Project Description:
Millions of individuals with disabilities who have very low incomes are trapped in institutions, nursing homes, group homes, and boarding homes, unable to obtain affordable, accessible, and quality housing, and access proper services. The idea of a person owning or controlling a home has been a cornerstone of our culture. Geographic factors, population density and economic circumstances all have an impact on an individual's definition of home. Different cultures may have different views of the home, but few dismiss it as an unnecessary social phenomenon. Unfortunately, however, cultural and economic changes and the lack of coordination between housing and service funding sources in recent years have resulted in a detachment from the idea of home for individuals with disabilities.
CHANCE?s approach will be to provide intensive technical assistance to grantees awarded an initiative to integrate long term supports with affordable, accessible, and quality housing. The focus will be on creating opportunities for collaboration between state housing and service entities for the purpose of implementing broad systems change to assist individuals to move from institutions into the community and make it possible for elderly individuals to age in their homes or delay institutionalization. CHANCE?s experience and proficiency at providing technical assistance will significantly strengthen these efforts along with its extensive network and relationship with people with disabilities, family members, the National Home of Your Own Alliance, the ADAPT network, and national housing, financial, service, foundation, advocacy, and disability organizations in the public and private sector.
While there are many external barriers preventing people with disabilities from being able to live in their own homes, often the most difficult obstacles to overcome are caused by the lack of flexibility and responsiveness of the systems upon which they depend for support. Structural barriers at federal, state and local levels often serve to place restrictions on the way services are provided and on eligibility for income maintenance and medical assistance (i.e., Medicaid) benefits. The lack of control over personal financial resources and dependence on programs that limit personal choices about where to live and with whom to associate serves to deny basic opportunities and civil rights. Many of these barriers can be overcome with technical assistance and information sharing; however many will require changes in federal and state policies.
Targeted intensive technical assistance to grantees will offer numerous benefits to people with disabilities; families; advocates; public housing entities; state Medicaid agencies; policy makers; private sector mortgage entities; banks, credit unions; builders; architects; realtors; support agencies; and the general public.
Goals will be achieved by assisting each state to strengthen and enhance partnerships and collaborations with housing and service entities in the public, private, civic, and advocacy sectors, and promote the involvement of people with disabilities and families its initiative?s activities. Each grantee will be presented with an extensive menu of technical assistance that will help state collaborators to build ground-level support for their initiatives and create a shared vision represented in their work plan.
Technical assistance to grantees will be provided using innovative, field-tested, state-of-the-art strategies including, but not limited to offering targeted training, on-site consultations, information collection, resource development, and dissemination. Strategies developed by each grantee will be examined to determine which can be replicated on a large-scale basis. Benefits, barriers, and outcomes will be evaluated and Federal and State policy, regulations, and legal opinions impacting each initiative?s implementation will be analyzed.
Keyword(s):
Integrate long term supports, affordable, accessible, Quality housing, ILRU
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Empowerment Zone, Renewal Community, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Urban, Territory
