception PS up to 120 from
  HUD Field Office as a reasonable accommodation
  for a person with a disability.
• PHA may request an exception PS above 120 of FMR
  from HUD HQ as a reasonable accommodation for a
  person with a disability.

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Voucher Size

• Most PHAs allow
• 1 bedroom for 1-2 persons.
• Additional bedroom(s) for persons of different
  sex, age.
• PHAs must provide for exceptions as reasonable
  accommodation.
• Example Live-in Aide
• Example Medical equipment
• PHA may also provide exception utility allowance
  as a reasonable accommodation.

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Housing Search Assistance

• PHAs can
• Provide extensions on housing search times (even
  beyond 120 days).
• Assist applicants gain access to supportive
  services.
• Identify funding sources for cost of unit
  modifications.
• Provide search assistance.
• Provide higher PS for accessible units provide TA
  to owners on reasonable accommodation.

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Public Housing

• Public Housing Agencies (PHA) also operate Public
  Housing units.
• There are over 3,200 PHAs nationally
• Some States are PHAs (See Opening Doors 22)
• Some County PHAs
• Local PHAs
• Approximately 550,000 studio and one bedroom
  Public Housing units
• 100,000 units now converted to elderly only
  housing
• To apply, persons with disabilities should
  contact their local PHA. (see HUD Website)

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Privately Owned HUD Assisted Housing

• This type of rental housing is owned by private
  landlords and has a HUD rental subsidy attached
  to the unit.
• Approximately 550,000 studio and one bedroom
  units
• At least 300,000 converted to elderly only
• HUD maintains a database of HUD assisted housing
  on its website.
• To apply, persons with disabilities should
  contact the specific building and its management
  company.

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McKinney Homeless Assistance Programs

• McKinney funds include the Supportive Housing
  Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program and the
  Section 8 Moderate Rehab SRO Program.
• All of these programs can be used to create
  permanent housing for disabled homeless
  individuals and families. (typically attached to
  services)
• McKinney funds create more than 10,000 new
  subsidies per year.
• Contact the Continuum of Care in your community
  to locate these targeted housing resources.

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Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with
Disabilities Program

• Two components tenant-based and project-based
• Competitively awarded through the HUD Super NOFA
• 1,800 new units developed each year
• 2,000 new rent tenant-based subsidies each year
• Project-based provides capital and operating
  support
• Tenant-based (Mainstream Vouchers) provide rental
  subsidy targeted to persons with disabilities
• HUD provides a database of 811 funded projects on
  its website.
• TAC provides a list of PHAs and nonprofits that
  administer Mainstream vouchers.
• To apply, persons with disabilities should
  contact the specific building/ management company
  for projects and either the PHA or Non-Profit for
  the Mainstream vouchers.

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Other Federal Housing Programs

• HUDs Consolidated Plan Resources
• HOME Program
• Community Development Block Grant
• Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS
  (HOPWA)
• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)
• U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal
  Revenue Services Low Income Housing Tax Credit
  Program
• State Housing Agencies administer these tax
  credit resources that support the development of
  affordable housing.
• The Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) determines
  how a State will use these TC resources.

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HUDs Consolidated Plan

• The ConPlan controls 4 HUD programs
• HOME program
• Community Development Block Grant program
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
• Emergency Shelter Grant program
• States and entitlement communities (CDBG)
  and/or participating jurisdictions (HOME) cannot
  receive these funds unless they have a HUD
  approved ConPlan

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Sample Consolidated Plan Funds
For more information, see HUDs Community
Planning and Development Program 2003 Formula
Allocations online http//www.hud.gov/offices/cp
d/about/budget/budget03/index.cfm
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The Consolidated Plan and HOME Funding

• HOME is the largest federal block grant to State
  and local government used exclusively to create
  affordable housing for low income households
• HOME funds are prioritized and made available
  through the HUD mandated Consolidated Plan
  process
• HOME funds can be used for
• Rental housing acquisition and/or rehabilitation
• New construction of rental housing
• Tenant based rental assistance
• Homeownership activities

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How the HOME Program Really Works!

• Most HOME funding is spent on households above 30
  percent of median income (NOTE SSI to 18
  percent of median)
• Almost half of HOME funds are spent on
  homeownership programs
• HOME funded rental housing must remain
  affordable for 5-20 years, depending on
  circumstances
• Most affordable rental housing developed with
  HOME funds is not affordable to the lowest income
  households (e.g. 1 BR HOME rent in Phoenix _at_
  500)
• HOME must be linked with HUD McKinney-Vento
  programs, Section 8 vouchers, or used as tenant
  based rental assistance in order to ensure
  affordability for most persons with disabilities

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Getting Involved

• Contact CD officials in charge of ConPlan to
  learn
• The annual schedule for submission to HUD
• The amount of HOME funding (and CDBG)
• Citizen Participation Plan requirements and
  process for consultation with service providers
• Get copies of
• 5 year housing strategy
• One Year Action Plans
• Citizen Participation Plan and Performance
  Reports
• Identify what affordable housing is being created
  with ConPlan funds and learn about how to access
  these units.

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Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

• Low Income Housing Tax Credits Cover up to 40
  percent of rental housing development costs
• The Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) determines
  how a State will use the Tax Credit resources.
  (i.e. preferences and set-asides)
• Most affordable rental housing developed with
  tax credits are not affordable to the lowest
  income households
• Tax credit projects must also be linked with HUD
  McKinney-Vento programs, Section 8 vouchers, or
  used as tenant based rental assistance in order
  to ensure affordability for persons with
  disabilities in these units.
• Contact your States HFA to find out where these
  tax-credit financed rental housing is located.
• To apply, persons with disabilities should
  contact the specific building and its management
  company.

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Other Housing Efforts in Your Community

• State Affordable Housing Coalitions
• Community Development Corporations
• Local Housing Counseling Agencies (database
  available on HUD website)
• National Nonprofits (i.e. LISC, CSH, NRC)
• Refer to Related Documents for Useful Websites.