Help Finding Low-Income Housing for Disabled Adults: A Guide
Did you know that in 2018 there were over 38 million people in the USA living in poverty? This means that the poverty rate in 2018 was over 11%. According to the federal government, the poverty threshold for a family of four is around $26,500.
When a member of a household has a disability, the enormous challenges presented by poverty become even greater. According to 2019 statistics, over 25% of people with disabilities live in poverty. This can often be a vicious cycle where a disability can get in the way of employment, making life even harder for disabled adults with low incomes.
If you’ve recently found it challenging to find low income housing for disabled adults, you’re not alone. Many Americans find it difficult to find housing when they are already contending with low income and a disability.
Whether you’re a person with disabilities or a friend or caregiver, this can be frustrating and very stressful.
Fortunately, there are low income housing options for people with disabilities.
In this article, we’ll cover some of these options so that you or the person with disabilities in your life can get support finding an affordable home. Read on to learn more.
Low Income Housing for Disabled Adults Programs
In terms of disabled adult assistance related to housing, there are many programs. These include public housing, Section 811, the subsidized housing program, the housing choice voucher, the low-income housing tax credit program, and non-elderly disabled vouchers.
Public Housing
The public housing program is available through HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you need rental assistance, you can get it through public housing. It’s available to people with disabilities and seniors as well as those with low income.
For those who are accepted to the program, the local housing agency will calculate a reduced rent figure based on a variety of factors, including monthly income and situation.This amount must be calculated in accordance with HUD guidelines to ensure that the rent isn’t too high. In most cases, the rent figure will represent a percentage of the individual’s overall income.
Public housing has additional financial help for disabled people. As a person with a disability, you may be able to deduct $400 of your income from what you’ll have to pay on rent.
Section 811
Through Section 811, you’re able to get supportive housing that’s specifically designed for people with disabilities. Basically, when a land developer is going to build housing, they receive interest-free capital and a subsidy to build housing for people with disabilities.
Because they’re being given money by the government to build a complex that has homes specifically designed for people with disabilities, they can offer the housing at a subsidized price.
This program is able to work because of project rental contracts.
If you are a person with disabilities, or there is a person with disabilities in your family, you may be able to access affordable housing through this program that is specifically designed for people who have a low income and have a disability.
The disability itself has to be a developmental or physical disability or a chronic mental illness.
As for income, it has to be 50% of the area’s median income or less.
Subsidized Housing Program
This is another program that is available through HUD. This program is specifically designed for people with disabilities or seniors who cannot afford market prices for a place to live. If you’re looking for financial assistance programs, this is a useful option.
Housing Choice Voucher
Another option available through HUD is the Housing Choice Voucher. If you’re looking for a home that’s affordable, you may be able to use the Housing Choice Voucher to pay the rent cost of your home, thereby making it possible for you to access housing.
Keep in mind that there is a requirement you need to meet if you want to use the housing choice voucher. Your income needs to be at most 50% of the median income in the area where you live.
To find out more about this option in your area, you’ll want to get in touch with your local public housing agency, or PHA. They manage this program in your area.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Another way a person with disabilities and low income can find an affordable home is by finding a home that’s available through the low-income housing tax credit program. In this program, a landowner:
- Has land to develop on
- Applies for a tax credit to develop affordable housing
- Receives the tax credit
- Builds the affordable housing
- Rents the housing at a lower cost because of the tax credit
To find out about these low-income housing opportunities, contact your state about which housing areas have been built with the low-income housing tax credit. Then, you can visit and decide if this is the right home for you.
Non-Elderly Disabled Vouchers
Finally, there are non-elderly disabled vouchers. This works in the same way as the housing choice voucher we covered earlier. Once you are approved and have a voucher, you can use it to pay for a place to live.
How to Find Affordable Housing
Now that you know about the different ways you can get help paying for housing or get access to low-income housing, it helps to know how you can find the housing and apply for it. The process is slightly different for privately and publicly owned properties.
Subsidized, Privately-Owned Housing
To find housing that’s subsidized and privately owned, you’ll have to look in your local area. However, if you want to do the research with a little bit more guidance, you can go to USA.gov/finding-home, where you can search for this type of apartment.
Once you’ve found a privately-owned home that you can rent at a subsidized price, you must apply for it. This process and any application process int his article will require documentation of your low-income and disabled status, so it may be helpful to compile this information before you apply.
You might also have to meet other requirements the property owner has set, so remember to review these before choosing the right home for you.
Government-Assisted Housing
As reviewed earlier, there are also government-assisted housing options available, such as public housing and housing choice vouchers. If this is the route you want to go, there are several steps you will need to take.
First, you want to make sure that you’re eligible. To be eligible, you need to:
- Be a citizen of the US or a non-citizen who’s eligible
- Have an income within the income limits of the program
- Be a person with a disability (or have a person with a disability in your family)
Once you’ve made sure that you meet these requirements and have compiled the necessary documentation, you can move on to the next step.
First, contact your local public housing agency. They’ll get back to you with an application that asks you about your bank, employer, family composition, and income.
You’ll send the application back, after which the housing agency will do a few checks to verify the information you’ve given them.
After this, you’ll set up an appointment. When you got your appointment, bring all the identification, backup information, and documents you might need (for example, documentation about your disability).
Keep in mind that, with many of these government programs, there’s a long waiting time and their waiting list can sometimes be closed.
If this occurs, don’t give up; keep visiting the website of your local public housing agency until they have availability.
If you need more information about these government-assisted low-housing programs for people with disabilities, you can call 1-800-955-2232 during working hours, which are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET.
Everyone Deserves a Home
Now that you know all you need to about how to find low income housing for disabled adults, you can finally find that home you’ve been dreaming of. You can use a low income housing option like public housing, section 811, or the subsidized housing program.
You can also use the housing choice voucher, low-income housing tax credit, or the non-elderly disabled vouchers.
Additionally, you now know how to find affordable housing and how to apply for it, whether you go for subsidized, privately-owned housing or government-assisted housing. Finally, you can have a home to call your own.
Save Money on Your Wireless Phone Service
If you qualify for housing benefits, you also qualify for Lifeline service. Lifeline is a federal benefit program that makes it possible for low-income consumers to receive access to free or heavily discounted communication services. Click here to find out more and apply for this valuable benefit.
