A Technical Assistance Center at the Institute on Disability/UAP,
University of New Hampshire
November 1997
Introduction
As the Alliance commences its fifth year, we have much to
be proud of. Each year has bought more possibilities for
people with disabilities to gain control over their lives through
the vehicle of homeownership.
First and foremost, we are proud of the 23 state
initiatives. State by state, coalitions have been built that include
people with disabilities, their families and friends, service
providers, mortgage lenders, realtors, and state housing
finance representatives. Many perceptions have been challenged
or changed as these coalitions have worked to assist
people reach their dreams of homeownership.
The Advisory Board provides an opportunity for people
with disabilities to have input into the mechanics of this
octopus we call the Alliance. Consisting of people from all
the participating states, the Board and its subcommittees
work to set agendas, promote awareness, follow legislation,
and keep the project grounded. In addition, the Alliance
has produced or located a myriad of resources. Brochures
and booklets, videos, and conference proceedings are available,
as well as sample materials developed by the states.
Researchers are studying the effects of homeownership on people
with disabilities and the effectiveness of the organization as
a whole. So much has happened since the Alliance began
in 1993. But, it is just the beginning of a movement that
will continue into the next millennium!
An Art, Not A Science (Part II)
"How can we assist people with disabilities to
participate in our coalition meetings? How should we be assisting
our representatives on the National Advisory Board?" In
the last issue of this newsletter, we began to tackle
this complex issue by describing ways of assisting people to
be actively involved in meetings. In this article, we list
a series of questions and general hints to assist people
to secure adequate and accessible travel and
hotel accommodations. We offer suggestions about three
specific areas where people have reported they need assistance.
In order for people with disabilities to be actively
involved in meetings, there needs to be a collaborative
effort between the meeting organizer and the person with
a disability. The goal of this interchange is to anticipate
the kinds of assistance needed to ensure the fullest
possible inclusion in the meeting.
We offer suggestions that will elicit responses,
anticipate obstacles, and accommodate needs. These suggestions
are offered to assist in assuring successful,
productive participation in meetings.
First, the meeting organizer needs to ask people what
kind of assistance they need. Much can be learned by
asking questions such as the following:
Do you need assistance in making travel arrangements?
Do you need assistance in making hotel
reservations? What kind of hotel room do you need? Will you
need an accessible room or any adaptive equipment?
Do you have a credit card? Will you be bringing a check for payment of your hotel room
or how will your hotel room and charges be paid?
Do you need or would you like a person to escort you in the airport?
Would you like assistance to check in and out of your hotel room?
What type of assistance have you needed when you have traveled in the past?
When making plane reservations, a travel agent needs to know if a person uses a wheelchair
or scooter and what type of wheelchair it is, i.e. manual or electric, dry or wet cell battery
operated. The travel agent will need to inform the airline if the person needs an aisle seat, a
straight-back chair, or assistance getting on and off the plane. In addition, the airline check-in person needs
to be informed if the individual wants his or her own wheelchair gate-checked and brought to
him or her at all transfer points during the trip, or whether the person wants the wheelchair
checked through to the final destination.
It may be helpful to get permission from the person to talk with people who know them
well about assistance they may need. These people may be a good source of information that
the individual may not remember to mention.
Advance funding for
travel - Many people are not able to wait for reimbursement and will
need monetary advances to cover meals, ground transportation, and tips. It may be unrealistic
to expect people to keep receipts and account for every penny spent. A solution would be to
give the person a per diem to be used for food and other expenses. Using this method
of reimbursement will avoid having the person be concerned about keeping track of receipts.
Paying for incidentals - Some hotels require a credit card at check-in to pay for a room and
to provide security for other expenses that a guest may incur. If a person does not have a credit
card, paying for incidental costs such as telephone, entertainment fees, and items from the hotel
store can be stressful. One solution is for meeting organizers to cover the hotel room and
incidentals rather than having the individual do it. Meeting organizers will need to ask the hotel not
to require their participants to have a credit card.
Assistance at the airport - People who are traveling unaccompanied may need someone to
escort them within an airport. The individual may want or need assistance to get from gate to
gate when they land at connecting airports. Also, they may need assistance finding baggage
and getting to ground transportation. This type of assistance may not only be needed by people
who use wheelchairs and people who have some difficulty walking, but also by people who
have difficulty in getting around in unfamiliar spaces. The meeting organizer could arrange
with someone locally to be available at the airport for an hour or two to escort individuals who
are traveling alone.
Our appreciation goes to Bonnie Shoultz, with the Center on Human Policy at Syracuse
University, who contributed to this article.
Year One States
Oregon
Oregon Home of Your Own has completed
a training of "Housing Facilitators" who will be able
to offer technical assistance to homebuyers around
the state. A $105,000 grant has been received from
the Federal Home Loan Bank. Some of these funds
will be used to set up a maintenance reserve account
for homebuyers. The Oregon project has assisted
three individuals to close on their homes, bringing
the total to ten. The most recent closing included
a couple purchasing a home that is being built by
a local non-profit developer. This fall/winter,
the coalition is applying for additional down
payment assistance funds. Oregon is working to assist
renters, who wish to become homeowners, obtain the
money required for down payments. The coalition is combining its efforts with the efforts of
parent groups to have a bill introduced that would
establish a real estate transfer tax, thus increasing the
money available for affordable housing. In addition,
the Oregon Home of Your Own is providing technical assistance to six "Housing Task Forces" statewide
that are developing supported living pilot
projects; publishing a newsletter in collaboration with
other state initiatives; and updating a resource guide.
Illinois
Illinois is kicking off its fifth year
of homeownership activities for people with disabilities. The coalition recently assisted
four new homeowners and the potential exists to assist seven more in the near
future. Approximately $850,000 in HOME funds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority
in down payment assistance is available through 1998. Illinois anticipates an
additional $250,000 in down payment assistance will
be available to homebuyers from the Chicago Department of Housing. Currently, there
are five housing specialists working across the
state to assist people with planning for homeownership.
Michigan
The Michigan State Housing
Authority recently signed a contract with Hope Network to be the fiscal
intermediary for HOME funds that will be used for down payment assistance and
closing costs. Since this contract was signed, one closing has taken place.
The arrangement should expedite the process for several
potential homebuyers. A flurry of business is expected during the winter
months. Michigan continues to wait for news on a Federal Home Loan Bank
application for additional down payment
assistance. The Michigan Alliance is providing potential homeowners
technical assistance to participate in the FannieMae HomeChoice
underwriting demonstration. A flow chart to assist agencies, banks, and borrowers has
been revised and simplified. Michigan Alliance members facilitated
a workshop on housing at "The Event," an annual statewide conference
for persons with disabilities.
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Home of Your Own
Program has received funding through October 31,
1998, however, staff will be reduced to half time.
During the final year of funding, the initiative plans
to complete a training video for Area Agency
personnel and families; develop an informational booklet of
key agencies and contact people to facilitate
future homeownership opportunities; and form a networking group that will meet quarterly.
The group will be comprised of current and future homeowners, family members, and state Area
Agency administrators. Since April 1997, the project
has assisted five individuals to purchase their own
homes. Two more households will soon purchase
their homes. Another 12 individuals and families are
in the planning process. One of the recent closings
was accomplished with federal assistance of the HOPE
3 Program through the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. This program is designed to
assist government entities to sell their foreclosed
properties. HOPE 3 provided $14,000 in needed funds
for rehabilitation. New Hampshire is currently using
its second HOPE 3 award.
Year Two States
Idaho
The Idaho Home of Your Own Coalition has identified
an organization to take over the project in 1998. The
organization, Community Partnerships of Idaho, Inc., provides home and personal assistance to
individuals with disabilities. The organization has worked with
the coalition since May, assisting with the development
and support of homeownership teams. The Council on Developmental Disabilities has entered into a
transition plan with Community Partnerships that will
be completed prior to January 1998. Community Partnerships will work with the Council to
secure continued funding for the project. To date,
20 homebuyers have received financing through the
efforts of Idaho Home of Your Own. Of the 20 homeowners,
10 are individuals with developmental disabilities and 10
are individuals with other disabilities. Money has
been allocated to assist an additional six homebuyers
with developmental disabilities. Homes are being purchased
in urban, as well as rural communities. Homes include
new manufactured housing, existing stick-built homes,
and newly constructed homes. The Idaho Coalition
continues to partner with USDA Rural Development to secure
1% loans for homebuyers in rural communities. Bobby
Ball, Idaho's representative to the National Advisory Board,
has been raising public awareness about the use of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to
help underwrite single family home purchases for people
with disabilities. Bobby encourages people with disabilities
and other advocates to attend public meetings on
the allocation of CDBG funds. Bobby is trying to
influence Boise's Housing and Community Development
program to make "reasonable accommodations" in its single
family financing program for individuals with disabilities
on fixed incomes. The Idaho Coalition was asked to give
a presentation about Home of Your Own at the 1997 Governor's Conference on Housing. Jay Klein,
Alliance Director, gave a presentation titled "Overcoming
Housing Policy Barriers" at this conference.
Arizona
This summer, the Arizona Home of
Your Own Project, in conjunction with the statewide
Housing Counseling Agencies, held training sessions for over
1,000 individuals with disabilities, family members, and members of the
community at large. The trainings consisted of
basic homeownership information and the process that Arizona Home of Your
Own has established. It is anticipated that the trainings will continue to generate
interest in the program. The training of 90
families in Chinle and Tuba City has led to group discussions with the Navajo
Partnership for Housing, Rural Development, Navajo Social Services, Division of
Developmental Disabilities, HUD, Community Housing Resources of Arizona, and the
University of Utah. Barriers to homeownership identified by these groups include
home site lease requirements, lack of education and communication to Native
American families, lack of properties to buy, lack
of rental assistance, and lack of agency collaboration. The Navajo Partnership
will use Federal Home Loan dollars to develop and distribute a brochure and
a comprehensive manual. The 50-page brochure will include homesite lease
forms and a list of procedures to follow. The group will meet in January to develop
a strategic plan for distribution efforts and continued collaborative planning.
In October, the Steering Committee met to develop an action plan for FY 1998.
Connecticut
The Connecticut initiative continues
to move forward with new participants and trainings. One
participant bought the home that he and his family had been living in. Another
participant's income made it difficult for him to buy
the house he had renovated to meet his needs. However, he will be able to stay in
the home because a relative who lives with him has bought the house. He has become
a renter instead of a homeowner. The coalition assisted six new participants
in June and has since added six more, bringing the total people assisted through
the initiative to 23. Connecticut has developed a two-hour training/orientation
program for new participants that describes the Home of Your Own Program, discusses
the financial aspects of buying a home, and outlines the steps on the Road
to Homeownership. The training has been well received by new participants.
In September, the coalition held a workshop for Independent Living Center staff
and service providers who work on housing issues. The workshop focused
on familiarizing participants with the Home of Your Own process and an
Accessible Housing Registry. At that same meeting, State Representative Patrick
Flaherty outlined the next steps toward
establishing a registry of accessible apartments
in Connecticut. The coalition also distributed a Homebuyers' Resource Packet,
containing information about the Road to Homeownership, to all
participants. Independent Living Center staff will
be able to use this packet when working with people interested in
becoming homeowners.
New York
The Home of Your Own Coalition has received
a renewal of the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA)
loan product. The SONYMA program began as a $1 million pilot
project. SONYMA has agreed to provide an additional million dollars in loan commitments
at 4% interest to individuals with developmental disabilities.
To date, 14 people have purchased homes. The total of
all fourteen loans is $768,000, making the average
mortgage amount under $55,000. An additional nine
mortgage applications, totaling under $700,000, have been
submitted to M&T Bank and are awaiting approval. New York
Home of Your Own estimates that, by the end of the year,
the SONYMA/M&T program will have assisted 25 people
to close on loans totaling over 1.5 million dollars. New
York's HOME grant program will provide down payment
and closing cost assistance to approximately 12 individuals.
So far, the HOME grant program has assisted with two
closings, including a condominium in Albany for $11,000! The
New York coalition is assisting people in the costly downstate
area to become homeowners. Two closings have taken place
on Staten Island, and one on Long Island (in New York,
cities with the word "island" in them are very
expensive). Individuals from Staten Island and Queens each have
an application pending. The coalition has been fortunate
to receive assistance downstate from the NYC
Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) that provides counseling
and support to homeseekers. This organization has agreed to
set aside funds for closing costs in Staten Island and
Queens, and has also taken an aggressive approach, obtaining
grants from its parent organization, the
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, to provide staffing assistance
to the New York initiative. A ribbon cutting ceremony
is planned to mark the next downstate closing and to
celebrate the other closings. NHS hopes New York's Commissioner
of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
and/or the Governor will attend.
Year Three States
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts coalition has assisted
11 individuals to purchase their homes. An additional six closings are scheduled. A
number of applicants dropped out part way through
the process, but more are expected to apply. In addition, 11 people have applied for a
pilot project designed to use Section 8 funds for homeownership. The housing market
in Massachusetts is difficult right now. Although interest rates have gone down, prices are
up, and it's hard to find affordable houses. The coalition has submitted an application
for HOME funds to assist with down payments, closing costs, and other expenses.
During October and November, the Committee on Homeownership and Control will hold
five training sessions.
Georgia
The Georgia Home of Your Own
Alliance consulted with Marcie Brost from
Wisconsin this summer. The coalition asked Ms. Brost
to develop a work plan that could be used by the local expertise teams and was pleased with
her recommendations. Georgia is in the process of scheduling training sessions that will
cover Development and Implementation of Housing Plans and Expertise Team Building. The
Georgia Alliance applied to FannieMae to become part
of the HomeChoice Underwriting Initiative. The state Housing and Finance Authority
strongly supports the application, and has made
available 1 million dollars in mortgage money and $75,000 in down payment assistance.
This summer, Ernie purchased his home. Ernie is 36 years old and works part-time at a
netting corporation. He purchased a $35,000 home
in the City of Macon. A back payment from his entitlements was held in trust until he could
use it as a down payment. A 15-year fixed mortgage loan is assisting Ernie to make
affordable payments of $170 per month, including
taxes and insurance. Congratulations!
Missouri
After years of planning, legal setbacks, moving,
and perseverance, Tom (alias) has found a house and
is now in the closing process. Tom is from Kansas
City and once lived in a state institution. His closing brings the
statewide grand total to eight new homeowners.
Another exciting development is the formation of
several local Home of Your Own teams. The St.
Louis team selected people to assist in
homeownership, while teams in Springfield and Joplin are in
their early formation stages. Members of the St.
Louis team are bringing potential down payment money to the table. The Kirksville team
is assisting one person to purchase his home. The state Home of Your Own coalition will
co-sponsor a meeting in Kansas City to help expand local team efforts. An organizational meeting
was held in St. Joseph. As Letters of Interest
continue to arrive (nearly 200 to date), local teams will
be responsible to assist potential homeowners.
Local and state grant moneys have been solicited by
the Missouri Home of Your Own coalition to assist with down payments and reserves for
home maintenance.
Texas
The Home of Your Own Coalition continues
to promote homeownership opportunities for Texans with disabilities and their families.
Four individuals have purchased homes using the FannieMae HomeChoice
product. Homeownership education classes continue to
be held in Central Texas and the Houston area. Negotiations continue with the City of El
Paso to secure funding for down payment assistance and barrier removal for participants in the
El Paso Home of Your Own Project. Efforts have begun to acquire support from
lending institutions for a Foreclosure Prevention
and Emergency Maintenance fund. A guide to Home Safety and Security for people with
disabilities has been developed and will be tested by
new homeowners. Jean Landendorf is serving as the new Project Director of the Texas Coalition
and Naomi Marin has joined as Project Associate.
New Mexico
HOME-New Mexico continues to build
and build, but it is not building houses, condos,
or townhouses. It is building opportunities for people to own their homes. The
initiative commends volunteers and coalition
members who are willing to assist people in
purchasing their homes. Since January, fifteen people
with disabilities have become homeowners through the HOME Team Program. These
new homeowners have become part of a volunteer network that will assist future homeseekers
to fulfill their dreams of homeownership. The current HOME Teams (approximately 35
in number) gather every other month to share new ideas, resources, frustrations, and
motivational stories. This network of information sharing
is invaluable and enables homeseekers to support each other and to enhance their ability
to become homeowners.
Year Four States
Indiana
The Back Home
in Indiana Alliance has joined with three
Independent Living Centers to co-sponsor seminars
in three areas of the state for individuals with disabilities, family members,
and others interested in supporting people to become homeowners. The
seminars include experiences of homeowners and/or family members about
the impact homeownership has had on their lives; presentations from
housing organizations about local resources, and an overview of the
Indiana initiative. Presenters include individuals who have spent years
in institutions and have recently purchased their home. One
seminar was held in a sheltered workshop in order to reach people who might
not otherwise have access to the information. Indiana is also
developing collaborative relationships with non-profit housing organizations to
create increased opportunities for people with disabilities to become
homeowners. One organization, Opportunity Housing of Putnam Country,
has made a financial commitment to assist two individuals to
become homeowners. This organization is also working with the Indiana initiative
to identify potential homeowners and conduct seminars. The initiative
is striving to include at least a 30% representation of people
with disabilities on subcommittees and on its Steering Committee.
One committee member with a disability was recently appointed to
the Governor's Task Force to plan the closure of New Castle State Hospital.
Washington
The Washington State Home of Your Own Alliance is continuing
its initial phase of Community Awareness Workshops.
The workshops are intended to promote participation of community teams in more intensive
training. The two-day intensive training enables local communities
to mentor and provide support to people with
developmental disabilities in purchasing homes. Presenters include a
training coordinator, a representative from the State Housing
Finance Agency, a resource manager from the State Division
of Developmental Disabilities, a housing program manager from
the Housing Trust Fund, Washington's National Home of Your
Own Advisory Board member, and the owner of a service
provider agency. Sixteen houses have been purchased by participants in
the project. Washington State is also participating in the
FannieMae HomeChoice project and has closed on three houses
using HomeChoice underwriting.
Alabama
The Alabama Home of Your Own initiative
has made tremendous progress over the last few months. Five FannieMae HomeChoice
loans have been closed through the Alabama Program. Alabama held its second
successful Supported Living Conference in June.
The Alabama Coalition took the opportunity to work on its strategic plan for the future. Alabama continues
to work to bring stakeholders together. The state
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council has added $100,000 to the
Home of Your Own operating budget. These additional resources
will be used to focus on person-centered planning. The University
of Alabama is developing a course (for credit) in
person-centered planning that will be offered for the 1997/98 academic year.
In addition, the $100,000 in operating funds will help
establish cooperative relationships aimed at identifying and tapping
into financial resources for homeownership. The goal is to develop
a process for assisting individuals with extremely low incomes
and/or high support needs. Leadership development training
began in September in conjunction with Alabama's Annual People
First Conference. Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered
conducted the training. Additional training sessions are scheduled for
later in the year.
Louisiana
Louisiana's A Home of My Own
project continues its statewide expansion. In April, the coalition,
in collaboration with Whitney National Bank, conducted a statewide awareness seminar
on supporting individuals with disabilities to become homeowners. Seminar topics
included: using person-centered planning, identifying
and accessing affordable housing resources, building
a support team, building interagency partnerships, and organizing finances for
homeownership. Approximately 80 people attended the
training. Participants included individuals with disabilities, their family members,
service providers, mortgage lenders, and
affordable housing representatives. The attendance
level represents an increasing interest statewide
in developing opportunities for Louisianans with disabilities to control where and with whom
they live through homeownership. The coalition has selected two communities, Lafayette
and Monroe, to receive technical assistance. These communities are receiving assistance
in developing a local coalition, establishing collaborative partnerships, identifying barriers
to homeownership and strategies to overcome them, and accessing affordable housing resources. It
is anticipated that these two communities will
each assist a minimum of two individuals in
becoming homeowners by the end of 1997. Supports
are not only necessary during the home purchase process, but also must continue beyond a
closing in order to ensure long-term successful homeownership. To meet this need, A Home
of My Own, in collaboration with Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, is
developing post-purchase support plans for individuals
who have already become homeowners. The plans will provide the homeowner with
maintenance training, an individualized schedule of
preventive maintenance strategies, and a financial plan
for emergency repairs.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Self-Determination Housing
Project (SDHP) is proud to report that twelve
households from seven of the demonstration projects
have closed on their homes in the past six months. Another ten families and individuals are in
the process of scheduling a closing. The project sponsored two trainings in October.
Housing Advocacy Training was conducted by Joe Wykowski in Pittsburgh on October 14, and
again in Philadelphia on October 16. Housing Leadership Training was conducted by
Guy Caruso in Harrisburg on October 29-30. Initial preparations have begun on the SDHP's
second statewide conference, scheduled for November
24 and 25. The conference will highlight
innovations by the demonstration projects, and workshops
will focus on how individuals with disabilities
support themselves in their own homes. Marcie
Goldstein, Alliance Coordinator, will be one of the
keynote speakers. SDHP is moving forward with incorporation as a non-profit organization.
The initiative will be receiving assistance from
Regional Housing Legal Services, Inc., a non-profit
which represents organizations that provide housing
to low and moderate-income families and individuals. Karen Burrison,
Pennsylvania's representative to the National Home of Your
Own Advisory Board, will be one of the founding
board members of the new corporation.
Year Five States
Mississippi
Mississippi's Home of Your Own Coalition
is moving forward with submitting proposals for funding,
reviewing applications of interested participants, and with trainings
for service providers and people with disabilities. A flow
chart describing each step of the process has been developed. The chart includes
initial referral of prospective borrowers, budget preparation, pre and
post-purchase counseling, property inspection, rehabilitation and retrofitting,
post-purchase follow up, and early delinquency intervention. Mississippi's Home of
Your Own Coalition has applied for FannieMae's HomeChoice
underwriting experiment to assist individuals with disabilities in purchasing
homes. Individuals in the southern portion of the state filled out two-page
pre-applications that were reviewed by a committee of
the coalition. Applicants that qualified were then asked to complete a
15-page application which was reviewed by the entire coalition. Applications
were accepted to receive funds that became available on October 1, 1997.
Assistance with the completion of applications is available through the Institute
for Disability Studies (IDS) at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Vicki Killingsworth, Project Coordinator, is presenting at two area conferences.
Vicki will present to service providers at a Department of Vocational
Rehabilitation conference and at the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities
Annual Conference.
Arkansas
Arkansas has been eager to become
an official member of the Alliance this fall. During the past year, the state
Supported Housing Office, Family Support Services, and
the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Council
have collaborated to build a solid foundation for the
Arkansas Home of Your Own project. The Supported Housing
Office has applied to the Developmental Disabilities Council
for $15,000 to augment Alliance funds and ensure that
people with disabilities participate fully in the state initiative.
Keith Vire, Executive Director of Family Support Services
in Bentonville, will lead the team for the Arkansas effort.
This fall, the Advisory Committee hosted meetings throughout
the state with mortgage lenders, realtors, service providers,
and people with disabilities to promote the initiative and
recruit applicants.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Home of Your Own Alliance
has received nearly two dozen applications during the
summer and is fine tuning individual homeownership plans. Many
of the applicants have not yet established credit. The
coalition is working with the applicants to establish a credit
history, budget their finances, and build their savings. The
coalition is actively working to create a brochure, a resource
manual, and other documents to familiarize applicants,
volunteers, and potential donors with the District Home of Your
Own Alliance. There is a great deal of enthusiasm surrounding
the initiative, with active participants that include members
of the advocacy, housing, non-profit, philanthropic, realty,
and religious communities.
New Jersey
Planning for New Jersey's official
entry into the National Alliance continues with the convening of a statewide
advisory committee. This group, including representatives of statewide
advocacy organizations, met with the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance
Agency Executive Director, Tim Touhey. Mr. Touhey pledged the full support of
the Housing and Mortgage Finance agency to the New Jersey Home of Your
Own effort. One of the first activities of New Jersey's initiative will be to
explore methods of implementing homeowner programs of the housing finance
agency. A new program called the Governor's Self Determination Initiative has
been implemented to change the way people with disabilities are served by the
state Division of Developmental Disabilities. The New Jersey Home of Your
Own Alliance will work with this program to promote additional
homeownership opportunities. In addition, an associate
of The McKallyn Group, the coordinating agency for the New Jersey effort,
is involved in a state and national study by Rutgers University. The study is
looking at lending practices in underserved communities and will
document problems to mortgage lenders. The study will also recommend solutions
to problems identified, and assist in making changes needed to assure people
with disabilities get the funding needed to purchase their own homes.
West Virginia
The West Virginia Home of Your Own Alliance had
its first family close on their home August 12, 1997. The
home is a wheelchair accessible, two-bedroom ranch, that
was financed by the West Virginia Housing and
Development Fund. The new owners are pleased with the roll-in
shower, the roll-under stove and sink, and all the other
accessibility features. The monthly payment will be less than the
owners were paying for rent. The down payment was $175
which the family saved over a period of six months. There are
plans for two or three more participants to build homes
in Clarksburg and to expand the Home of Your Own
initiative statewide. The West Virginia Alliance has been
advertising its program through various agencies such as the
West Virginia Advocates, the Statewide Independent
Living Council, the Behavioral Health Providers Association,
and the West Virginia University Center for
Developmental Disabilities. Calls and applications have been received
from many areas of the state. Arrangements are being made
for credit counseling, person-centered planning, and
financing. The City of Parkersburg has committed funds to assist
in the building of two accessible homes. The West
Virginia Housing Development Fund has committed $150,000
to Harrison County and other funding sources
appear promising. The brochure has been updated and
application forms have been distributed. The Coalition held its
first meeting in June. Support from coalition members has led
to increased statewide awareness of the program.
Ann Meadows, Executive Director of the Statewide
Independent Living Council, has joined the Home of Your
Own Coalition and Advisory Board, and she will be working
on involving Independent Living Centers in the initiative.
The first year of the West Virginia Home of Your Own
Alliance has resulted in one closing, funding for additional
homes, commitments from various agencies, and many hours
of individual homebuyer counseling. The second year of
the initiative appears promising, as funding from the
National Home of Your Own Alliance will allow for more
publicity and networking with additional agencies.
Subcontractors
Co-op Initiatives
Co-op Initiatives coordinates the meetings of the
Alliance's National Advisory Board and its subcommittees. The
Board consists of people with disabilities representing 15 of
the Alliance states, and the subcommittees include both
present and former Board members. Co-op Initiatives most
recently assisted the Outreach and Leadership Committees to
develop documents and begin planning the April '98
housing conference in Washington, DC. In September,
Year 5 states officially joined the Alliance and their
designees joined the Advisory Board. Co-op Initiatives oriented the
new members with phone calls and information packets
and briefed new members about the next Board meeting.
Co-op Initiatives also continues to support people with disabilities
to participate in state coalitions and on the national level.
Some states are still struggling with how to include people
with disabilities in their initiative. Together with Alliance staff
at the University of New Hampshire, Co-op Initiatives works
to identify where support is lacking and to assist in
developing solutions.
Temple University's Institute on Disabilities/UAP
Data collectors nationwide have been busy talking
with homeseekers and homeowners about their involvement in
the homebuying process. As of October 1, 1997, 105 people
have been interviewed. Homeowners reside in 13 different
states and represent every region of the country. In July 1997,
a second telephone training was conducted in order to
prepare six new data collectors from two additional
states (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania). A phone training session
is scheduled for the fall.With the growth of the Alliance and
the increase in the number of individuals purchasing homes,
new data collectors are required and training continues.
Human Services Research Institute
This past quarter was one of high activity. Staff of the
Human Services Research Institute interviewed state contact
people, Advisory Board members, and key stakeholders in
state activities. Some changes in the methodology (e.g. asking
state contact people to invite others to participate in
their interviews) have allowed additional people to comment
on Home of Your Own activities in their states.
Subcontractors and consultants to the Alliance were interviewed in
August and early September. The final external evaluation report
will draw on the extensive comments and insights offered in
these interviews. HSRI would like to thank all the people
involved who gave graciously of their time, and spoke with insight
and candor about the Alliance, their home states, and their
visions of homeownership and control for people with disabilities.
Center for Universal Design
Interest in the Alliance continues to increase with
strong call activity and dissemination at the
Alliance's information and referral services. The hotline
has averaged 133 calls each month during Year 4. Approximately 90% of the callers are individuals
with disabilities, their family members, and friends. All
callers receive free Alliance information, as well as referrals
to agencies within their own state. Callers seem pleased
to receive free publications and referrals, and be able
to discuss their issues with a person on the phone.
Some callers seek additional, detailed information contained
in Alliance publications. Frequently requested
publications are Extending the American Dream, A Report on
Legal and Financial Planning Issues, and the Housing
InfoPak. New publications on personal supports,
homeownership programs, and guardianship are available this fall.
Advisory Board
The Outreach Subcommittee has been working to
increase the involvement of Independent Living Centers (ILC's)
in the Home of Your Own movement. The committee
drafted a letter to ILC staff that can be adapted for use within
each state, and committee members are piloting the approach
in their own states. The committee is also developing letters
to send to other key individuals and groups. The
Leadership Committee met to plan the Board's participation in
the Alliance conference scheduled for April '98 in
Washington DC. The committee reviewed the agenda for
the conference, set a date for the Advisory Board session,
and explored ways that Advisory Board members can
participate in the conference. The Leadership Committee
also considered how to facilitate building more
connections between the states. While in Washington, Advisory
Board members are planning to visit Capitol Hill. On behalf
of the committee, Larry Murphy wrote a letter to
President Clinton inviting him to meet with Advisory
Board members during the conference.
UNH Update
The University of New Hampshire has been
busy developing resource materials and participating
in conferences nationwide. A new publication titled
Early Examples of Homeownership went to press the
last week in September. Sharon Lambert, the
National Advisory Board member from New Hampshire,
along with Alliance Director Jay Klein and Beth Marcus
of FannieMae, presented a workshop at the
President's Committee on Mental Retardation in September.
In October, Bobby Ball, National Advisory Board
member from Idaho, represented the Alliance at a People
First Conference in Nebraska.
National Home of Your Own Alliance
is sponsoring
a National Housing Conference
"Homeownership -
A Dream,
A Challenge,
A Reality"
April 26-29, 1998
at the
Hyatt Regency Bethesda Maryland
(800) 233-1234 for hotel reservations
You are invited to attend this conference.
Be part of discussions including:
Homeowners' experiences
Moving toward whole communities
Flexible financing
Personal assistance
Negotiating legal issues
Changes in public policy
A Brochure will be sent to you Soon
(800) 220-8770 for information
Upcoming Events
November 7-8, 1997
5th Annual Conference of the Autism National Committee
Decatur, Georgia
Call: 770-451-0954
November 19-21, 1997
Fannie Mae training for HomeChoice States,
Washington, DC
December 10-13, 1997
TASH Annual Conference
Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers
Boston, MA
call the TASH office at
(410) 828-8274 x103 for info.
April 26-29, 1998
National Home of Your Own Alliance,
Housing Conference,
Hyatt Regency Bethesda,
Bethesda, MD
(800) 233-1234 for reservations
(800) 220-8770 for information
May 13-17, 1998
National Council on Independent Living Annual Meeting,
Washington, DC,
Call the NCIL office at
(703) 525-3406 for further info.
Stay in Touch
Alliance Toll-Free Information line:
800-220-8770
World Wide Web:
http://alliance.unh.edu
This newsletter is available in alternate formats upon request.