HUD Releases Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities

On April 7, 2010 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the availability of $30 million in funding for approximately 4,000 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) for non-elderly disabled households. Funds unobligated under previous HUD NOFAs will also be made available as part of this NOFA, bringing the total funds available to $40 million for approximately 5,300 vouchers. Go to http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail/nednofa.pdf for a complete copy of the NOFA. Applications are due July 7, 2010.

For more information click here.
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Save the Date: Learn About Cuts to Critical Section 811 Housing Programs

On Wednesday March 10 at 1:00 PM (EST) the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force in conjunction with the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) will host a very important conference call on HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program highlighting drastic cuts to the Section 811 proposed FY 2011 budget and critical Section 811 legislation which must be enacted to reinvigorate the program.
What the Call Will Cover:

• The HUD FY 2011 Budget proposal eliminates all funding for new permanent supportive housing units financed through the Section 811 program until the new legislation is enacted. We need your help to advocate with Congress to restore these cuts.
• Currently critical Section 811 legislation is pending in the Senate and has already passed the House with strong bipartisan support. The call will focus on strategies and information you can use to engage your Senator to sign on as a cosponsor to S.1481 and save the Section 811 program.

Please join this call on Wednesday, March 10 at 1:00 PM (EST) to learn how to engage your Senator to cosponsor this important legislation.

Conference toll free call in number:
866-266-3378
Pass code 8224620005#

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HHS Office on Disability’s Year of Community Living Initiative Includes Federal Workforce and Housing Work Groups

ANCOR staff were invited to attend a meeting Thursday held by the HHS Office on Disability (OD) Director Henry Claypool and a number of administration officials spanning many federal agencies to discuss the President Obama’s Year of Community Living Initiative. That initiative was announced June 22, 2009 on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. The OD has been tapped to take the lead in forming a coordinating council spanning multiple HHS agencies, including CMS, as well as partnering with HUD, DOL, and the Department of Justice. Claypool announced that the purpose of the meeting and future meetings was to help craft an agenda for the initiative and to discuss ways to work with states on solutions. He also announced the formation of five federal working groups: services, housing, workforce, data and quality, and communications strategy. ANCOR was the first to comment on the plans announced, calling attention for the first time ever a real commitment to focus on the biggest barriers to community living—inadequate paid workforce and lack of housing. ANCOR also stressed the importance of including a focus on technology in both areas. Barbara Edwards, the new CMS Director of the Disabled and Elderly Program Group was also in attendance and ANCOR staff spent time talking with her in her new capacity. ANCOR has also spoken with federal chair of workforce group in order to further discuss our National Advocacy Campaign efforts and ideas on recruitment and retention issues.
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NCD Released Report on Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities

The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report entitled The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective. The report provides recommendations to improve housing opportunities for people with disabilities. The research contained in this report presents a comprehensive overview of the state of housing in the twenty-first century, and answers important questions about the current housing needs and options for people with disabilities living in the United States.

For more information click here: http://www.disability.gov/housing/news_%26_events
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HHS Provides an Additional $1.2 Billion to States to Help Low-Income Households with Energy Costs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of $1.2 billion to states to help low income citizens in the coming weeks with their heating bills. These funds represent grants to states, tribes and territories under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

LIHEAP helps eligible individuals families pay the costs of heating and insulating their homes in the winter and cooling their homes in the summer. HHS is releasing such a large allocation of LIHEAP funds now in order to ensure that states have resources available to support their energy assistance programs as the weather turns colder and the nation faces high unemployment rates.

For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released today go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2010/liheap_2010.html.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/ or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html.

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Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Disabled and Elderly Housing Issues

Yesterday, the Senate Banking Committee’s subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development held a hearing on Modernizing Affordable Housing for Seniors and People with Disabilities. Witnesses discussed the Section 811 reform bill and the Section 202 elderly housing reform bill. ANCOR supports the Section 811 reform bill, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (S. 1481) and encourages ANCOR members to ask their Senators to co-sponsor this bill. The identical companion bill, H.R. 1675, passed in the House by unanimous consent this summer.

Chairman Dodd (D-CT) stated strong support for the Melville bill and committed to move it through the Committee and to the floor quickly. In addition to Chairman Menendez (D-NJ), Senators Johanns (R-NE) and Kohl (D-WI) attended.

Click here to view the hearing.

Click here to read witness testimony.

Click here for more information on the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009.
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Two New Housing Voucher Reports Available

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published this week two new reports about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. The first report outlines the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act and how the bill would update and streamline the Section 8 voucher program. The second report addresses shortages of Section 8 vouchers in FY 2009. Read more!

State Discriminated Against Mentally Ill, Judge Rules

New York Federal District Judge Ruled in ADA Case Against New York City. The judge ruled that the state was violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by housing more than 4,300 mentally ill people in New York City in more than two dozen adult homes. He said the residents had little hope of mingling with anyone in the wider community. The ruling, which applies to individuals with mental illness who are not considered dangerous to themselves or others, suggested that the state would have to begin finding individual apartments or small homes for virtually all adult-home residents who wanted one. Look for the article in the September 9th edition of the New York Times.
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UPDATE: HUD Releases Section 811 NOFA

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the 2009 Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) for Section 811 funds. The deadline for application submission is now December 16, 2009. Read more!

Housing Briefs

Section 811 reform legislation and FY 2010 T-HUD appropriations continue to move through the House and Senate. HUD released a letter on Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher shortages to Public Housing Authorities and the Technical Assistance Collaborative released a new Opening Doors on using the Neighborhood Stabilization fund from the Recovery Act to help create permanent, supportive housing.

House Passes Section 811 Reform Bill

The House of Representatives passed last week the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1675) which will significantly reform the Section 811 program. This ANCOR-supported bill would implement a new demonstration program that would triple the number of units to be built through use of other federal or state funds. The legislation was initially introduced by Reps. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL). In addition, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) introduced an identical companion version of the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (S. 1481).

FY 2010 HUD Appropriations

The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday voted 30-0, after no debate, to approve a $122 billion spending bill for transportation and housing programs for fiscal 2010. The Senate and House (passed July 20) versions also differ slightly.

The Senate bill would provide $265 million for the Section 811 program, compared to $350 in the House version. The Section 202 program fares better in the House at $1 billion than the Senate's $785 million. The Senate bill would provide $18.1billion for Section 8 tenant-based vouchers, compared with $18.2 billion in the House bill, and $8.1 billion for the Section 8 project-based rental assistance account, compared with $8.7 billion in the House bill.

The Senate bill includes $4 billion for formula grants through the Community Development Block Grants program, compared with $4.2 billion in the House bill.

HUD Releases Letter on Section 8 Voucher Shortfall

The letter, sent July 30th to Public Housing Authorities (PHA), updates them on steps HUD is taking to minimize the effects of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher shortfalls some PHAs are experiencing and how to prevent termination of vouchers.

New Opening Doors from the Technical Assistance Collaborative

This issue of Opening Doors provides an overview of HUD’s new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), documents the purpose and history of the program, discusses how the funds are distributed, describes the ways that NSP can be used to create permanent supportive housing, and suggests strategies that can be used by the disability community to work with NSP grantees.








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Senators Introduce Section 811 Reform Bill

Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Johanns (R-NE), members of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee – today introduced legislation aimed at ensuring that low-income disabled Americans have access to affordable housing options. The Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act increases the availability of affordable housing for persons with disabilities and helps provide them with rental assistance.

“It is often hard for those who are disabled to find affordable housing that allows them to live independently, and that is particularly true during these tough times,” said Menendez, who is Chairman of the Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development. “We are working to help ensure that disabled members of our communities can keep a roof over their heads and can get some relief for their personal finances. We can do this by helping to increase the availability and reduce the cost of their housing, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to get this done.”

“I take very seriously our responsibility to ensure people with disabilities have the opportunity to contribute to our communities and this legislation is an important step,” Johanns said. “In a time when many are facing difficult struggles, it is our duty to see that no one is overlooked. This legislation helps people with disabilities to find affordable places to live, which is often key to their independence.”

The legislation would improve HUD’s Section 811 program by:
• Increasing the number of available housing vouchers for people with disabilities and ensuring that vouchers continue to be used to help people with disabilities.
• Encouraging the integration of mixed-used developments into the program and allowing funds from Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the HOME program to be used.
• Extending the length of rental assistance contract terms from 20 years to 30 years for projects using Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
Thank you to Mona McGee of Mosaic for reaching out to Senator Johanns’ office and other ANCOR members instrumental in getting this bill introduced in the Senate.
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HUD Releases 4000 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

July 10, 2009 Reminder: Comments on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Notice of Available Funding are due Monday, July 13th. ANCOR will be commenting on the notice. See below for a link to the notice from HUD.

On July 1st, HUD joined President Obama's commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision by announcing that it will offer rental assistance to 4,000 non-elderly families with disabilities, including 1,000 vouchers specifically targeted to those transitioning out of nursing homes and other facilities. Through its funding notice, HUD is seeking comment from public housing authorities and others to ensure this critically needed assistance is distributed and administered in the most effective manner possible.

Today's announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling in Olmstead v. L.C. & E.W. which affirmed the rights of individuals with disabilities to live independently. To commemorate this landmark decision, President Obama declared 2009 the Year of Community Living.(see related article)

"As individuals with disabilities leave institutional care, it is essential that they have housing options that will allow them to live independently," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "As we prepare to launch this initiative, we also want to make certain that we get input from local housing experts, disability rights advocates and others who can help us target this assistance to those who need it most. We also recognize how important it is for HUD and HHS to coordinate our resources to enable community-living for those individuals that live with disabilities."

HUD's Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will make $30 million in voucher assistance available to support approximately 4,000 Housing Choice Vouchers for non-elderly disabled families. HUD is making a 1,000 of those vouchers available specifically for individuals transitioning out of nursing homes and other institutions. These vouchers directly support a $1.75 billion initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help persons who reside in health care settings move to community-based living. While HHS' Money Follows the Person (MFP) program offers health care, case management and other services to qualified families, it does not include funding for housing. HUD's funding initiative is designed to fill that gap.

The remaining 3,000 Housing Choice Vouchers are available to assist any non-elderly disabled family. The Department is encouraging local housing authorities to give strong consideration to using some or all of these vouchers to provide housing for those non-elderly persons that are living in the community, but are at-risk for institutionalization. Comments on the NOFA are due Monday, July 13th. ANCOR will be submitting comments. Read more!

President Proclaims Year of Community Living

Marking the 10th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, President Obama launched a new effort to assist Americans with disabilities—The Year of Community Living. The President directed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to work together to identify ways to improve access to housing, community supports, and independent living arrangements. In joining the President in commemorating the anniversary of the Olmstead decision, HHS Secretary Sebelius announced that agencies within her department would begin aggressively addressing barriers that prevent some Americans with disabilities from enjoying a meaningful life as part of their community.

Throughout this “Year of Community Living,” HHS will hold listening sessions, giving stakeholders an opportunity to come together for a common purpose: overcoming barriers to community-based living for people with disabilities and the elderly. These forums will help HHS craft the agenda to improve federal programs and better support the efforts of state and local government.

HUD announced that it will make1,000 housing vouchers available for individuals with disabilities transitioning from institutions to the community—targeting states operating Money Follows the Person Demonstration programs. HUD will award an additional 3,000 housing vouchers to serve non-elderly people with disabilities and encourage Public Housing Authorities to form working relationships with state Medicaid agencies interested in addressing community living needs of beneficiaries.
See the next issue of LINKs for more information. Read more!

Did You Know?

A record 10,552 fair housing discrimination complaints were filed in fiscal year 2008, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The report shows that a large portion of the complaints, 44 percent, were filed by persons with disabilities. Type rest of the post here. Read more!

Take Action on Federal Housing Legislation!

ANCOR continues to support legislation that would increase the availability of affordable, accessible housing—the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1675), introduced by Representatives Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Judy Biggert (R-IL).

The bill would increase the number of affordable, accessible housing units for people with disabilities by:

• Removing "red tape" and streamlining the HUD Section 811 application process to encourage nonprofit providers to participate in the program.
• Authorizing a new Section 811 Demonstration Program that would make housing units funded through Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the HOME program affordable to individuals who rely on SSI and SSDI.
• Shifting renewal of Section 811-funded Mainstream Vouchers to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Budget
  

Use ANCOR’s Action Center to make your voice heard in Congress! Visit ANCOR’s Action Alert to ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act (H.R. 1675).

ANCOR members are encouraged to use Priced Out in 2008 when personalizing their letter. (see related article on Priced Out in 2008) Use the data in the report to document the housing crisis in your state. Tell your organizations story--personalize the letter attached to the alert with issues you are facing with supporting individuals in the community and the lack of affordable, accessible housing. Include your state’s sobering statistics to illustrate the housing crisis faced by people with disabilities.

If you have any questions, contact ANCOR Staff Jessica Sadowsky (jsadowsky@ancor.org). For more information on housing issues, visit ANCOR’s housing webpage.

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People with Disabilities Priced Out in 2008: Beneficiaries Need 112 Percent of Monthly SSI to Rent One Bedroom

A new report issued Monday, April 13th by the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task force reveals data that illustrates the severe housing affordability problems of people with disabilities who must survive on incomes far below the federal poverty line. This report, Priced Out in 2008, compares the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments of people with serious and long-term disabilities to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents for modestly priced rental units.

Across the United States in 2008, people with disabilities with the lowest incomes faced an extreme housing affordability crisis as rents for moderately priced studio and one-bedroom apartments soared above their entire monthly income. According to Priced Out in 2008:

• SSI income needed to rent a modest one-bedroom unit has risen 62 percent from 69 percent of SSI in 1998 to 112.1 percent of SSI in 2008. The national average rent for a one-bedroom unit climbed to $749 per month and the studio/efficiency unit rent to $663 per month in 2008 – both higher than $667, the average monthly income of over 4 million people with disabilities.
• In 2008, 219 housing market areas across 41 states had modest one-bedroom rents that exceeded 100 percent of monthly SSI, including 25 communities with rents over 150 percent.
• Between 2006-2008, the number of market areas with modest rents higher than SSI rose from 164 to 219 – a 34 percent increase.
• For the first time, there were 3 housing market areas – Honolulu (HI), Columbia City (MD), and Nantucket County (MA) – where SSI recipients needed to spend over 200 percent of their income for a modest 1-bedroom housing unit.
  

ANCOR members are encouraged to use Priced Out in 2008 when discussing the need for affordable, accessible housing with their federal, state, and local officials. Use the data in the report to document the housing crisis in your state. Share this information with housing officials at the local and state level, who are responsible for developing strategies and plans to use federal housing resources. Respond to ANCOR’s new Action Alert on the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1675). (see related article on Federal Housing Legislation) Tell your organizations story--personalize the letter attached to the alert with issues you are facing with supporting individuals in the community and the lack of affordable, accessible housing. Include your state’s sobering statistics to illustrate the housing crisis faced by people with disabilities.

If you have any questions, contact ANCOR Staff Jessica Sadowsky (jsadowsky@ancor.org). For more information on housing issues, visit ANCOR’s housing webpage.
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Section 811 Reform Legislation Reintroduced in House

Representatives Murphy (D-CT) and Biggert (R-IL) Re-Introduced on Monday Section 811 Reform Legislation. The Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act (H.R. 1675) would modernize the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program and create a Project-Rental Assistance Demonstration program to expand the supply of permanent supportive housing for low-income persons with disabilities. The Section 811 program is the only Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) permanent supportive housing program exclusively serving persons with disabilities. The new Section 811 legislation (H.R. 1675) was re-introduced with the same language as the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2008 (H.R. 5772), which passed in the House unanimously in September 2008. For more information, see the ANCOR Fact Sheet on this bill and information on ANCOR's Housing Web page on H.R. 5772. Read more!