HOUSING FUNDING PROGRAMS
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

B. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Under the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, the tenant obtains a voucher from the PHA which they can use to rent any apartment meeting certain housing quality guidelines and rent limits. The tenants have to be low income and generally pay about 30% of their income for rent. The PHA pays the remainder of the rent directly to the private landlord.

C. Section 202 Housing: HUD provides funds for housing specifically target to seniors. The housing may be owned by a PHA or a nonprofit organization. Tenants have to be low income and generally pay about 30% of their income for rent. Historically, this housing was also available to non-elderly people with disabilities, but new rules allow the owners to change to housing only for seniors. If so, there are some rules protecting existing tenants and allowing for additional Section 8 Vouchers for people with disabilities (See below).

Project Based Subsidized Housing: HUD funds a number of different project-based subsidized housing programs. Although the programs work in different ways, they involve a private landlord (either non-profit or for-profit) who obtains certain benefits from HUD (income supports, mortgage interest reductions) in exchange for an agreement to keep rents below general market rent levels. Sometimes these programs are combined with Section 8 Vouchers that must be used in the particular housing units.

HOME Program. Under HUD’s HOME Program, local governments receive block grants which they can use to provide subsidies for affordable housing development or rent subsidies.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Under HUD’s CDBG program, local governments receive block grants which they can use to provide subsidies community economic development activities and for affordable housing development.

McKinney Act Homeless Programs: HUD provides block grants to local governments and direct grants to nonprofits for various housing programs for homeless persons.

A. Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (formerly part of Section 202 for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities): HUD provides funding to nonprofit organizations in order to develop rental housing that includes supportive services for very low-income households with disabilities, and provides rent subsidies for the projects to help make them affordable. Housing can include rental housing such as independent living projects, condominium units, and small group homes. HUD also provides project rental assistance subsidies, sometimes with Section 8 vouchers.

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA): HOPWA was established by HUD to address the specific needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and their families. HOPWA makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low income persons medically diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. HOPWA funds may be used for a wide range of housing, social services, program planning, and developmental costs.

Shelter Plus Care Program: Shelter Plus Care is a program designed to provide housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities, (primarily those with serious mental illness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or related diseases) and their families who are living in places not intended for human habilitation (e.g., streets) or in emergency shelters. It may include tenant based rental assistance (Section 8 vouchers), sponsor-based rental assistance, project-based rental assistance with or without rehabilitation, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Dwellings).

D. Supportive Housing Program (SHP) for Homeless Persons: Supportive Housing Program provides grants to develop supportive housing and services that will enable homeless people to live as independently as possible. Eligible applicants for SHP funding include states, local governments, other government agencies (such as public housing agencies), private nonprofit organizations, and community mental health associations that are public nonprofit organizations.

E. "Targeted" Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for Persons with Disabilities: HUD has "targeted" certain Section 8 Vouchers specifically for use by persons with disabilities. The "targeted vouchers fall into four categories:

Service Coordinators assist elderly individuals and persons with disabilities, living in federally-assisted multifamily housing, to obtain needed supportive services from community agencies. Services are intended to prevent premature and inappropriate institutionalization. HUD provides funding through three mechanisms at this time: (1) a national competition with other properties for a limited amount of grant funding, (2) the use of the development's residual receipts or excess income, or (3) budget-based rent increases or special rent adjustments. In Federal fiscal year 2001, HUD awarded 217 grants for a total of $25.79 million. These grants will serve 242 developments, with a total of 22,083 units.

ALCP provides nonprofit owners of eligible developments with a grant to convert some or all of the dwelling units in the project into an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) for the frail elderly or for people with disabilities. The facility must be licensed and regulated by the State (or if there is no State law providing such licensing and regulation, by the municipality or other subdivision in which the facility is located). ALFs are designed to accommodate frail elderly and people with disabilities who can live independently but need assistance with activities of daily living ALFs must provide support services such as personal care, transportation, meals, housekeeping, and laundry.

The Congregate Housing Services Program offers grants to States, units of general local government, PHAs, tribally designated housing entities (TDHES), and local nonprofit housing sponsors to provide meals and other supportive services needed by frail elderly residents and residents with disabilities in federally subsidized housing. It is a project-based-rather than a tenant-based-program. Assistance is in the form of grants to provide at least one hot meal per day in a group setting, 7 days per week, plus other supportive services necessary for independent living. Projects may not duplicate services that are already available at affordable rates.

Mortgage Insurance for Nursing Homes, Intermediate Care, Board & Care, and Assisted-Living Facilities: Section 232, Section 232/223(f): Substantial rehabilitation of nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, board and care homes, and assisted-living facilities. Section 232/223(f) allows for the purchase or refinancing with or without repairs of existing projects not requiring substantial rehabilitation.

Pilot Program for Homeownership Assistance for Disabled Families: This interim rule establishes regulations to implement the three-year pilot program authorized by section 302 of the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000. A PHA may elect to provide homeownership assistance to a disabled family under the pilot program, rather than under the Housing Choice Voucher Program homeownership option. Under the pilot program, a PHA provides homeownership assistance to a disabled family residing in a home purchased and owned by one or more members of the family.

Projects for Transition from Homelessness (PATH) (Center for Mental Health Services grants to state mental health agencies for services to homeless persons with psychiatric disabilities, for supportive housing services): PATH Formula Grant Program funds community-based programs to combat homelessness in every American state and territories. PATH provides a variety of treatment formula grant awards to States for homeless people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance abuse problems, including treatment, support services in residential settings, and coordination of services and housing. PATH funds may be used for certain services in connection with housing.

Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Program: The ROSS program, which provides grants to PHAs, resident organizations, and nonprofit entities, links, public housing residents with supportive services, resident empowerment activities, and assistance in becoming economically self-sufficient. ROSS’s goal is to focus resources on welfare to work and on independent living for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

B. Supportive Housing Initiative Act (Department of Mental Health): In 1998 the California Legislature passed the Supportive Housing Initiative Act (SHIA), a pilot program to test a "wrap around" approach to assisting Californians with various disabilities, special needs and chronic health problems. SHIA provides funding for service-enriched housing to allow people to live stable, productive lives in their communities, instead of repeatedly cycling through jails, psychiatric beds and other expensive institutions ill-suited to their needs. SHIA—a replication of several highly successful programs from other states and various cities in California—helps local governments and non-profits cover the costs of housing and supportive services for low-income adults, particularly those with mental illness, a history of alcohol/drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, developmental disabilities or other health conditions which impede unassisted living.

C. Special Needs Affordable Housing Lending Program: This is a loan program designed to serve special needs populations by reducing interest rates on loans for rental housing. Special needs populations include tenants with the following characteristics: disabilities including physical, developmental and mental disabilities; chronic health problems including HIV/AIDS; individuals or families with substance abuse recovery issues; youth emancipating out of foster care; and residents in need of specialized services.

D. Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness: In the state budget for Fiscal Year 1999-2000, Governor Davis provided $10 million for community mental health services to fund Adult System of Care programs directed particularly at serving homeless persons, parolees, and probationers with serious mental illness. A cooperative effort between the Legislature and the Governor resulted in legislation that authorized pilot programs with an integrated services approach intended to target specific individual needs. This program has a housing component.

E. Affordable Housing for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: The California Department of Developmental Services has an Affordable housing Program that provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop affordable housing for persons with developmental disabilities. The funding can be used for a number of things, including to rehabilitate and/or remodel housing to make it accessible and affordable, "set aside" affordable apartment, set rental rates at 30% of consumer’s income, and provide down-payment assistance to consumers who purchase their own homes.

F. Special Tax Credit Allocations for Housing for Persons with Special Needs: The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) has set aside a certain amount of tax credit funding for housing for persons with special needs. Persons with special needs include are developmentally disabled, are survivors of physical abuse, are homeless, have chronic illness, including HIV and mental illness, are displaced teenage parents (or expectant teenage parents).