How To Get Apartments For People With Disabilities – It is seen that most of the landlords do not want to rent their apartments to the people who are disabled. The landlords think that they might be a burden and can fail to pay the rent as they cannot work. However the government of the United States of America treats everyone equally so it does not matter if you are from a different religion, race or have any health condition. So, if you are a disabled do not worry as you can easily get an apartment. The fair housing and HUD guidelines stated that anyone is entitled to get an apartment. You can find various types of programs especially for the disabled people.
The programs are mainly funded and run by the HUD to make sure that the disabled people get proper housing facilities according to their needs. There are few apartments that are especially designed for the people with disabilities to make their stay more comfortable. However before getting such an apartment you need to research a bit. If you are looking for apartments for people with disabilities then you are at the right place. The apartments must be convenient for the disabled people and must have proper access to medical services. So, in this article we will provide all the information and problems that are being faced by the disabled people. Apart from that will be also mentioning some HUD programs that offer apartments to the disabled people.
Also read : How to Get Apartments That Accept Evictions
Highlights of this Post
How To Find Apartment For People With Disabilities
Disabled people require a suitable apartment for themselves rather than other people. They can’t move easily so they need a comfortable house. It is very true that apartments are available for disabled people and they can get it quickly. Federal government has organized different programs for low income families with disabilities. You can easily take help from different programs like supportive housing programs, section 811, section 202 etc. The rental assistance programs are designed for disable people as well. If you face any difficulties and discrimination while asking for help, you can also call at 1-800-949-4232 or the ADA center. You can get related information such as training, housing assistance, guidance etc.
Programs For Apartments For People with Disabilities
The Disabled People must get proper housing according to their basic rights. The disabled people should not be deprived of housing as they are already facing a lot of issues in their life. The government has understood the problems of the disabled and thus provides them with housing assistance like subsidized housing, homeownership, income based housing and housing choice voucher. We have listed some of the housing programs for the people with disabilities. Scroll down and check them out.
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Public Housing
Public Housing is one of the well-known programs of the HUD. The main aim of the program is to offer the low income people, senior citizens and disabled people with rental assistance. The rent that is charged under this program is quite low and the applicant will have to pay only 30 percent of their adjusted income and 10 percent of their monthly income, however the minimum rent varies from $25 to $50. The rent range is mainly administered by the local housing agency. You can also find the HUD guidelines that fixes up the rent calculation and the housing agencies can deduct up to a $400 of income for disabled people. Thus, it is a great opportunity for the disabled people to get an apartment at a much affordable price.
Also read : How to Find Private Landlords That Accept Section 8
Section 811 Supportive Apartments for people with disabilities program
There is another program for the people with disabilities is the Section 811 supportive housing program. The program helps the disabled people to live their lives independently in the community by offering subsidized rental housing. The Section 811 program offers the land developers with subsidy and other internet free capital funding that helps them to build apartments or housing especially for the people with disabilities.
The Section 811 housing program is backed by project rental assistance contracts. The main objective of this program is to offer low income families having at least one disabled family member with affordable housing facilities. However the type of disability can be chronic mental illness, physical or developmental disability. Income is another issue that is looked into and the household needs to have within 50 percent of the median income of that particular area.
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Housing Choice Voucher
There is another housing choice voucher program that is administered and funded by the HUD. However a set of eligibility criteria need to be fulfilled to qualify for the housing choice voucher program. One of the eligibility criteria is that the household income should be below 50 percent of the median income of that particular location where the disabled people reside. The housing voucher program can be used to cover the rent cost of the apartment. It is mainly administered and controlled by the public housing agencies. The PHA mainly provides the housing assistance program especially for the disabled people as they get high funds to run this program.
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Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program
The disabled people can also try the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program that offers affordable apartments. The main objective of this program is to offer the landowner tax credit, thus they can build houses for the disabled people that are easily affordable. Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program provides various types of support especially to the people that are disabled. The program offers a better living condition for the disabled people at a much reasonable price.
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Subsidized Housing Program
A subsidized housing program is another affordable housing program in the list especially for the people that are disabled. The subsidized housing program mainly offers assistance to the senior citizens and the disabled people. It is generally income based housing assistance and is administered by the HUD. The main objective of the program is to provide better housing facilities to the senior and disabled people at a cheaper price.
Also Read : Government Grants for Struggling Families
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Non-Elderly Disabled Vouchers
The disabled people are also eligible to get the non-elderly disabled vouchers. The non-elderly disabled vouchers are quite similar to the section 8 housing choice voucher. This program is mainly controlled and managed by the Public Housing Agencies. The program offers housing assistance to the non-elderly disabled people. However to qualify for the program you need to meet the eligibility requirements. You can contact the local housing agencies to know more about this program and get more details on how to get affordable apartments easily.
Some Other Ways That Can Help You With Housing
We have also found some other ways that can provide you additional support with housing. What are you waiting for ? Go check them out.
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Rentals With Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
You can apply for the Supplemental Security Income that can help you in providing assistance with rent payment. However your living conditions are directly related to the amount of Security Income you are getting. In case if you are sharing the apartment with your friend and he or she pays the major amount of the bills, thus you will receive a lesser amount of benefits. Another thing you need to note is take your SSI amount into your account before calculating or determining your overall monthly budget.
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Advocacy Programs
The disabled people receive various forms of support that include resources, tools and many more. If you are a disabled person and having any issues you can directly contact an advocacy agency to get solutions.
What to look for Apartments for Disabled People
There are some factors that should be taken into consideration while a disabled person is choosing apartments for themselves. The apartments should be a healthy place for disabled people so that they can live peacefully.
- Spacious entrance
If you are a disabled person then you should choose an apartment which has a broad entrance or hallway. It should be spacious enough so that the person won’t face any problems while moving.
- Flooring
Flooring should be made in such a way so that the wheelchairs can move easily. Usually, apartments for disabled people have vinyl flooring.
- Parking distance
The parking should be separate from regular tenants, so that disabled people have enough space to park their car.
- Personal Alarm System
Disabled people sometimes face different health issues. They need emergency services. So, the alarm should be installed in the apartments. When the family members are away from home, this alarm would help them to call for emergency services.
Also Read : Section 504 Home Repair Program low income
- Switches position
The switch board should be installed in a relatively lower position so that the person can use it when needed.
- Bathrooms
Bathrooms should be designed specifically for disabled people. Roll in showers and grab bars should be there in the bathroom. Special kind of toilet should be there. Mobile forms of toilet can be added to the bathroom based on the requirements.
- Cabinets
The cabinet should be placed in the upper portion of the apartments not on the floor. This would help the wheelchairs to move more freely on the ground.
- Countertops
Countertops is another considerable issue as there is not much space for the disabled people to move freely. It should be lower so the workspace area will be more. If the countertops are 30 inches off the floor it will open much more space that will help the disabled people to relax and move freely.
Housing Protections For Individuals With Disabilities
There are some various laws to protect the individuals with disabilities. The laws are mainly implemented to ensure that everyone should get equal opportunities. We have listed some of the housing protections acts that might be helpful for you. Scroll down and check them out.
Fair Housing Act
The main aim of the fair housing act is to protect people from any kind of discrimination and it also require landlords to grant request for any kind of accommodation or modification to the property. Some accessibility requirements include reachable light switches, reinforced walls for handrails, handles and cabinets, widened doors and many others.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This law helps to stop discrimination of a disabled person. A certain percentage of apartments should be accessible for disabled persons and their families.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The person with disabilities or neurological or physical disabilities is defined by this law. It helps to prohibit discrimination from the other public and also in government jobs or housing facilities.
Questions that are not allowed by the landlord to ask
You should understand that getting an apartment does not require sacrificing your privacy and comfort. The landlord has no right to ask you questions that are related to your health, medications or daily habits. You do not owe them any answers, so if you ever feel that the landlord is questioning you too much you can directly contact the HUD. We have collected a few questions that are not allowed by the landlord to ask you.
- How did you develop the disability?
- Are you able to go outside for work?
- Are you currently on any medications?
- Will your disability prevent you from paying rent at some point of time?
- What is your medical history?
- How often do you use the wheelchair?
On the other side they can ask you some relevant questions that are related to the accommodations for the apartment. You need to be very specific while giving the landlord an answer. However if you ever feel the question is related to disability or something personal you can directly report it to the HUD. The federal government and other nonprofit organizations can help you with affordable housing needs. You can find various programs that can disabled people find affordable housing.
Types of Apartments for Disabled People
- Independent Living
There are people who want to live their life independently. They don’t want to take help from any other person. Independent living is available for people with disabilities who can manage their own life. There are different activities like outdoor pool, gym, salon etc. that they can use. This is not available for disabled people as they sometimes require serious healthcare services which are not included.
- Assisted Living
Disabled people have different activities which are formerly known as assisted living. They need to perform different activities like bathing, walking, dressing, moving from one place to another etc. The other activities like social interaction, medical care and transportation are there. The communities make the environment a better place so that they don’t need to face any kind of difficulties. Senior citizens often need assisted living. It can’t be named after people who can move independently.
Cost of Living
These services are relatively costly and the disabled people have to bear this much. Those who are disabled with low income can also apply for different government programs. There are subsidized housing programs, section 811, section 202, public support, Medicare etc. The cost may vary from place to place. It would reduce the cost of apartments as well.
Conclusion
I hope this article has provided you with all the necessary information on How to Get Apartments for People with Disabilities. You can find a lot of apartments for disabled people and you need to research a bit to get a perfect one for you. There are also various HUD resources and guidelines to make sure that the disabled people can get affordable apartments without much hassle. You can also try contacting the public housing agencies in your area to get more information on apartments for disabled people. If you know any disabled person who is looking for apartments please share this article with them, it might be of great help to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
As we already know, getting an apartment for disabled people is not at all easy. So, it is important to have the correct information on it. We will answer some frequently asked questions that might help you in finding an apartment for disabled people and make things easier for you.
Will I be charged more rent for apartments because of my disability?
No, you will not be charged more rent for apartments because of your disability as there are HUD guidelines and other rules and regulations. Thus, the landlord cannot ask for more rent according to the fair housing act. It is illegal if a landlord forces you to pay more rent and you can directly report it to the nearest public housing agency or you can also contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The rent is generally fixed according to the location of your house and thus the landlord cannot charge more money.
What comes under disability according to HUD?
Living with a disability is very difficult and we just cannot ignore it. It is seen that the disabled people are deprived of benefits, rights and facilities in comparison to other people. Thus, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has imposed some strict rules that will benefit the disabled people. They have also imposed non-discrimination laws that identify physical and mental incapacity as a disability. However, we all know that disability limits the person to lead a similar life as compared to the others.
Are there any eligibility requirements to qualify for these programs?
Yes, there are some specific requirements to qualify for some of the programs. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application might get rejected by the administration.
What should be done if there is no apartment available for the disabled people?
In most of the cases it is seen that the landlord does not have any close relations while renting to the disabled people. The landlords think that if they rent to disabled people then they have to provide more facilities and care for them which is a headache. However they are bound to rent apartments to the disabled person according to the law. If you are a disabled person, you must carry all the doctor notes and certificates so that the landlord believes your story.
