HOUSING & INDEPENDENCE:
How Innovative CILs Are Breaking Down Barriers to Housing for People with
Disabilities
1999
by Kaye Beneke
There's No Place Like Home?
Ask anyone in the independent living community to list the top three
problems facing people with disabilities today, and there is a good chance
the response will include "housing." There isn't enough of it.
It's unaffordable. It's inaccessible. How big is the problem? If we had
to rely on statistics to tell us that, we'd be in big trouble. As we have
been known to say in Texas, "it's slim pickins" when it comes
to disability and housing data.
But we don't really need to have statistics to know there's a real problem.
We see the proof every day. We work with people who are forced to live
in institutions or nursing homes or on the streets for lack of appropriate
housing in the community. We know people imprisoned in inaccessible housing
who don't have the resources–financial or otherwise--to fix the
problems or move. And we're all too familiar with the "no vacancy"
signs that are up one minute and down the next--depending on who wants
to lease space. Then there are the developers, building owners and others
who simply don't "get it" when it comes to the need to provide
accessible housing.
Advocacy organizations working to break the housing barrier identify
four factors that--individually or collectively--contribute to the problem.
Consumers are unaware of their rights to housing.
There are a number of laws designed to protect people with disabilities
from housing discrimination. There are a variety of programs that provide
financial assistance. (Note: Resource information about key laws and programs
is included later in this article.) But the laws are complicated, and
the programs are spread out among various federal, state and local agencies.
Locating and understanding the laws and programs are often overwhelming
tasks, especially for people who may have more immediate issues to deal
with just to get through the day.
Accessible housing is hard to come by.
For the most part, the housing industry has been slow to respond to the
demand for accessible housing. This is true for single- and multi-family
dwellings, old and new. It applies whether the housing is up for lease
or for sale. And it's a problem found in housing developed or maintained
with private or government funds.
Affordable housing is difficult to find.
As a group, people with disabilities don't have a lot of money. They
are unemployed or under-employed. They live on fixed incomes. What money
they do have is often applied to immediate concerns like personal assistance
services, medical expenses and meeting other daily needs. This doesn't
leave a lot left over for rent. And it certainly presents a problem for
people who seek to buy their own homes. Few people with disabilities have
the financial resources to make a down payment, or the credit history
to get a mortgage loan.
The housing industry is uneducated.
In a world where myths and stereotypes about people with disabilities
persist, it comes as no surprise that the housing industry generally does
not know about or understand the housing needs of people with disabilities.
Developers, landlords, leasing agents and others are often unaware of
their legal responsibilities to provide accessible housing. Their misconceptions
about people with disabilities often lead to fear and unreasonable concerns
about economic and/or social liability.
Independent Living and Housing
Resolving the housing problem is crucial to advancing independence for
people with disabilities. Until this most basic need is met, it is nearly
impossible for a person with a disability to move on to other things that
contribute to an independent, productive and satisfying life.
How is the independent living community dealing with the issue? Submissions
to ILRU's recent Innovative CILs competition suggest that centers realize
the strong correlation between housing and independence. Based on their
entries, ILRU selected four centers as Innovative CILs for their creative
approaches to resolving housing issues in their communities.
This article is a compilation of the four winning essays as well as telephone
interviews with key staff members at each of the centers. It's worth mentioning
that while the communities, centers and their approaches are quite diverse,
the housing problem itself is described by each center in nearly identical
terms: "Limited options." "Inaccessible." "Unaffordable."
"Severe shortages." These words appear time and again.
It's the same set of problems whether you live in Boise or Los Angeles,
Northwest Kansas or New Orleans. So much for the argument, "nobody
has it as bad as we do." It's bad all over.
The good news is the centers featured in this article are getting results
and actually improving housing options in their communities. No two are
doing exactly the same things in exactly the same ways. Rather, they are
capitalizing on the unique resources and "personalities" of
their own communities to bring about change. As such, they are setting
examples that can easily be replicated by centers in other communities--no
matter how big or small they are.
Fair Housing Education and Enforcement in Idaho
In response to a high volume of complaints about housing discrimination
in the state of Idaho, the independent living, legal aid and fair housing
communities have created an alliance. They are using funds from the federal
department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to wage a campaign with
two major goals–education and enforcement.
In its Innovative CILs entry, Living Independence Network Corporation
(LINC) reports, " of the 1.2 million people who live in the state
of Idaho, approximately 18.74% have been identified as people living with
significant disabilities. In addition, 44% of Idaho households contain
at least one person with a disability."
Within that population LINC says, "many individuals lack the specific
knowledge about the nature and availability of existing housing, and lack
the knowledge about the variety of housing related laws and how the laws
protect their civil rights." The key players in the partnership are
the State Independent Living Council, Idaho Coalition of Independent Living
Centers, Idaho Legal Aid and Idaho Fair Housing Council. The HUD funds
are part of the Fair Housing Initiative Program. The federal dollars flow
through the legal aid office to all of the state's independent living
centers.
With part of its share of the funds, LINC is educating consumers, property
managers, landlords and other service organizations about fair housing
laws. Staff members conduct training, develop information packets and
post information on the center's website. They have become a respected
resource for individual consumers and housing providers trying to work
out specific issues.
In many cases, LINC staff reports, it only takes a little education to
bring about positive change. They say most people want to do the right
thing, they just don't know what that is. As they focused on educating
people with disabilities and the housing industry, LINC staff realized
how much they, themselves, needed to learn about fair housing in order
to be effective fair housing advocates. The learning that came with developing
training programs and informational materials was an unexpected--but welcome--
benefit.
LINC also takes a proactive role in enforcing fair housing laws. A major
part of this initiative involves a fair housing "testing" program,
in which consumers receive thorough training to evaluate housing and its
accessibility and availability to people with disabilities. Apparently,
the program is uncovering numerous problems. As this article is being
written, the Fair Housing Council is filing 52 fair housing complaints
with HUD against landlords throughout the state. The complaints are based
on the results of the testing carried out by LINC and the other independent
living centers in Idaho.
Other enforcement activities include advocating for reasonable accommodations.
LINC has successfully negotiated 70 accommodations for people with disabilities.
They range from allowing a recent stroke survivor to use an existing elevator
to revising "no pet policies" to accommodate service animals.
LINC has intervened in 21 situations in which tenants faced eviction.
By helping landlords understand "mitigating circumstances" such
as lengthy hospitalizations or sudden and costly disability-related expenses,
the independent living center has successfully protected consumers from
poor credit and/or absent tenant decisions which would have resulted in
eviction.
It is ironic that LINC reports some of its toughest battles in the housing
arena are on behalf of people who don't have any home at all. A series
of complaints against city owned and/or operated homeless shelters led
to intense negotiations with shelter management and city housing staff.
LINC has provided specialized training for shelter staff, and the city
has agreed to revise shelter intake and registration procedures and materials
to comply with the law. In the meantime, HUD is investigating the situation
as a result of LINC's intervention in the situation.
The HUD grant expires in May 1999, but LINC will find some way to continue
its important work after that. For centers that may be considering their
own education and enforcement campaigns, LINC offers this advice:
- Work in partnership with other key organizations. In LINC's case,
the affiliation with the legal aid and housing organizations has been
invaluable.
- Involve consumers in your efforts. There usually aren't enough people
on staff to do all the work. And consumers bring important personal
experience to the effort.
- Don't expect to win any popularity contests in the housing industry.
There will be some landlords, contractors and others who will view your
efforts as unwelcome meddling in the way they've always conducted business.
For more information, contact:
Living Independence Network Corporation
(LINC)
Kim McCulley, Director
2500 Kootnenai Street
Boise, ID 83705-2408
Phone: 208-336-3335
E-mail: lincinfo@aol.com
Relocation and Rental Assistance in New Orleans
Stigma and isolation are two ongoing problems for many people with disabilities.
In New Orleans, the staff at Resources for Independent Living (RIL) determined
that limited housing options can compound and contribute to the problems.
"The blending of unemployment and bleak economic conditions has
sentenced many people with disabilities to reliance on government assistance
and paying a very high percentage of their meager incomes on housing costs.
This has traditionally resulted in the social stigma related to poverty
or life in public housing developments, as well as a lack of community
affiliation and membership," RIL reports in its Innovative CILs submission.
RIL approached the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) in an attempt
to address the "grave need" for accessible, affordable and non-segregated
housing for people with disabilities. HANO was receptive, and the two
began to work cooperatively.
In early 1997, RIL learned about the Mainstream Voucher-Certificate Program
through which HUD provides Sec. 8 funds to help people with disabilities
live in community-based housing. HANO applied for and received the funds.
They are the basis for a contract initiated in August 1998, under which
RIL provides relocation and housing assistance for 50 people with disabilities
each year.
As RIL describes it, "the program assists people with disabilities
to complete the journey from traditional public housing to typical housing
in neighborhoods of their choice, without exacting a high percentage of
their income for rent." The program's major feature is rental assistance.
HANO provides consumers with rent vouchers or certificates.
RIL provides direct support to people with disabilities participating
in the program and advocates on their behalf, when necessary. The independent
living center provides case management during and after relocation and
coordinates skills training, information gathering or other support that
may be required. The major focus is to help people with disabilities achieve
their long- and short-term independent living goals.
To participate in the income-based program, consumers must qualify. If
they do, HANO supplies 70% of the monthly rent. Sometimes consumers need
to make modifications or purchase appliances, food or something else to
be independent intheir new locations. The city provides funding for some
modifications. For other needs, RIL seeks alternative funding through
the state independent living council. Moving from public housing and society's
perceptions that go along with it to a "personally chosen" neighborhood
"is the first step in the birth and growth of the community affiliation
most people view as a necessary component in a 'quality' life," RIL
reports. "People want to participate in the life of their community
and interact with other members of their community." RIL views this
program as an opportunity to expand typical neighborhood inclusion and
overcome attitudinal barriers.
Aside from the obvious housing benefits, RIL notes the program also promotes
and strengthens self-advocacy skills. Consumers may encounter obstacles
at any point during the process, including locating suitable property,
negotiating for modifications, finding alternative funding or actually
making the move. RIL is always on hand to provide support and direct assistance,
if necessary, but encourages people to handle their own issues to the
extent possible.
Beyond that, RIL predicts that program participants will eventually realize
improved social and independent living skills and enhanced self-esteem.
All of this is the result of being part of a real neighborhood--full-fledged
members of the community. RIL's essay concludes, "It is granted that
quality of life is a nebulous term, particular to any individual. However,
choice and independence are intrinsic to most definitions. This is the
ultimate goal of the housing relocation program: to improve quality of
life by affording choice and independence and in the process taking another
small step in removing the boundaries that separate those with disabilities
from others."
For more information, contact:
Resources for Independent Living
Linda Marsh, Information & Referral Program Manager
1555 Poydras, Suite 1500
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 504-522-1955
E-mail: noril@bellsouth.net
Homeownership in Kansas
"Living in a rural area compounds housing problems." That simple
statement from Living Independently in Northwest Kansas (LINK) sums up
what prompted the rural independent living center to launch an innovative
homeownership program. In March 1998, LINK collaborated with several other
local organizations to apply for a rural development grant from the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). They got the grant and started the Home of
Your Own (HOYO) project for Northwest Kansas. The USDA funds are channeled
through the Sedgwick County Area Non-profit Community Housing Organization
(SANCHO). The Kansas Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities also
supports the project with grant funds. Limited housing options in small,
rural communities make buying a home a logical choice, LINK reports in
its Innovative CILs essay. "But anyone who has gone through the process
of buying a home will tell you that steps to actual purchase can be long,
grueling and intimidating."
The HOYO program offers technical assistance to individuals who seek
homeownership. A LINK staff member works one-on-one with a prospective
homeowner through the entire purchasing process. The coordinator provides
information, guidance and support to assist consumers as they locate a
choice home, fill out paperwork, round up the down payment and tend to
all the details that go along with becoming a homeowner.
"What is unique about this program is that the prospective homeowners
can take as little or as much time as they need without feeling pressured
or discouraged. Having a support person to answer questions without judgment
or discrimination and to assist with the necessary steps makes homeownership
more desirable and achievable," LINK reports.
While some homeownership programs in other states offer financial assistance
or access to loan products such as FannieMae, LINK's project does not.
HOYO coordinator Debbie Peters says FannieMae is not available to Kansas
residents. However, Peters says a local bank, which participates in the
project's advisory committee, is very helpful in helping consumers establish
credit and get mortgage financing. "That's one real benefit of living
in a small community," she says. The advisory committee is an important
part of HOYO's success. LINK invited people representing a diverse array
of interests to participate, initially to develop the funding proposal
to submit to USDA. The committee continues to meet regularly to make sure
the project stays on target. Members include LINK staff, consumers, bankers,
realtors and representatives from social rehabilitative services and HUD.
Does everyone who starts out with the HOYO project end up with a home?
No. "Homeownership is a big responsibility and there are a lot of
things to keep up with. It's not for everybody. Sometimes our process
helps people understand they don't really want to take it all on,"
Peters explains.
Nonetheless, Peters describes the process as "empowering" for
consumers as they get to make their own decisions about where they live.
Since its inception in March 1998, HOYO has helped "about a dozen"
people with disabilities purchase their own homes, and LINK sees the potential
for growth as "unlimited." LINK believes the project can easily
be replicated by other centers. Peters advises centers which may be considering
this or a similar project to assign more than one staff person to the
project. The key to the program is staying with the prospective homeowner
throughout the process, she says. Depending on the number of people participating
in the project, that could be more than one person can handle.
For more information, contact:
Living Independently in Northwest Kansas (LINK)
Debbie Peters, Housing Coordinator
2401 East 13th Street
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: 785-625-6942 (V/TDD)
Networking and Development in Los Angeles
You might think that in a city the size of Los Angeles, people with disabilities
would have a lot more housing options than their counterparts in small
and/or rural communities. Not so, says the Westside Center for Independent
Living (WCIL) which describes "an ever increasing shortage of housing
options" in its Innovative CILs entry.
In 1995, bolstered by a $50,000 Title VII-B grant from the State of California
Department of Rehabilitation, WCIL created the Housing Advocacy Training
(HAT) to confront the housing problem head-on. HAT's mandate was to use
"systemic advocacy" to bring about more affordable and accessible
housing in the Los Angeles area.
Today, the three-year grant has expired, but WCIL continues to fund HAT
because the program is making such a positive difference. WCIL lists accomplishments
in four major areas:
- Building a constituency of informed, educated consumers actively
advocating for housing regulations, budget allocations and issues that
will change the current and future housing trends.
- Creating relationships and formal agreements with housing providers
for priority notifications of housing vacancies for placements.
- Designing replicable model projects in housing development with private
and public partners.
- Aggregating research compiled in a quick reference guide so that other
independent living centers can implement big picture strategies in housing.
Educating consumers was HAT's first priority. To date more than 200 consumers
have participated in training on housing rights. HAT maintains contact
with this network through regular mailings, newsletters, advocacy alerts,
phone trees and other means to convey housing, advocacy and other pertinent
information. HAT staff is particularly proud of its Residence Council
Training Manual, which guides consumers living in HUD subsidized housing
through the process of forming their own residence councils. The "how-to"
manual includes information about structuring a council, establishing
bylaws, holding elections and running meetings. It also includes special
materials to help consumers conduct their own self-advocacy workshops.
The manual is designed for use by consumers, independent of HAT. While
HAT staff is available to assist when called upon, they say it is especially
gratifying to see self-reliance and independence grow as people with disabilities
use the information to make their own successes.
Educating consumers is only one part of HAT's overall effort. Educating
the housing industry is another major focus. "Our purpose,"
they say, "was to educate them as to the housing dilemmas faced by
the disability community and begin to solidify support toward solving
them."
Toward that end, HAT has educated nearly 1,200 local property owners,
building managers and others. Some of the information is pretty basic,
like "Disability 101." HAT reports that landlords are often
surprised to learn there are advantages to leasing to people with disabilities.
HAT staff member Steve Klemin says, "We tell them that people with
disabilities tend to stay in housing longer than other tenants, especially
when the living space is accessible and comfortable for them. That translates
to fewer vacancies. And that translates to more dollars coming in. That's
the landlord's bottom line." Klemin says landlords are also surprised
to learn that modifications and other accommodations aren't usually as
expensive as they thought they would be.
The education is paying off. HAT has negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding
with several of LA's largest housing providers, who have agreed to give
people with disabilities a larger number of "affordable referrals"
in each of the buildings they own or manage. HAT has agreed to provide
technical assistance to staff members of those companies in exchange for
notifications of vacancies as they occur.
Beyond relationships with these housing providers, HAT maintains a registry
of more than 500 community leaders, construction industry specialists
and community development professionals. HAT staff calls on these contacts
for consultation and technical assistance as the need arises.
HAT is rightfully proud of all of these achievements, but describes yet
another activity as its "most stellar accomplishment"--one that
is "actually changing the housing market for people with disabilities."
HAT staff is working with prominent contacts in the local housing and
financial investment communities to create a Real Estate Investment Trust
(REIT) "that will result in the production of a universally designed,
fully accessible model housing project within the next two years."
The trust, financed through private investments, will allow local housing
development independent of federal funds--or intervention.
At this writing, the REIT is still under development, but HAT staff is
highly optimistic about its success. They hope it will serve as a model
that can be replicated by independent living centers trying to increase
housing developments in their own communities.
HAT recently completed a comprehensive study of housing development partnership
models. The result is a 52-page booklet, Breaking New Ground, which includes
an overview of the housing development process, innovative universal design
ideas and more. Perhaps most important, the booklet offers strategies
for centers who are looking at ways to be involved in housing development
in light of restrictions against owning, operating or managing housing.
HAT will share this booklet, as well as the Residence Council Training
Manual, with other centers.
For more information, contact:
Steve Klemin
John Whitbread
Housing Advocacy Training
Program
Westside Center for Independent Living
12901 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: 310-390-3611, ext. 228
E-mail: hatprogram@earthlink.net
Housing Resources for Independent Living Centers
Tips from the centers interviewed for this article and a few hours spent
"surfing" the internet turned up a number of agencies and organizations
that provide direct assistance and/or useful information related to housing
for people with disabilities. The best of them are included in the following,
alphabetized list. In addition to the web site addresses, the listing
includes whatever mail and telephone contact information is included at
the web site, as well as a short description of the agency or program.
The editor has noted a few of the sites that have especially good links
to other housing information. However, almost all the sites have some
good links that may prove useful if you don't find what you need at the
ones offered here.
Center for Community Change
1000 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-342-0567
--or--
100 Bush Street, Suite 210
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: 415-984-0222
FAX: 415-773-0477
http://www.communitychange.org
helps poor people to improve their communities and change policies and
institutions that affect their lives by developing their own strong organizations.
School of Design
North Carolina State University
Box 8613
Raleigh, NC 27695.8613
Phone: 919-515-3082 (V/TTY) or 800-647-6777
(Info Requests)
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
a national research, information, and technical assistance center that
evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in buildings
and related products. We make every effort to provide information in a
variety of ways to ensure access to all.
Concrete Change
1371 Metropolitan Ave.
SE Atlanta GA 30316
Phone: 404-378-7455
Fax: 404-378-6830
http://eleanors.home.mindspring.com/index.htm
An international effort to make all homes visitable!
FannieMae
Housing & Community Development
http://www.fanniemae.com/neighborhoods/index.html
information on FannieMae's efforts to meet affordable and underserved
housing needs throughout the country. (Editor's Note: Check the phone
book, directory assistance or the FannieMae web site for regional contact
information.)
Federal Rent Assistance (HUD)
http://www.hud.gov/fedrent.html
federal rental assistance programs available through HUD, with links to
other federal rental assistance programs. Local/regional contact information
is available in the phone book, through directory assistance or in "HUD's
Phone Book" located on the "Quick References" page of the
web site.
Freddie Mac
Corporate Relations Department
E-mail: corprel@freddiemac.com
Phone: 703-903-3933.
http://www.freddiemac.com/home/
dedicated to improving the quality of life by making the American dream
of decent, accessible housing a reality. (Editor's Note: Check out the
"Homebuyers" page for housing and credit information.)
Housing Assistance Council
National Office
1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 606
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 202-842-8600
Fax: 202-347-3441
http://www.ruralhome.org
HAC has gained a national reputation by providing below-market financing,
technical assistance, program and policy analysis, research and demonstration
projects, training, and information services to public, nonprofit and
private organizations nationwide who are concerned about affordable housing
for low-income people in rural America.
Money Management
International
Phone: 1-800-762-2271
http://www.moneymanagementbymail.org/
offers free professional credit counseling, debt management programs,
and consumer education by phone, Internet, fax and mail. All programs
are designed individually to assist consumers with debt repayment.
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials
630 Eye Street, NW, Washington DC 20001
Phone: 202-289-3500 Fax: 202-289-8181
http://www.nahro.org
Housing and community development advocate for the provision of adequate
and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans
particularly those with low and moderate incomes.
National Council of State Housing Agencies
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 438
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 624-7710
Fax: (202) 624-5899
http://www.ncsha.org/
a national, nonprofit organization created in 1970 to assist its members
in advancing the interests of lower income and underserved people through
the financing, development, and preservation of affordable housing.
National Home of Your Own Alliance
Phone: 800-220-8770
http://alliance.unh.edu/
funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities to promote
opportunities for people with disabilities to own and control their homes.
National Low Income Housing Coalition
(NLIHC)
1012 Fourteenth Street NW, Suite 610
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/662-1530; Fax 202/393-1973
http://www.nlihc.org/
the only national organization dedicated solely to ending America's affordable
housing crisis. The NLIHC is committed to educating, organizing and advocating
to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods for
everyone. (Editor's Note: Great links section!)
Neighborworks Network
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
1325 G Street, Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 202-220-2300
http://www.nw.org/
Promotes the creation of healthy communities through affordable housing,
home ownership and investments in neighborhood revitalization through
local partnerships of residents, nonprofits, lenders, business community
and local government.
Opening Doors
http://www.c-c-d.org/doors.html
published as a joint effort by the Technical Assistance Collaborative,
Inc., (TAC) Boston, Massachusetts and the Consortium for Citizens with
Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force, Washington, D.C. "Opening
Doors" is a quarterly publication designed to provide important information
on affordable housing issues to people with disabilities, their families,
advocates, and service providers across the United States.
Technical Assistance Collaborative,
Inc.
One Center Plaza, Suite 310
Boston, MA 02108-2207
Phone: (617) 742-5657 Fax: (617) 742-0509
http://www.tacinc.org/
TAC offers particular expertise in affordable housing strategies and models
linked to services and supports for people who are homeless and people
with disabilities, such as mental illness, developmental disabilities,
HIV/AIDS, and chronic substance abuse problems. (Editor's Note: This site
contains a link to the "Guide to Federal Housing resources.")
U.S. Access Board
1331 F St., NW, Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1111
Phone (V): 800-USA-ABLE (800-872-2253) or 202-272-5434
Phone: (TTY): 800-993-2822 or 202-272-5449.
Fax: 202-272-5447
http://www.access-board.gov/
also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance
Board. The Board, created in 1973, has served the nation as the only independent
federal agency whose primary mission is accessibility for people with
disabilities.
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural
Development
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of
rural America. (Check the phone book, directory assistance or "Rural
Housing Office" on the web site for regional contact information.)
U.S. Dept. of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
http://www.hud.gov/disabled.html
(Editor's Note: This is a special page with a lot of good information
about fair housing and assistance programs for people with disabilities.
Look for the "Funds Available" link from the HUD home page.
Check the phone book, directory assistance or HUD's web site for regional
contact information.)
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