Local housing organizations
know what types of low-income housing are available in your
community and what projects are being developed. They may also have
staff who are experts at getting money for the construction and
rehabilitation of dwellings to make them available to people with
low incomes.
Family members, professionals, advocates and people with
developmental disabilities do not need to become experts at
developing low income housing. The development process often takes
at least two years, and if you have never done it before, there is a
lot to learn. It is strongly recommended that family members,
professionals, and advocates join with local housing and support
experts to figure out how to meet the housing and support needs of
individuals with developmental disabilities.
1. COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS (CDC) - CDC's are private,
nonprofit organizations with goals of improving their community and
neighborhood through economic development, improved housing,
self-help programs, referrals, advocacy and other activities. In
Oregon, many CDC's focus on making housing available to people with
low incomes, either by building new housing or by rehabilitating
older dwellings. Community Development Corporations can be
responsive to your needs, and may already have programs that can be
helpful to you. Go to List
of CDCs for Oregon.
A. Where should I start?
If a person with a disability, family member or advocate would
like to find out what type of housing is available to low income
people in their area they should call their local CDC. The
Director or Development Specialist will be able to tell you what
types of housing are available. They will also be able to tell you
how other city and county agencies can help you find appropriate,
affordable housing. Some counties have more than one CDC and
others don't have one at all. If you do not know if a CDC exists
in your county, look up your county in County Resources, Section 7
of this resource guide. You may also call the State Association of
Oregon Community Development Organizations at (503) 223-4041.
B. How would I approach a CDC? What would I say?
When you call you local CDC, ask the Director or the Housing
Specialist:
What
are your organization's housing programs?
Does
your agency provide units to people with disabilities?
Has
your agency considered setting aside units for people with
developmental disabilities? If not, would it in the future?
What
are other local housing agencies providing in the way of
assistance for people with very low incomes?
Would
you be interested in meeting with me, other parents, and service
providers so that we might brainstorm about ways of meeting the
housing needs of people who have developmental disabilities?
C. What if my local CDC is not developing what I need?
If your local CDC is not developing housing that suits your
needs then tell them what your needs are. Get together with other
people with disabilities, family members and advocates and keep
telling them what you need. Provide them with as much useful and
specific information as possible. CDC's are made up of people from
your community and they need the help and involvement of you and
other advocates in order to grow and get the job done. Section 7
lists CDC's in each County.
Housing Authorities are local agencies that provide a variety of
housing programs to assist low and very low income households. Every
county is served by a Housing Authority, but some Housing
Authorities serve two or three counties. Not all Housing Authorities
offer the same programs. Generally speaking, Housing Authorities in
larger metropolitan areas tend to administer more programs and
develop more units.
Housing Authority programs generally serve households earning less
than 50% of the area's median income. To qualify for assistance, the
household must have two or more persons or the resident must be
elderly (age 62 or over), be disabled, be a single pregnant person,
or be displaced by government action. All Housing Authorities have
waiting lists for their public housing and Section 8 programs. It
can take from six months to three years to get to the top of a
waiting list. Many Housing Authorities only take names for their
waiting list periodically, so that lists do not become unmanageably
long. Contact your local Housing Authority for applications and
guidelines for the programs listed below. Section 7 lists Housing
Authorities in each county.
Programs:
A. Section 8 Program. In this program, a household is
"certified” to receive a rent subsidy. Eligibility is based on
criteria such as: household composition, income, citizenship, and
Federal Preference guidelines. Once certified, the renter will pay
no more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. The
Housing Authority pays the landlord the remaining rent from
federally provided funds. The house or apartment unit must be
approved by the Housing Authority.
B. Public Housing. This is a HUD-financed program in which the
Housing Authority develops, owns and manages housing which is
rented to households with low-and very low incomes. The monthly
rent is less expensive than what is generally available in the
community.
C. Other units developed for low income renters. Housing
Authorities can also develop units for low-income families using
other funding sources than HUD money. At times, units are set
aside for clients of human service agencies that provide support
services for them. For example, a 20 unit complex might have five
units set aside for use by a local women's shelter or an emergency
shelter.
What do City and County Planning Departments do to help people
with low-incomes?
Some Cities have programs for emergency home repairs. These
programs give grants for home repairs and can offer assistance with
fixing a failed electrical, plumbing or heating system, a leaking
roof, broken windows or doors and other such necessities. Each City
will have particular guidelines for eligibility and what types of
repairs will be paid for.
Some Cities offer assistance for homeowners and tenants with
disabilities to remove architectural barriers. This work will
sometimes include ramps, modifications to doorways, grab bars,
handrails, etc.
Cities and Counties also sometimes offer low-interest loan
programs for rehabilitation of older housing. These loans may be
directly available to qualifying individuals and families to upgrade
a home they own but could not otherwise afford to fix up. CDC's and
Housing Authorities are sometimes involved in these programs as
well.
Call your City and County Planning Departments and ask if such
programs are offered in your area.
