Housing Assistance for Disabled

Housing Vouchers * Public Housing * Homeless * Making Home Affordable

Affordable Housing and Rental Assistance for Disabled 

What Federal Programs provide Housing Assistance for Non-Elderly People with Disabilities?

There are different federal programs that provide grants or other types of funding to help people with disabilities. Grants for affordable housing, rental assistance, and supportive services for people with disabilities are part of a number of federal programs’  budgets.
Disability with respect to an individual person is defined as a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activates of such individual”. According to Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA) an individual that has a record of such an impairment, or is being regarded as having such an impairment is also considered a person with a disability.
Housing affordability, in general, is a significant challenge for all low-income renters, including low-income people with disabilities. Vacancy rates are extremely low, particularly for the limited numbers of housing units available for people with disabilities.

List of Housing for Disabled and Supportive Programs for Non-Elderly with Disabilities

Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities – Project Rental Assistance Demonstration (PRA Demo) Program

As of the Fiscal Year, 2012 Section 811 establishes a new project rental assistance grants for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. This grant program creates opportunities for State Housing and Health and Human Service/Medicaid agencies. With all available Section 811 grants, they are expected to increase the supply in 2012-2015 of housing for persons with disabilities while also making available appropriate support and services.

Between $2 million and $12 million is the grant award to any eligible State Housing Agency, and there are no matching requirements. The rental assistance this PRA Demo Program provides will cover the difference between the tenant payment and the approved rent. The tenant contribution to the monthly rent should not be more than 30% of the household’s adjusted monthly income. And the required initial lease term should not be less than one year.

Eligibility Requirements – Extremely low-income households with at least one disabled non-elderly individual.

The annual income of such households should not exceed 30%  of the median income for the area to be eligible to benefit from this rental assistance program. At least one person between 18 years of age or older and less than 62 years of age must be defined as an individual with a disability within the household. Also, this person must be eligible for long-term community-based services as provided through Medicaid.

Non-Elderly Disabled Vouchers (NED):

There are three options for households having people with disabilities or individuals defined as disabled:

  1. Mainstream housing choice vouchers (any age family that cares for a person with disabilities);
  2. Designated housing vouchers (non-elderly families who would be eligible for public housing if occupancy were not restricted to elderly households), and;
  3. Certain development vouchers (non-elderly families that care for a disabled person and do not currently receive housing assistance). Second and third options offer renter assistance vouchers to non-elderly disabled families to lease affordable housing of their choice.
Section 8 Program – Certain Developments Vouchers for Non-Elderly with Disabilities

Certain Developments Vouchers allow for non-elderly families having a person with disabilities to obtain affordable housing. Eligible households are all who do not currently get housing assistance in certain developments where owners establish preferences for or restrict occupancy to elderly families. The following types of development are covered by Certain Development Vouchers.

Section 8: new construction projects, substantial rehabilitation projects, state housing projects, section 515 new projects

Housing assisted under Section 202, Housing financed under Section 221(d)(5)

Housing held by a state agency under Section 236 of the National Housing Act

Designated Rental Assistance Vouchers for Non-Elderly Disabled Families

Designated Housing Vouchers enable non-elderly families having a disabled person, who otherwise would be eligible for public housing if occupancy was not restricted to elderly families, to receive rental assistance in a public housing unit. Designated Housing Vouchers are also given to families with a disabled person that currently occupy public housing unit but are affected by a PHA decision to designate the building as mixed elderly and disabled buildings. Those families have to demonstrate a need for alternative resources to meet their needs.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requires a family having a person with disability and income less than HUD-established low income limit for the area. Families apply to the local PHA that administers this program.  The voucher cover the difference between 30% of the family income and the area payment standard or gross rent whichever is lower. The family may choose a unit anywhere in the USA where there is a PHA that administers a tenant based voucher program, but the family may use the voucher to lease a unit in an area where the family is income eligible at admission to the program.

How to Apply for Housing Assistance If  you are a Non-Elderly Person with Disabilities

Individuals with disabilities and families having individuals with disabilities should inquire and apply for housing assistance to the local Public Housing A

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