Year after year, TAC’s Priced Out data analysis shows that there is not a single United States housing market in which a safe, decent apartment is affordable to a person with a disability who lives solely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and receives no rental assistance. Far too many people in this situation are forced unnecessarily into costly institutional settings, homelessness, or incarceration.
Across the U.S., state leaders are working to address the affordable housing crisis for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, limited rental subsidies and a shortage of affordable housing stock are just some of the barriers these policymakers must overcome. It isn’t enough just to provide affordable housing — because people with disabilities and those with chronic, complex conditions often also need services to help them access and then maintain that housing. Supportive housing is a proven, cost-effective approach to helping low-income people with disabilities transition from homelessness, exit or avoid institutional settings, and live successfully in the community.
Learn more at TAC’s free, upcoming webinar: From Vision to Home: Creating Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities
Congress has taken important steps in the last year, increasing access to rental housing through the expansion of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and with certain components of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. These are important actions — but without additional supports such as rental assistance, most of this housing will still be out of reach for people with disabilities and older adults on fixed incomes.
Expanding Supportive Housing
Many state governments across the country are committed to providing a range of housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including supportive housing that is integrated within communities. Many states have developed or expanded supportive housing through both capital funds to support housing development and rental or operating assistance, which promotes affordability so that tenants pay no more than 30% of their income for rent.
Working with state Medicaid, behavioral health, and disability system partners, state and local housing agencies can further support the success of low-income tenants with disabilities by providing pre-tenancy and tenancy-sustaining services, along with access to a range of other services and supports that promote community living.
Supporting Housing Stability
Community-based behavioral health services, such as Assertive Community Treatment and intensive case management, play a vital role in allowing individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders (SUDs), and co-occurring conditions to obtain and maintain supportive housing while staying focused on their recovery goals. Supporting successful tenancies often requires a workforce with both clinical engagement and practical rehabilitation knowledge and skills — but many community behavioral health providers are not equipped to integrate clinical care with housing supports to address common tenancy challenges.
State behavioral health systems and other partners can enable community behavioral health providers to ensure housing stability by reinforcing provider expectations related to tenancy support; clearly articulating that housing stability is a core clinical outcome; and providing technical assistance, training, and quality oversight to guide services and systems improvement.
Connecting with Treatment & Recovery Supports
Strong linkages are particularly rare between housing and SUD treatment and recovery support systems, and yet such collaborations are necessary to connect people with care as they move along the path to housing stability.
Navigating the SUD system of care can be a challenging and frustrating experience; exacerbated by homelessness, it may even seem like an insurmountable challenge. It is also important to note that when people who are homeless or unstably housed do access care, they may have less success than others with traditional treatment models. These individuals may benefit from more support beyond treatment, especially during periods of transition.
Successfully connecting people with SUDs to treatment and recovery services — and ensuring ongoing engagement and support — involves identifying and addressing access barriers; employing practical, relationship-centered strategies to build trust; forming community partnerships that facilitate connections to care; and providing both warm handoffs and navigation support.
Join TAC for a three-part webinar series that will bring together state leaders, community programs, and other stakeholders to discuss successful strategies at the intersection of housing and services.
From Vision to Home: Creating Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities will feature representatives from Louisiana, Georgia, and Maryland who will discuss their successful strategies and resources for creating supportive housing, each with different target populations.
July 22, 3:00-4:00 pm EDT — Register now!
Strengthening Community Behavioral Health Services to Support Housing Tenancy will highlight a multipronged quality improvement strategy in North Carolina designed to improve the implementation of community-based behavioral health services — and related outcomes for individuals with complex behavioral health and housing needs.
September 16, 3:00-4:00 pm EDT — Registration info coming soon
Connecting Homeless Individuals with SUD Treatment and Recovery Supports will feature state and community presenters who will discuss strategies to connect the housing and SUD services systems, ensure ongoing engagement in supporting recovery efforts, and promote the role of peers in supporting connections to care and ongoing support.
October 21, 3:00-4:00 pm EDT — Registration info coming soon
