Perhaps the greatest crisis facing people with developmental disabilities and other disabling conditions, is the lack of affordable housing.  There are several federal programs to aid people with low incomes and help them afford housing.  Households below 50 percent of median income qualify for HUD public housing units, Housing Choice Vouchers (a program where the assistance follows the person rather than the housing unit) and HUD Assisted Housing with project-based Section 8 contracts.  Persons living at or below 30 percent of median income are supposed to receive a priority under the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.  Unfortunately, competition for these rental subsidy vouchers is very fierce (waiting lists can be up to 10 years long) and is not limited to people with disabilities but to all persons who are eligible.  In fact, priority is usually given to the elderly.

Across the country there is a crisis-level shortage of affordable housing.  For this reason, many people with developmental disabilities are still living with aging parents, are living in nursing homes or are living in institutional settings (despite federal efforts to eliminate these institutions).  Some states even pay a higher SSI supplement to persons living in congregate settings.

As a result, across the country, people with disabilities pay an average of 112% of their income for housing or are forced to live in institutions.

When you invest in Options for Supported Housing, you are helping people with developmental disabilities in 11 states across the U.S.  Your donation is used to help maintain and upgrade our homes so that we can help our residents stay safe and improve their quality of life.  Your donation also helps us purchase more homes to help fill the need for high quality affordable housing in safe neighborhoods.