Expanding Housing Opportunities for Persons

with Disabilities

Patricia Amend, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency

Supportive Housing is decent, safe and affordable housing linked to a variety of individualized, flexible support services.

Housing and access to supports

Two separate but related issues

There is no market in NC where a modest one-bedroom apartment is affordable to a person living on SSI income.

The Targeting Program

-an integrated supportive housing solution

Design & Development

Utilize mainstream affordable housing Connect single-stream housing production

w/ multi-stream service/support providers Disability neutral Assist people with very low incomes Support Reasonable Accommodations

NCHFA - LIHTC Program

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Internal Revenue Service program Authority distributed to states per capita Credits sold to investors, who take a dollar for

dollar credit against their federal income tax over the next ten years

Proceeds from the sale of credit fund the low - moderate income housing

Developments are monitored for compliance

NC DHHS – Service Coordination

Office of Housing and Homelessness Coordinate Service and Support Providers

across all spectrums of human service system

Created Community Housing Groups Recruit Lead Agencies Recruit Referral Agencies

Basics of Partnership

Owners of LIHTC properties must set-aside 10% of units for persons with disabilities

Local human service agencies make referrals to available units through a centralized process

This cross-disability group is represented by one lead agency

The lead agency and property management enter into a memorandum of understanding

NC LIHTC Targeting PlansDeveloper, Management and Local Lead

Agency agree: Tenancy cannot be conditioned on service

compliance. Confidentiality protected, no disability

information, beyond eligibility, is communicated to management.

Lead Agency will represent local service providers and Management will notify centralized referral process of vacancies

Ongoing Roles

DHHS - operates centralized referral system- approves referral agencies - works with property managers on filling

vacancies – especially newly PIS properties - provides trainings and on-going education

about the program to human service network - maintains on the ground presence - assists with reasonable accommodations

Ongoing Roles

NCHFA - ensures 10% or more units are ‘set aside’

for people with disabilities - monitors for compliance - trains property managers in Targeting Plan

processes

Key Program Assistance Targeted to persons with disabilities Production based

attached to Housing Credit units coming on line

Operating subsidypays the difference between tenant income and

an operating standard

Designed as “bridge” until the tenant can access permanent and portable Federal assistance.

Key Program Parameters

Adults with disabilities Disability based income (SSI, SSDI, VA)

below 30% AMI Tenants hold lease with all standard legal

rights and responsibilities

Targeting and Key Program Partners & Communication

Referral Agencies

Local Lead Agency

Property Management

DHHS TU Coordinator

REFERRING APPLICANTS TO TARGETED UNITS

ASSISTING TARGETED UNIT TENANTS

Applicants

Tenants

Why did we do it?

The federal Housing Credit is the nation’s largest production resource

People with disabilities have the greatest need for affordable housing

NCHFA had always wanted to match these two but didn’t have a way until 2002

Dept. of Health & Human Services rose to the challenge of presenting a workable solution

How was it possible?

Needed to gain support from LIHTC development community

Owners and managers

Reluctant at first but accepted quickly

Have become supporters of the program

DHHS staff capacity in local communities

Role of Property Managers Handles referrals the same as any other

applicant

Applies normal screening criteria, including reasonable accommodations

Keeps units open for short periods

Once under lease, treats the same as any other tenant

Requests operating assistance funds each month for occupied units

Role of Local Lead Agencies

Public or nonprofit agency that can represent the wider service community.

Defined role as coordinator and/or provider of supportive services to assure tenants have access to services they may need to be successful in the community.

Agrees to act as the point of contact for property management during the 30 year compliance period.

Role of Referral Agencies

Access to the units is through referral by the prospective tenant’s service provider.

Referral agencies commit to providing and/or coordinating the ongoing services and supports that the tenant may need to live successfully in the community.

Why does it work? Each side of the state and property-level

partnerships focus on what they do bestNCHFA allocates and monitors for compliance DHHS works with local agencies and on-site

property managementOwners and property managers build and

manage rental housingHuman service agencies provide services and

support to individuals and families State-funded operating assistance

What doesn’t happen?

Owners and management:have no medical informationdo not provide services, treatment, etc.

No compliance problem if the lead agency has no referrals

No reason to avoid remedies for lease default, including eviction (subject to reasonable accommodations)

Community Integration

Supportive housing units are part of larger LIHTC properties

Nothing identifies them as different

Other residents, let alone neighborhood, are not aware that some occupants have disabilities

Result is no NIMBY, other than against affordable housing in general

What are the numbers? 8 annual award cycles

2061 funded units (1405 currently available)

314 properties funded (218 placed in service)

over 129 different cities and towns

100+ rental applications in process at any given time

Key Program cost per unit $207 a month

5 NC DHHS Staff, 3 NCHFA Staff

Challenges – specific to homeless population

Targeting programContinuity of services and supports

Key program Income requirement

- either none or not disability based

Challenges

To assure tenants have access to services we must marshal the resources of a limited and fragmented service system.Public human service systems are funded and

organized around particular sub-populations. Services provided based upon individual

eligibility and need. Provide services to people, not to buildings.

Challenges

To secure a continuing source of operating and rental assistance.

You cannot create community housing for persons with incomes as low as SSI without some source to pay the difference between what the tenant can afford to pay and what it costs to operate the units.