Housing

All people with intellectual disabilities have a right to live in communities of their choosing and be fully-included with people who do not have disabilities. They should be empowered to live in accessible and affordable housing similar to that of people without disabilities. Necessary individualized supports and adaptations should be of their choosing and under their control or the control of their substitute decision-maker.
Please click on a resource below for more information.
Advocates’ Guide 2017: A Primer on Federal Affordable Housing & Community Development Programs is this year’s edition of NLIHC’s comprehensive manual on virtually every affordable housing program and policy. The Guide, written by NLIHC staff and other leading experts in the field, contains synopses of housing and community development programs, laws, and regulations, as well as tools that could be used to communicate effectively with legislative and executive branches of government and to mobilize advocacy campaigns. The Advocates’ Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in or concerned about affordable housing and community development.
You can download a PDF version of the Advocates’ Guide or you can purchase a print copy. Members receive a discounted price.
A regulatory agency within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety. Develops and enforces regulations designed to make public buildings accessible to, functional for, and safe for use by persons with disabilities.
http://www.state.ma.us/aab/
http://mahousingthinktank.org/
For more information contact: Catherine Boyle President Autism Housing Pathways
AHPhousing@comcast.net
ccampboyle@gmail.com
Provides information, support and resources for families who seek to create secure, supported housing for their adult children with disabilities.
http://autismhousingpathways.net
A non-profit umbrella organization for affordable housing and community development activities throughout Massachusetts. Offers lots of online information and resources regarding housing development and programs available to Massachusetts residents. Provides information about searching for rental housing in Massachusetts for people who have one or more disabilities. Most of the information is also helpful to people who are low-income.
http://www.chapa.org/
Offers homeowners with helpful educational brochures, an expert panel with additional resources, and easy-to-implement tips for making an accessible home a reality.
www.easterseals.com
The Home Modification Loan Program provides no- and low-interest loans to modify the homes of adults and children with disabilities, and elders.
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/disability-services/housing-disability/home-mod-loan/
The website explains the various programs available and provides links to apply for Section 8 vouchers
http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/eohed/dhcd/how-to-obtain-housing-assistance.html
A free searchable database that helps people with disabilities find rental housing in Massachusetts, primarily accessible and barrier-free housing.
http://www.massaccesshousingregistry.org/
The state affordable housing bank, which lends money at rates below the conventional market to support rental and home ownership opportunities for low-and moderate-income residents of the Commonwealth. MassHousing offers low-or zero-interest loans to help homeowners fix failed septic systems, remove lead paint, and make home improvements.
www.masshousing.com/
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Massachusetts information
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/massachusetts
Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC) Housing Connections is designed to help families communicate with other families with similar interests to find or create a home for their loved one with a disability.
http://www.mfofc-hc.org/housingconnections/
A national disability rights and advocacy organization. Provides an easy-to-use informational booklet on Section 8 Housing vouchers.
http://www.tacinc.org/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers loans and grants to elder homeowners in current or former rural towns. These include Plymouth and Cape Cod, most North Shore towns above Danvers, and most communities west and south of Acton. For repairs of health or safety hazards such as failed roofs, heating or septic systems, USDA also offers grants of up to $7,500 for those over 62, and loans that charge just 1 percent annual interest to all others.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Home.html