Opening Doors is a joint effort by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force (CCD Housing Task Force). The major part of this initiative is producing publications that are helpful to the entire disability community. This free newsletter is designed to provide important information on affordable housing issues to people with disabilities, their families, advocates, and service providers across the United States. To receive Opening Doors, simply place yourself on our email list. Issue Number 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31

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Issue 31, May 2008
New Section 811 Supportive Housing Program Legislation Introduced in US Congress

Historically, the Section 811 program has been one of the most successful programs available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create new supportive housing units. However, the future of Section 811 is being jeopardized by an outdated statute and program models, excessive HUD bureaucracy, and rapidly declining production levels. TAC and the CCD Housing Task Force are pleased to announce that on April 10, 2008, Representatives Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Judy Biggert (R-IL) jointly introduced groundbreaking permanent supportive housing legislation – the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2008 (HR 5772) – in the U.S. House of Representatives. This critically important legislation will help address the enormous and unrelenting housing crisis faced by millions of extremely low-income people with disabilities and will spur the creation of thousands more new 811 units every year.  Available in PDF and HTML.

Issue 30, July 2007
Priced Out in 2006: People with Disabilities Left Behind and Left Out of National Housing Policy

People with disabilities with the lowest incomes face an extreme housing affordability crisis as rents for moderately priced studio and one-bedroom apartments have soared above their entire monthly income for the first time. This issue of Opening Doors highlights the key findings published in Priced Out in 2006, a biennial report published by the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force to shine a spotlight on our nation’s most compelling – and least understood – housing affordability crisis.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 29, November 2006
Best Practice Principles for Achieving Civil Rights in Permanent Supportive Housing

This issue of Opening Doors discusses why permanent supportive housing is an important option for some people with disabilities, and explores the difficulties in coordinating the categorical approach to providing services with the housing system’s general prohibition on category-specific tenant selection practices. This issue includes a discussion of best practice principles that can be used to achieve a vision of supportive housing that comes closer to an ideal: permanent affordable, integrated, community-based housing where the right to occupy the housing unit is based on standard landlord-tenant laws, and in which flexible, on-demand supportive services are available and controlled by the tenant.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 28, April 2006
The Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Program: Creating New Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities

This issue of Opening Doors provides a basic overview of a new HUD Final Rule that now makes it much easier for PHAs to use the Project-Based Voucher program (PBV) – including expanding affordable and accessible housing opportunities for people with disabilities. This new rule is the outcome of a multi-year effort by national disability advocates and others to address many problems with HUD’s previous rules pertaining to the PBV program. The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) – in partnership with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force – led an effort to ensure that this Final Rule could facilitate the creation of new permanent supportive housing opportunities for people with disabilities while at the same time preserving important civil rights protections under federal fair housing laws. Using the Project-Based Voucher program, the disability community and PHAs can work together to expand affordable, accessible, and permanent supportive housing opportunities.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 27, October 2005
Priced Out in 2004: The Escalating Housing Crisis Affecting People with Disabilities

This important national study verifies that low-income people with disabilities continue to experience a severe housing affordability crisis by comparing the monthly SSI income of more than 4 million Americans with disabilities to HUD’s fair market rental rates for efficiencies and modest one-bedroom apartments in every housing market in the country.  In a housing market with national rent increases that exceed SSI benefits, more and more people with disabilities who rely on SSI payments are being left behind.  Priced Out in 2004 illustrates the severity of the critical housing problems faced by these people and presents a compelling case that only an ongoing monthly housing subsidy – such as HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program – is sufficient to close the extreme affordability gap between SSI income and rental housing costs.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 26, April 2005
Using the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program to Create Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC) has become the largest single source of funding for the production of rental housing for low-income families and individuals.  Once the disability community understands the basics of this program, they can begin to advocate for strategies that use the LIHTC program in combination with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rent subsidy programs such as Section 8 or Shelter Plus Care.  This issue of Opening Doors provides basic information on the LIHTC program, information on the state’s role in the LIHTC program, and specific approaches that can help people with disabilities benefit from the LIHTC program, including strategies that combine the LIHTC program with other federal housing programs to produce rental housing units affordable to people with disabilities with the lowest incomes.  Available in PDF and HTML.

Issue 25, September 2004
Section 8 Problems Negatively Affect People with Disabilities

Proposals made this year by the Bush Administration will seriously undermine the Section 8 voucher program if they are adopted by Congress.  This issue describes  these proposals as well as HUD’s continued mismanagement of more than 60,000 Section 8 vouchers set aside by Congress for people with disabilities.  Readers of Opening Doors can help remedy  this mismanagement and can also help advocate for  the preservation of Section 8 vouchers in the federal budget.  Provided  in this issue are specific and detailed “advocacy action steps” that can be implemented at both the local and federal levels to ensure the future of this vitally important federal housing program.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 24, March 2004
Section 8 Program at Risk! Administration Proposal Will Harm People with Disabilities

The Bush Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 budget proposal for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) calls for deep cuts in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program – cuts that would harm people with disabilities.  Because the Section 8 program is so important to people with disabilities, TAC is devoting this entire issue of Opening Doors to the Administration’s proposals. Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 23, December 2003
Solutions that Work: Innovative Strategies to Meeting the Housing Needs of People with Disabilities

This issue of Opening Doors describes three “best practices” – including the basic steps to implement these strategies in your state or community.  At the core of these successful strategies are strong partnerships and collaborations between the affordable housing system and the disability community.  These partnerships ensure that any housing created meets both the needs and preferences of people with disabilities.  Available in PDF or HTML.

Issue 22, September 2003
State Housing Agencies - How They Can Help People with Disabilities

Beginning in the 1990s, state housing agencies began to play an increasingly important role in creating affordable housing for low-income households. Because of the complexities associated with state housing agencies, people with disabilities and their housing advocates may have trouble “deciphering” how state housing agencies can assist people with disabilities. This issue of Opening Doors describes the various types of state housing agencies and the resources they control. It also identifies strategies for using these resources to expand housing options for people with disabilities with the lowest incomes. Available in PDF and in HTML.

Issue 21, May 2003
Priced Out in 2002: Housing Crisis Worsens for People with Disabilities

The information provided in this issue is based on Priced Out in 2002, a report published by TAC and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force. Priced Out in 2002 updates the information contained in a groundbreaking reports, Priced Out in 2000: The Crisis Continues and Priced Out in 1998: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities. These reports examine the affordability of efficiency and one-bedroom housing units for people with disabilities in all 50 states and within each of the 2,702 distinct housing market areas of the country defined by the federal government. These are the type of rental units most sought after by single individuals with disabilities who want to establish a home of their own in the community. Available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 20, January 2003
Permanent Supportive Housing: A Proven Solution to Homelessness

This issue of Opening Doors examines the recent focus on chronic homelessness and provides important research, data, and a concrete solution: permanent supportive housing. Permanent supportive housing is an effective solution for people with disabilities who have experienced long term homelessness. This issue provides specific recommendations directed to key federal programs that could provide the foundation for a significant expansion of permanent supportive housing. Available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 19, September 2002
Rural Housing Challenges: Meeting the Housing Needs of People with Disabilities in Rural Communities

The housing problems of people with disabilities living in large cities, - such as New York City and Chicago - often receive national attention. However, a large proportion of people with disabilities actual live in more rural parts of the country. In this issue of Opening Doors, learn about the housing challenges facing rural America, including barriers to affordable housing in rural areas, expanding housing opportunities, and available resources for Homeless people in rural areas. Available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 18, May 2002
Special Funding Alert

On March 26, 2002, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a Super Notice of Funding Availability (Super NOFA), which includes most of the new permanent housing funding opportunities in HUD's fiscal year 2002 budget. This special issue of Opening Doors focuses primarily on a very important Section 8 funding opportunity - the 3,950 Section 8 vouchers for people with disabilities that Congress created for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) designating elderly/disabled buildings as "elderly only." Unfortunately, despite the clear intent of Congress to assist people with disabilities, some PHAs eligible to receive these vouchers have neglected to apply for them. Available in HTML.

Issue 17, March 2002
Section 8: The New Housing Choice Voucher Program

In this issue of Opening Doors, learn about the largest federal housing program for people with extremely low-incomes. Opening Doors navigates the Section 8 program for people with disabilities and discusses: what the Section 8 program is; who administers the program; how to influence local policies; and how PHAs manage Section 8 applications, waiting lists, and issuing vouchers. This monograph is based on TAC's more comprehensive guide, Section 8 Made Simple: Using the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Assist People with Disabilities, (to order one free copy, click the link above). Opening Doors available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 16, December 2001
HUD's HOME Program: Can It Really Work for People with Disabilities?

The HOME Investments Partnership (HOME) Program is the largest federal program available exclusively to create new affordable housing. This issue of Opening Doors is designed to help the disability community learn more about the HOME program, how it works, and how it can be used to expand affordable housing for people with disabilities. To learn more about the Consolidated Plan mentioned in this article, read Opening Doors Issue 8 and the TAC publication Piecing It All Together (PDF). More information on the HOME program is available through TAC's Housing Center web site, click here. Available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 15, September 2001
What's Wrong With This Picture? An Updated on the Impact of Elderly Only Housing Policies on People with Disabilities

The federal government has enacted sweeping changes to federal housing laws which makes it legal to restrict or exclude non-elderly people with disabilities from certain affordable rental housing. Using data from HUD and two federal studies, TAC and the CCD Housing Task Force have recently updated our assessment of the impact of elderly only laws on the supply of federally subsidized housing available for people with disabilities. Specifically, these data and reports indicate that between 268,500 and 293,500 units of federally subsidized housing are currently designated elderly only. Available in HTML and PDF.

Issue 14, June 2001
Housing Crisis Continues: Findings from Priced Out in 2000

The information provided in this issue is based on Priced Out in 2000: The Crisis Continues, a report published by TAC and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force. Priced Out in 2000 updates the information contained in a groundbreaking report, Priced Out in 1998: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities. Both these reports examine the affordability of efficiency and one-bedroom housing units for people with disabilities in all 50 states and within each of the 2,703 distinct housing market areas of the country defined by the federal government. These are the type of rental units most sought after by single individuals with disabilities who want to establish a home of their own in the community. Available in HTML and PDF.  Please note, this publication was updated based on year 2002 data, for more information see Opening Doors Issue 21.

Issue 13, March 2001
Permanent Housing and HUD's Continuum of Care

This issue of Opening Doors discusses the entire Continuum of Care strategy, from the process of developing one to the planning of its strategy to the application for funding. The focus is on permanent housing and the Continuum of Care, and the opportunities to develop and expand permanent housing opportunities for homeless people with disabilities through the continuum. The Continuum of Care is the vehicle for obtaining federal homeless assistance funding for communities and it stresses local decision making and preferences. This Opening Doors has information for every Continuum, including: what is the Continuum of Care?; how do I get involved in my local Continuum?; what technical assistance is available?; and the recent Congressional push for increased permanent housing opportunities. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 12, December 2000
The Olmstead Decision and Housing: Opportunity Knocks

On June 22, 1999, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Olmstead v. L.C. This important lawsuit against the State of Georgia questioned the state's continued confinement of two individuals after the state hospital's physicians had determined that they were ready to return to the community. The Supreme Court described Georgia's action as "unjustified isolation," and determined that it violated these individuals' rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 11, September 2000
Affordable Housing System Fails People with Disabilities

Housing costs are increasing at rates higher than inflation and cost of living adjustments, and people with disabilities risk losing their housing, not being able to locate housing in the first place, or foregoing other essentials such as food to pay for their housing. Despite this need, government housing officials and affordable housing providers have made little effort to acknowledge or address the extreme housing crisis confronting people with disabilities. TAC and the CCD Housing Task Force distributed three surveys to the major players in the affordable housing community in order to gain a better understanding of the obstacles to creating affordable housing for people with disabilities. This issue of Opening Doors highlights the key findings from the study (published in its entirety in our publication Going It Alone) and discusses how the affordable housing system has failed the disability community. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 10, June 2000
Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities

This issue of accessible housing involves not only people with disabilities and the entire disability community, but also housing developers, landlords, owners, realtors, and all groups involved in providing housing to people with disabilities. Here the history of the laws that affect accessibility modifications; the impact of these laws on tenants and owners; possible sources for funding accessibility modifications; and the role of the disability community in advocating for the enforcement of these laws is discussed. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 9, December 1999
Challenging Choices: Housing Development 101

The housing affordability crisis currently confronting people with disabilities is exacerbated by a limited supply of quality affordable housing units, particularly housing that is barrier free or close to community amenities. In an effort to address the housing needs of people with disabilities, some disability groups are considering entering the world of affordable housing development. This issue of Opening Doors is designed to help people with disabilities, advocates, and service providers understand the basics of affordable housing development, or Housing Development 101. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 8, September 1999
Affordable Housing in Your Community What You Need to Know! What You Need to Do!

In order to get a "fair share" of federal housing resources, it is critically important that the disability community understand how the housing planning process works in their locality, and find the most effective way to become a part of it. With this in mind, this issue of Opening Doors focuses on realistic strategies for getting involved with the development of the strategic plans in your community that control access to housing funding, specifically the Consolidated Plan and the Public Housing Agency Plan. This issue should be read in conjunction with the December 1997 issue of Opening Doors which provides background information regarding the Consolidated Plan. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 7, May 1999
Survey Documents Housing Crisis

In every state across the country, people with disabilities are in the midst of an acute and increasing affordable housing crisis. This issue of Opening Doors is based on Priced Out in 1998 written in March of 1999. Priced Out in 1998 uses Supplemental Security Income and federal housing cost data for every state and housing market are in the country to examine the affordability of modes rental housing for people with disabilities, within all 50 states and 2,626 distinct housing market areas of the country. Available in both HTML and PDF. Please note, this publication was updated based on year 2002 data, for more information see Opening Doors Issue 21.

Issue 6, December 1998
Homeownership for People with Disabilities: A Movement in the Making

Disability advocates estimate that only one percent of all people with developmental disabilities are homeowners and less than five percent of the 6.5 million people with disabilities living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are homeowners. This issue is devoted to a discussion of homeownership for people with disabilities, including: the key ingredients of successful homeownership efforts for people with disabilities; a candid discussion of the ongoing challenges confronting people with disabilities who want to become homeowners; and case studies of successful homeownership initiatives that are helping people with disabilities own homes of their own in communities across the country. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 5, September 1998
Federal Fair Housing Protections for People with Disabilities

This issue of Opening Doors provides an overview of the federal housing laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities to live in housing and communities of their choice. Here the following federal housing laws are discussed: The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 4, April 1998
The Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Programs

Since 1974, Section 8 programs have helped hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities move into homes of their choice. The program has changed drastically since this 1998 article was first published. Read here to learn how the certificate and vouchers programs used to run prior to the programs' merger. To read a current guide to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, read Issue 17 of Opening Doors. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 3, December 1997
The Consolidated Plan: A Key to Expanding Housing for People with Disabilities

This issue is dedicated to a discussion of the Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) and provides answers to several important questions including: What is the ConPlan? How does it influence housing policies and federally funded housing activities? And, most importantly, how can the disability community use the ConPlan process to expand housing opportunities for people with disabilities? Not currently available. PDF and HTML versions available soon.

Issue 2, September 1997
Influencing Affordable Housing Decisions In Your Community

Reductions in federal funding for affordable housing programs, and changes in how these affordable housing programs operate, are affecting who will benefit from these programs in the future. This issue: provides an overview of the affordable housing delivery system and types of federal housing resources available; outlines factors that influence affordable housing decision, especially housing needs data and advocacy; identifies practical strategies for the disability community to document housing needs; and finally, it illustrates how to use the housing needs information to affect affordable housing decisions. Available in both HTML and PDF.

Issue 1, May 1997
What Does the Designation of 'Elderly Only' Housing Mean for People with Disabilities?

The federal government has changed the rules concerning who is eligible for housing assistance by permitting certain housing providers to designate their housing as "elderly only." This issue of Opening Doors: clarifies rules regarding the implementation of "elderly only" federal housing policies; and offers specific recommendations for local action, including how to access rental assistance available for people with disabilities. Available in both HTML and PDF.