The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announcedthat it is making available $85 million to state housing agencies to provide affordable supportive housing for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. This is the first time in the history of HUD’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Programthat funding will be offered to state housing agencies that meet new eligibility criteria, including having a partnership with a state health and human services and Medicaid agency to provide essential supports and services.
New Housing Model Promotes Community Living
HUD’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) implements reforms to the Section 811 program enacted by the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010 – bipartisan legislation strongly supported by The Arc.
Under the NOFA, a state housing agency will be able to use Section 811 rental assistance funding to set aside apartments within larger housing developments for supportive housing for extremely low-income people with disabilities. No more than 25% of units in a building can be set aside for this purpose. A formal partnership with a state health and human services and Medicaid agency will provide for referrals, tenant selection, and voluntary supports and services.
HUD estimates that this funding will provide 2,800 new Section 811 units – more than three times the number of Section 811 units produced annually during recent years.
Information for State Advocates
The NOFA for the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration (PRAD) is posted on Grants.gov (Funding Opportunity Number FR-5600-N-28). The deadline for applications is July 31, 2012.
State advocates may wish to talk with their relevant state agencies to urge them to apply for these funds.
Additional details on this opportunity will be made available in the coming days by the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) Resource Center on Supportive Housing at http://811resourcecenter.tacinc.org.
For more information from The Arc’s public policy office, contact T.J. Sutcliffe at 202-783-2229 or sutcliffe@thearc.org. |
