“A Roof Overhead”Housing Models: An Overview

ByAnna CunninghamAdvocate & Parent

Sweaty palms? Pain in the neck? Feeling anxious/stressed?

Yep, you’ve come to the world of…Supportive Housing!

Quality of Life Diagram

Destination:Quality of Life

Individual

Destination:Quality of Life

Community

Employment

Education & Training

Transportation

Healthcare

Housing

Recreation & Leisure

Qualityof

Many Lives

Spirituality

Role of Housing

• Housing is a defining factor in determining an individual’s quality of life as it impacts:– Transportation options– Work options– Recreation/Leisure options– Education/training options– Healthcare options– Worship options– Ability to have pets, – Choose own activities, etc

How Supportive Housing Models Began

• Original model: families living near each other and caring for each other in a supportive way, inc/ elderly & those with disabilities

• Mobile society: Parents wanting quality care for their adult children with disabilities

• Managing risk • Funding streams• Faith-based missions• Wanting quality of life aspects included (various

&/or limited)

Current Housing Philosophy

• Goal: to encourage community inclusion• Federal: – No more than 3 in new group homes– Housing and Services must be separate to be Person-

Centered• State:– Moratorium on ICF-MRs (6 or more bed units)– Encouraging community capacity

• LME (Local Management Entity)– Responsible for the local Provider Network to provide

Residential Support Services

All-Inclusive Housing Models; everything mostly onsite

• Philosophy – provide many of the quality of life elements in a protective setting

• Time period of development heyday (70s, 80s, & early 90s)• Examples:

– ICF/MR (designed for intensive needs and has limiting rules e.g. no more than 60 nights away in year, no pets, rules set by provider, etc)

– CCRC (designed for age 50 up)• Components include at least 3 of the quality of life elements• Funding

– Special grants (both one-time and ongoing)– Gov’t funding streams count up to 90% of budget

• Today (challenges/strengths)– Gov’t funding streams drying up– Families desire protective supportive environment– Follow the Medical Model of Service Delivery – Concerns about segregated models allowing isolationism increasing potential

for depression

Single Dwelling or Single Person Housing Models

• Philosophy – Independence, Person-Centeredness• Time period of development heyday (90s, 2000s, present)• Examples:

– For 2-6 in House• Licensed Group Homes (5600C is Adult DD, 5600B is Child DD, 5600F is a licensed AFL)• Boarding House (non-licensed, different staffing qualifications so less costly)• Homeownership among several families (new legislation does not require licensing for 3 or fewer in

one dwelling)… see http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H509v3.pdfHouse Bill 509

• for more info see the Minnesota Consumer Controlled Housing Guide: http://rtc.umn.edu/guide/• As of June 30, 2011, requests in Wake County for 4 5600Bs, 77 5600Cs, and 23 5600Fs.

– For One in a House• Homeownership• Rental – Section 8 Voucher• AFL – Alternate Family Living (Foster Home Model – can be house or apt) –

Note: these do not have to be licensed– Challenges are that there is a high propensity for burn out

• Components include staff oversight, training, staffing needs, etc.• Funding

– Gov’t streams drying up for paying for Residential Supports• Today (challenges / strengths)

– Looming crisis: For every one of the existing 5600Cs that close, two more will have to open.– Zoning Laws may have proximity rules and are layered / cumbersome (Wake has 1 mile

requirement as crow flies …); good news is that lawsuits have successfully overcome barriers

Hybrid Housing Models

• Philosophy – to adapt to specific interest/ niche needs &/or interests

• Time period of development heyday is different in various markets across the US

• Components include at least 2 or 3 of the quality of life pieces and can allow more individualized person-centered days

• Funding – traditional streams drying up as already mentioned but these models have already shown they are able to successfully adapt over time to improve their sustainability

• Today (challenges / strengths)– ICF-MRs are costly and considered congregate settings– Funding streams are changing – Allows for adaptation and innovation in design to better meet new

funding streams or create new ones (esp. through micro-enterprise)– Requires flexible staffing to meet all goals

Examples of Hybrid Models

• True Campus Model (Beyond Academics) – Beyond Academics at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a four year certification for students

with developmental disabilities. The course of study prepares students for a self-determined lifestyle emphasizing careers, meaningful avocations, and community living. Through the Office of Undergraduate Studies at UNCG, students completing requirements for graduation receive a certificate in Integrative Community Studies.

– Combination w/ Traditional Secondary Education Model– Not long-term - usually 4-5 years (until certificate earned)– Mirrors general community option and is more inclusionary… this model is growing and funding can come

from several sources (IDA Accounts, CAP funding, state funding educational and service $, VR, college trust funds, etc)

• Certain ICF-MRs that have evolved over time– Lambs Farm in IL - started as pet store in Chicago in 1970s ... Today is on 70+ acres w/ houses & businesses– Benjamin House in NC – encourages community inclusion for its 16 individuals by partnering with local

community college for classes, also was created to be hurricane-proof so can serve as disaster shelter for the nearby area

• Private Pay Models– Brookwood in TX – is a faith-based program that started as all inclusive for IDD population, but now has

branched out to include elderly homeowners / businesses / campus-like. Today has many ages and is more like a lifesharing community (will be more fully described later) This particular facility/program has adapted to several changes and thrives.

– For the residential program, cost is ~$4,000/month but they do offer tuition assistance that can reduce that to ~$2,500/mo for those that qualify

Other Housing ModelsIntentional Housing

– is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing communities, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives, intentional living, alternative communities, cooperative living, and other projects where people strive together with a common vision. (learn more at www.ic.org)

– Co-housing• http://www.cohousing.org/six_characteristics• Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and

operation of their own neighborhoods.• Key features

– Own property– Common areas– Land may be owned individually or in-common or by land trust

– Examples• Elderspirit in VA - main focus is elder population, does offer two/three limited income apts• Arcadia in Chapel Hill… is a pedestrian-oriented residential cohousing community on 16 acres of

wooded land. The 33 individually owned homes are clustered on five acres around the centrally located common house. The remaining land is held in common, including woods, pond, stream, organic gardens, outdoor play spaces, and the common house with kitchen, dining area, guest rooms, playroom, office, laundry room, and storage areas. The majority of homes have a passive solar design and the common areas are handicapped accessible. They are located near rural areas about three miles from the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

• The ones I have seen can be exclusive/expensive or tend to become that way over time• Solterra in Durham

– Common mission is solar energy (passive & active) and community garden• One model in Connecticut started out for people with disabilities but then as land values increased, the

people with disabilities could no longer afford to live there. Today, it is considered an exclusive location to live.

- Concerns• Land value increasing causing person to be priced out eventually

Lifesharing Community Model(not a legal definition in NC at this time)

Life-sharing - is a community where coworkers, volunteer caregivers, and long-term staff live, work, and play together, sharing the joys, sorrows, satisfactions, and frustrations of everyday living. In this close-knit environment, everyone learns from each other and community members can develop profound, lifelong relationships.

• Volunteering is an essential part of lifesharing, which is a way of life. They commit to at least a year of service, are various ages, usually in the behavioral health field and come from all walks of life and all over the world, bringing cultural traditions and ideas that enrich community life.

Lifesharing Community Examples

1. Innisfree Village in VA - is a residential, lifesharing community with adults who have an intellectual disability. Residents and their volunteer caregivers live together in family-style homes on a 550-acre farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville, Virginia.– Started in 1971 outside Charlottesville, VA– put legislation forth for official lifesharing definition in VA and was able to get law

passed in 2007, updated in 2010… to see exact law visit http://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2010/title-63-2/chapter-18/63-2-1808-1/http://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2010/title-63-2/chapter-18/63-2-1808-1/

– http://www.innisfreevillage.org/– Funding is generally Private Donations & Private Pay – Cost: Monthly coworker tuition is $3,050, totaling $36,600 per year. Tuition is

adjusted annually in response to cost-of-living variables. Tuition covers room, board, and participation in workstations, expressive therapies, and evening recreational activities. An additional $60,000 entry fee is required at the completion of a successful 6-month trial period. This fee goes directly into Innisfree’s Building Fund to help maintain the existing physical plant and to build new structures when needed. The fee allows new families to share in and support the efforts to sustain Innisfree that were made by its founding families.

Lifesharing Community Examples

2. L’Arche (www.larche.org) Currently, there are 140 L’Arche communities in the world, and 17 of those are in the United States.– L’Arche was founded in a village in France in the Roman Catholic tradition. Today, the

communities of L’Arche around the world reflect the predominant faith tradition or traditions of the local populations. In the United States, communities are typically inter-denominationally Christian and some are inter-religious. All L’Arche communities welcome people of any or no faith, and respect and support its members in deepening their spiritual lives within or outside of a religious affiliation.

– http://www.larcheusa.org/– The first L’Arche community in the United States was founded in 1972 in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Today, L’Arche USA includes 17 communities located in Iowa, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Kansas, Alabama, Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, New York, California, Washington D.C., and Missouri, as well as three emerging communities in Georgia, New Jersey, and Central Virginia. Each community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and is governed by its own board of directors and managed by caring and professional staff. L’Arche communities are united through their membership in the International Federation of L’Arche.

– Funding is provided under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 811 program, is tagged to support 92 housing projects in 35 states.

– Most agencies receiving the grants — which range from about a half-million dollars to over $4 million — plan to build new residences. Some will be small apartment buildings or condo units while others will be group homes designed for three to four individuals with mental illness, physical or developmental disabilities, administration officials said.

– Residents who qualify for Section 811 assistance must earn less than 50 percent of the median income for their area. However, most recipients earn less than 30 percent, or about $13,500 for a single person.

– Under the assistance program, residents pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent, with the federal government picking up the rest of the tab.

Additional Models• Specific Disability communities

– E.g. Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers aka TROSA, which is located in Durham is supported housing specifically designed for those with Substance Addiction issues and includes shops, moving company, furniture store, etc using business training and development to work on job skills, also offers specialized interventions, etc.

• Multi-use or Mixed Use Development– Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more

than one purpose. Since the 1920's, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation options increase. In addition, mixed-use developments often have higher property values. Often located in existing urban areas or as part of a new town center, mixed-use development provides a range of commercial and residential unit sizes and options.

– Examples…North Hills, Wakefield, Cameron Village, etc.– Potential Funding Sources

• HUD 811• HUD 202

– Mixed-use Developments can be high income, low income, blended… it all depends on the specific target needs being met in the communities served.

Funding Options• Federal HUD Grants

– Section 811 Housing for persons w/ disabilities (Apt Model mainly – various arrangements)

– Section 202 for elderly w/ disabilities (age 50 +)• State Grants

– Usually is to incentivize a very specific use to meet identified need in community (e.g. using foreclosed homes as housing for people with disabilities)

• Private Pay (exclusive/expensive)• CAP Plans for Residential Supports

– Is changing and less available… – Providers not adding new residences in current environment

• Donations (business, individual, • Commerce (Business Ventures / Micro-enterprise)

Challenges

• Zoning Laws • Legal - who will be responsible / how to allow others to help

– NC behind the rest of the nation in housing practices for people with IDD

• Economic – general economy &/or provider world rate cuts

• Philosophical – want inclusionary best practices – What Fair Housing means for People with Disabilities

resource link -

http://www.bazelon.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bdk6FSfUBOQ%3d&tabid=104

Challenges• Across the United States in 2008, people with disabilities with the lowest incomes

faced an extreme housing affordability crisis as rents for moderately priced studio and one-bedroom apartments soared above their entire monthly income. The national average rent for a one-bedroom unit climbed to $749 per month and the studio/efficiency unit rent to $663 per month in 2008 – both higher than $667, the average monthly income of over 4 million people with disabilities.

• These shocking statistics are some of the important findings included in Priced Out in 2008 – a study of the severe housing affordability problems of people with disabilities who must survive on incomes far below the federal poverty line.

• The amount of monthly SSI income needed to rent a modest one-bedroom unit has risen an astonishing 62 percent from 69 percent of SSI in 1998 to 112.1 percent of SSI in 2008. The root cause of the nation’s most severe – and most hidden – housing crisis is clearly revealed in the painful statistics included in the 2008 edition of Priced Out.

• Discretionary state SSI supplements provided by states are not the solution to the housing affordability problems experienced by people with disabilities living on SSI payments.

Recommendations from Federal Housing Task

ForceTAC and the CCD Housing Task Force urge the federal government to take the following actions:• Enact Section 811 legislation that will create at least 5,000 new units of permanent supportive

housing each year. • Provide 10,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers for People with Disabilities in HUD’s annual budget. • Support the Administration’s proposal to appropriate at least $1 billion in funding for the National

Affordable Housing Trust Fund. • Remove Barriers to Permanent Supportive Housing in the LIHTC Program. • Facilitate a Coordinated Disability Housing Policy Across the Federal Government. • Reinvigorate Fair Housing Enforcement. • By implementing these recommendations, the federal government will send a powerful message of

inclusion to state and local communities, along with the housing resources necessary to finally begin to achieve the vision of community integration for people with disabilities first articulated almost 20 years ago through the ADA.

• A copy of Priced Out in 2008 can be found online at http://www.tacinc.org/pubs/pricedout/2008.html. For more information about Priced Out, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@tacinc.org or (617) 266-5657 x123.

NOTE: TAC = Technical Assistance Collaborative CCD = Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities –

The CCD Housing Task Force works with Congress and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to increase access to decent, safe and affordable housing for all people with disabilities and to protect the rights guaranteed under the Fair Housing Act. Check out Opening Doors initiative http://www.c-c-d.org/task_forces/housing/intro_page.htm

Strengths• Philosophical

– Visitability - sometimes called ‘Basic Home Access’ or ‘Inclusive Home Design’ - is a campaign for meaningful policy requiring a few essential features in every new home:• One zero-step entrance• Interior doors, including bathrooms, with 32 inches or more of clear passage

space• At least a half bath (preferably a full bath) on the main floor

• Potential Innovation– https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/24833/

UniversalDesign&Visitability2007largePrint.pdf;jsessionid=5BC7D23741497520F5AA7363617C7526?sequence=5

• Potential Growth / Economic Value– http://www.knowledgeplex.org/

What Now?• Up to YOU… each one of us!!• Suggestions / Ideas

Work towards one main goal with one voice– One Idea for Goal: Comprehensive Housing Plan for

People with IDD in NC• Then breakdown other disability-specific needs to meet goal

– Disability-specific targeted universal design projects– Research into EBP and Outcomes

» Medical» Social/Emotional» Economic / Job Development / Micro-enterprise / Asset-

building activities for people with disabilities» Recreational

HUD 811 & 202 Grants Awarded in NC Recently

Section 202 - Supportive Housing for the ElderlyProject Location: Hendersonville, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: Housing Assistance CorporationCo-Sponsor: North Carolina Housing Foundation Inc.Capital Advance: $3,610,000Three-year rental subsidy: $257,400Number of units: 24Project Description: The funds will be used to construct 24 one-bedroom apartments for elderly adjacent to a LIHTC property for elderly. The property will meet the standards of EarthCraft Multifamily green building program and include energy efficient appliances.Residents have access to civic offices, grocery, public library, restaurants, parks within walking distance and private door-to-door transportation service.

Section 202 - Supportive Housing for the ElderlyProject Location: Lexington, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: United Church Homes & Svcs Inc.Capital Advance: $4,718,500Three-year rental subsidy: $321,600Number of units: 30Project Description: The funds will be used to construct 30 one-bedroom apartments for the elderly in a three-story elevator building. The community space will include a multipurposeroom with kitchen, tenant storage, laundry room and screened porch. The development will meet the standards for EarthCraft Multifamily green building program and contain energyefficient appliances. Residents have easy access to supportive services, civic offices, shops, library, restaurants and parks within walking distance and public transportation service.

Section 202 - Supportive Housing for the ElderlyProject Location: Winston-Salem, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: NC Housing Foundation Inc.Capital Advance: $1,887,400Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700Number of units: 12Project Description: The funds will be used to rehabilitate an existing building which was previously a wing of a hospital. There will be 12 one-bedroom apartments in a two-storybuilding and will feature a roof-top terrace. A community room will be multi-purpose for visiting, activities and education. Laundry facilities will be located on both floors. The project will achieve LEED Silver standards and appliances and equipment will be ENERGY STAR rated.Within walking distance are social services, grocery, drugstore, churches and public transportation.

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: Chapel Hill, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: The Arc of North Carolina, Inc.Co-Sponsor: The Arc of Orange County, Inc.Capital Advance: $940,900Three-year rental subsidy: $64,500Number of units: 6Project Description: The funds will be used to construct six units for very low income persons with developmental disabilities located in Chapel Hill, NC. This project will be a two storybuilding with four one-bedrooms and two two-bedroom apartment units. The residents willeach have the privacy of their own apartment. The proximity of the site to neighborhoodshopping, community recreational areas and bus stop will give the residents convenient accessto neighborhood amenities and to the Town of Chapel Hill as a whole.

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: Charlotte, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp.Co-Sponsor: InReachCapital Advance: $2,008,200Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700Number of units: 13Project Description: The funds will be used to construct eleven one-bedroom units and onetwo-bedroom units for very low income persons with developmental disabilities and one twobedroomfor the resident manager. Convenient, affordable housing with supportive serviceswill benefit residents with developmental disabilities by providing a stable living environmentand allowing them employment and educational opportunities. The site is located in agrowing area of South Charlotte. It is surrounded by market rate multifamily communities andnearby amenities

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: Charlotte, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: The Affordable Housing Group of NC IncCapital Advance: $1,159,600Three-year rental subsidy: $85,800Number of units: 8Project Description: The funds will be used to construct eight, one-bedroom units for very lowincome persons with development and physical disabilities and persons chronically mentally illlocated in Charlotte, NC. The location is in close proximity to services such as medical,shopping and public transportation. This independent living apartment will allow residents toachieve and maintain a suitable living environment through community based education andthe production of quality affordable housing.

HUD 811 Grants Awarded Recently

HUD 811 Grants in NC (con’t)Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: King, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: Christian Village, Inc.Co-Sponsor: NC Housing Foundation Inc.Capital Advance: $1,803,900Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700Number of units: 12Project Description: The funds will be used to construct a single, one story brick apartment consisting of twelve one-bedroom units for very low income persons with physical disabilitiesto be located in King, NC. The facility will be modest, with features and amenities supportive of various disabilities. Community spaces will include a multi-purpose activity room which canbe used for educational programs or a place where residents can entertain visitors. Services are designed to meet the needs of the residents, and provide flexibility for activities.

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: Monroe, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: The Arc of North Carolina, Inc.Capital Advance: $724,800Three-year rental subsidy: $53,700Number of units: 5Project Description: The funds will be used to construct five one-bedroom units for very low income persons with development disabilities located in Monroe, NC. This project site islocated in a quiet residential community close to downtown. There are numerous amenities nearby including shopping, restaurants, churches, social service organizations and medicalfacilities. In addition to the employment opportunities that may be afforded the residents by these local businesses, transportation will be provided by Union County Transportation.

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with DisabilitiesProject Location: Shelby, NCNon-Profit Sponsor: Reinvestment in Communities of Gaston County, IncCapital Advance: $2,174,400Three-year rental subsidy: $150,300Number of units: 15Project Description: The funds will be used to construct two buildings; with fourteen, one-bedroom units for very low income persons who are chronically mentally ill and one, one-bedroomunit for a resident manager. The project is located in Shelby, NC. The apartments blend in with the neighborhood and encourage interaction among residents and between residents and

neighbors. This Integrated model allows residents to walk to shopping and services in the nearby downtown Shelby area, also the site is served by transit.

For this info & other states, visit reference site below:http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=202-811Sum.pdf

The Continuing Journey for a Roof Overhead…

Questions/Thoughts?

Thank You!

arhams@yahoo.com