WHO WE ARE:

Coordinated by CHAPA, the Massachusetts Home Of Your Own Alliance is a statewide partnership of public agencies, non-profit organizations, lenders, private corporations, individuals with disabilities, family members, housing and disability advocates and others interested in increasing individual control and ownership of housing among people with disabilities.

The Massachusetts Home of Your Own Alliance is one of 25 state groups selected by the National Home Of Your Own Alliance to develop opportunities for individuals to make decisions about their living choices based on housing preferences rather than service needs.

Massachusetts has also been selected by Fannie Mae to be one of eleven states to participate in an innovative lending initiative utilizing a loan product called HomeChoice which has been designed especially for individuals with disabilities who want to become homeowners. BankBoston will make up to 25 loans utilizing the HomeChoice loan product. Also through BankBoston, the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Alliance will have access to down payment assistance of $5,000 each for 18 very low-income participants.

INTRODUCING THE MASSACHUSETTS HOME OF YOUR OWN PROGRAM:

The Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program is part of a growing nationwide effort to increase the ability of individuals with disabilities to have control of their living situations and housing. The Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program has two components. Applicants may select one of these options, or both:

Homeownership

This is a program for individuals interested in purchasing a home within the next three years. The Massachusetts Home of Your Own Alliance has selected 25 participants with a variety of disabilities and incomes from across the state to receive technical support and financing assistance for homeownership.

The homeownership program will include both pre-purchase and post-purchase homeownership education which will be provided by community-based non-profit agencies (homebuyer counseling agencies) which have assisted thousands of low-income families and individuals along the path to homeownership. Participants will also be able to access down payment assistance funds as well as a special financing product designed especially for individuals with disabilities.

Although the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program presently cannot accept additional applications for homeownership, we are working to develop resources for other people with disabilities who are interested in becoming homeowners.

Increasing Self-determined Housing and Supports

The Massachusetts Home of Your Own Alliance will assist other people with disabilities in identifying and implementing ways to increase control in their homes. This may include activities like exercising greater choice in selection of roommates, hiring onežs own service providers, obtaining an apartment lease, etc. This component of the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program will be developed according to the needs of participants, the availability of resources in the regions where participants currently live or want to live, and input from various individuals with disabilities, advocates, providers of services, and others who are interested in this issue.

A committee of consumers, providers, state agencies, and others is currently developing regional panels which will be held in the fall of 1997. These panels will focus on models of self-determined housing and supports for people with disabilities. Additionally, the committee is looking into ways to provide technical assistance to people with disabilities to develop self-determined housing.

APPLICATIONS:

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept new applications for the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program at this time. However, if you call CHAPA at 1-800-HOME-111 or (617) 742- 5498 (voice/TTY), we will notify you if funding becomes available in the future to enable us to assist additional people.

Primary support for the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program has been provided by:

The Boston Foundation
National Home of Your Own Alliance
Department of Mental Retardation
Department of Mental Health

Administering Agency for Developmental Disabilities
The New England
Fannie Mae Foundation
Fidelity Management Trust Company