>
>"Advocacy Strategies for Accessible Housing"
>
>Steve Gold <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
>While most housing issues are local to your city or county, there are
>State-wide housing handles that disability advocates could use to
>increase the supply of Affordable, Accessible, and Integrated Housing.
>These State-wide issues offer a good opportunity to unite different
>sections of your State disability community around a common problem.
>
>Every State has a State housing agency that, at least, allocates the
>Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most State housing agencies
>receive Community Development Block Grants that are used for low-income
>housing, and many states allocate Section 8 rental housing vouchers and
>have a HOME program, whether for new construction or rental assistance.
>Quite a few have some responsibility for housing codes.
>
>Here are some ADVOCACY suggestions:
>
>1. Force your State housing agency to comply with
>   applicable accessibility requirements of Section 504 and
>   the Federal Housing Act Amendments.  Does your State
>   housing department require all developers who
>   receive federal funding to comply with 504 and
>   FHHA?  Why not?
>
>2. Amend your States' Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
>   Allocation Plan to require compliance, by all recipients
>   of these tax credits, with Section 504 accessibility
>   requirements. Make sure your State Housing Agency then
>   monitors LIHTC compliance.
>
>3. Remember that recipients of LIHTC are prohibited from
>   discriminating against Section 8 voucher holders. If
>   your State housing agency has received Section 8
>   vouchers, make sure that it requires that recipients of
>   the LIHTC do not discriminate against Section 8 voucher
>   recipients.
>
>4. Do your States' Community Development Block Grant and
>   HOME funding recipients comply with Section 504 and
>   FHAA?   Does your State agency monitor this
>   compliance.  Look into whether your State is using its
>   CDBG funds for a Home Modification program. Some states
>   are.
>
>5. Ask your State Welfare Department how they have tied
>   Section 8 vouchers with Home and Community-Based Waiver
>   programs to ensure that housing is not a barrier for
>   disabled persons to move from nursing homes.
>
>6. Review the State agency's Consolidated Plan and present
>   testimony twice a year to focus on the needs of the
>   disability community.
>
>Do not be surprised if both your elected State officials and your State
>housing agency officials have never focused on the disability issues.
>It's a great opportunity to put Affordable, Accessible, Integrated
>housing issues on
>the State agenda.
>
>Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues
>
>Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at
>http://www.stevegoldada.com
>with a searchable Archive at this site.
>
># # #
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