Independent/Supported Living Options

Michael Anderson, Homeworks co-ownerDavid Gates, PA Health Law ProjectSusan Tachau, Pennsylvania Assistive

Technology Foundation

Models To Be Discussed

The models to be discussed that enable person/family control:

• Home Modifications• Rental• Homeownership• Joint Homeownership (HomeWorks)• SDSC Run 6400 Licensed Home• Co-op (Trinity House)

Funding for Home Modifications• Home and Community-Based Waivers

– Research service definitions to determine covered mods (varies depending on waiver)

– Most waivers cap the amount available- may need an additional funding source

• Phila Adaptive Modifications Program– Grants available to homebuyers & renters in Phila– Family member must have physical disability but need

not be on a waiver– Call 215-448-2160 but long waiting list– Are income guidelines– http://www.phdchousing.org/adaptivemodifications.htm

for more information

Funding for Home Modifications 2• PA Accessible Housing Program

– For persons outside of Phila– Do not need to be on a waiver– Available to homebuyers & renters– Family member must have physical disability– Contact county or local housing or

redevelopment agency to see if they operate a program

– If county or local agency doesn’t operate home mod program, call Self Determination Housing Project at 877.550.7347

Funding for Home Modifications 3• PHFA Renovate & Repair Loan

• For homebuyers & homeowners• Can borrow up to $35,000• Not limited to persons with disabilities

• PHFA Access Home Modification loan– For homebuyers getting a mortgage through one

of PHFA’s mortgage programs– Must be a family member with disabilities– Up to $10,000– http://www.phfa.org/consumers/homebuyers/acc

esshomemod.aspx

Funding for Home Modifications 4– PA Assistive Technology Foundation

• Provides low interest (4%) loans for assistive technology & home mods

• Up to $25,000 loan (if need the guarantee)• Can get more (up to $60,000) if applicant meets

traditional lending standards• Can get 0% loan for up to $1000 (mini-loan)• May also be able to get a partial grant up to ½ of

the mini-loan request (very low income)• Call 888-744-1938 or go to www.patf.us

Funding for Home Modifications 5• OVR

• Grants for home mods necessary to obtain or keep employment

• Apply through local OVR office-http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=606620&mode=2

• US Rural Development Agency Sec. 504 loans• For homebuyers & homeowners living in rural areas as

determined by USDA• Can borrow up to $20,000 for 20 years @ 1%• Not limited to persons with disabilities• Call 717-237-2299 for number of regional office

– Chart of available programs at http://homemods.jevs.org/

Rental• Will usually need some kind of rental

subsidy to afford rent because waivers won’t pay for rent except in licensed group home

• HUD housing choice vouchers (Section 8) from local Public Housing Authority but long waiting lists

• Housing Authorities may give preference to persons with disabilities.

Rental 2• Some Housing Authorities may get special HUD

housing vouchers to enable persons with disabilities to move out of institutions

• Can find list of all Housing Authorities @ https://pic.hud.gov/pic/haprofiles/haprofilelist.asp

• Some apartment houses have subsidized units

• Many of these apartment houses will have lower rent apartments for people with disabilities

Look for subsidized (and accessible) apartments at http://www.pahousingsearch.com/

USDA’s rural apartment

locator

http://rdmfhrentals.sc.egov.usda.gov/RDMFHRentals/select_county.jsp?st=pa&state_name=Pennsylvania&st_cd=42

Rental 3• If individual renting is on Consolidated or

PFDS waiver & receiving > 30 hours direct service a week, state (ODP) may insist on house/apartment being licensed as a group home (6400 regs)

• However, that policy is legally questionable & state (ODP) is reconsidering that policy

Rental from family• If adult child can obtain housing choice

voucher (Section 8), family can purchase home & rent it to adult child. 24 CFR 982.306(d)

• Must have a lease in adult child’s name• Adult child pays 30%-40% of income to

family as rent. Section 8 pays the rest up to maximum amount set by Housing Authority which family uses to pay mortgage

Rental from LLC- ALAW Model• Families form LLC (type of partnership) to

combine resources for purchase of house• Adult children would rent from the LLC• Obtaining housing choice voucher

(Section 8) makes rents affordable• Outside agency provides services• Services through OBRA waiver• May not work under Consolidated waiver

due to licensure requirements

Home Ownership

• Owning a home does not affect eligibility for waiver, MA or SSI as long as the individual lives in the home

• Person with disability can own home on their own unless there is guardianship

• Consider joint ownership to split costs• Home can also be held in trust for person

with disabilities

Joint ownership- roommatesHomeWorks

• Consider Joint ownership - known as “tenancy in common”- for 2 or 3 roommates to share housing costs & reduce support costs by sharing staff

• May be essential to make home ownership financially viable

• Need compatibility between co-owners and family members

Joint ownership-roommates

• Have written agreement between co-owners regarding decision making & disposition of ownership when one co-owner dies or moves out (exit strategy)

• Consider creating Board with owners, family & other supportive persons to provide guidance & support to homeowners

HomeWorks Team

The dream realized- a home of their own

For more information about the HomeWorks joint ownership model,

Download the manual at:

http://www.patf.us/images/stories/documents/homeworks_final.pdf

Joint ownership- parent/child

• Parent can purchase house & put adult child on deed with parent as joint tenant with right of survivorship

• This avoids inheritance taxes• Consider circle of support to assist adult

child with homeownership responsibilities when parent is no longer available

Purchasing a Home: Financial Considerations

• Determine feasibility by developing budget for real costs of homeownership:– Downpayment– Closing costs– Home modifications– Mortgage– Insurance (PMI & homeowners)– Taxes– Maintenance (house & grounds)

Downpayment/Closing costs

• Special needs trust funds– Consider large downpayment to reduce

ongoing mortgage costs which cannot be paid out of special needs trust funds

• Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Access Downpayment & Closing Cost Assistance program

PA Housing Finance Agency

(PHFA) Keystone Home Loan & Plus

Programs

http://www.phfa.org/consumers/homebuyers/peoplewithdisa

bilities.aspx

Mortgage

• Applicant’s credit score is important!• Build credit by using credit for small

purchases or PATF loans & repay on time!

• Fannie Mae Community Home Choice for higher price homes

• USDA Section 502 program in rural areas- http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-Direct_Housing_Loans.html

Mortgage, continued

• Investigate possibility of local mortgage assistance programs

• There may be local Housing Authority Section 8 homeownership programs

• Standard commercial mortgage option

Mortgage, continued

• Habitat for Humanity– 0% interest mortgages– Home built by the organization– “sweat equity”– Check with local branch for more information

• http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/affiliate.aspx?place=61

• Cannot use special needs trust monies for ongoing mortgage payments!

Maintenance costs• May be able to use special needs trust

$ for one time costs (e.g. new heater, new roof) but not for ongoing (reoccurring) maintenance

• Homeowner’s income (Social Security etc.) most common source of money

• May purchase maintenance contracts because putting money aside may affect SSI eligibility

Maintenance Costs, continued

• Become a domiciliary care provider– Requires creation of self-directed support

corporation + waiver of several regulations– Each person on SSI living in the home would

get an additional $389 a month which could be used for home maintenance costs

Management

• Homeowner has responsibility for payment of mortgage, taxes, utilities, maintenance of property, etc.

• To make homeownership viable, someindividuals may need support with fulfilling responsibilities

• Waiver-funded support staff may not be able to assist with housing management

Management

• Shared management responsibility:– Circles of support – self directed support corporations – LLC

• Develop those supports before purchasing the home.

Family-run Licensed waiver home• For persons on the Consolidated Waiver,

may be able to have mortgage, taxes, utilities & maintenance paid through waiver

• Would need a large enough budget- more likely for person already in an agency run group home

• No longer able to do for just one person because of costs- need to find 1 or 2 compatible roommates on Consolidated

Family-run Licensed waiver home

• Individuals on the waiver cannot own the home (or else waiver can’t pay mortgage)

• Home can be owned by other family member & rented to and managed by family-run corporation

• Home & services must be licensed under 6400 regs (“group home” regs)

• Corporation would also hire, train & supervise staff- CEO & Program Specialist

Co-op

• Partner with local Redevelopment Authority to find suitable property that can be renovated for multiple accessible units

• Funding through Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HUD project-based Section 8 and/or Section 811, housing trust fund $

• Public funding enables rents to be affordable for people on SSI

Co-op 2• Services separate from housing- residents

choose their own service provider. Not a group home!

• Residents become members of co-op which gives them (& their surrogates) greater voice in management of the property

• 2 existing in PA for persons with disabilities: 626 Co-op in Montgomery Co & Trinity House in Bloomsburg

Housing Co-op (Trinity House)

• Property purchased and renovated by local Redevelopment Authority using federal Low Income Tax Credits + project based Section 8

• 11 two-person units + 3 1-person units• All units will be accessible & affordable

to people on SSI• People with disabilities will have first

priority

Housing Co-op, continued

• Support services not connected with housing– Residents can change support provider

without moving out • Residents will be members of “leasing co-

op” which will have say in operation of building, especially common areas

OWNERSHIP – LIMITED EQUITY COOP

• A leasing cooperative will master lease the building

• Each resident will be a member of the Co-op giving them the right to lease a unit

• Affordability maintained

CHOOSE HOUSE MATE & SERVICE PROVIDER

• Applicants choose roommates - not the system based on the PUNS list

• No services delivered by the project- residents choose service provider

Housing Co-op, continued• Collaboration with local university to offer

special ed students credit to participate in special program to provide community integration opportunities to residents

• Two adjoining houses also purchased by Redevelopment Authority

• Students will be housed in those houses

TRINTIY HOUSE

SOCIAL/EDUCATIONAL/VOCATIONAL

•Common kitchen

•Community lounge

•Vocational workshop

•Student involvement

Service/Support Needs• Determine additional services/supports

that will be needed for independent living• If on a waiver, request revisions of goals in

individual’s Individual Service Plan (ISP) to support independent living

• If goals are accepted, push for additional services through ISP

• However, will have difficulty getting waiver to cover services 24/7

Service/Support Needs, continued

• Persons on the Person/Family Directed Support Waiver (PFDS) are limited to $26,000 in waiver funded services in a year

• Persons on Autism waiver are limited to 50 hours week of day habilitation, community integration & vocational programs (combined)

Service/Support Needs, continued

If not on a waiver, should apply but:• Long waiting lists for Consolidated &

PFDS waivers• OBRA waiver is closed• Independence waiver is open

For More InformationDavid GatesPA Health Law Projectwww.phlp.org800-274-3258

Susan TachauPennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundationwww.patf.us888-744-1938

For More Information-Bureau of Autism Services Housing Report

http://bastraining.tiu11.org/(need to create account)

-ALAW: http://www.autismlivingworking.org/ -Self Determination Housing:

http://www.sdhp.org/ -PA Housing Finance Agency: www.phfa.org-Local Housing Authorities:

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/pa.cfm