Steve Gold's Information Bulletin # 259 (9/08) - Unnecessary Institutionalization & Public Housing

Throughout the country, Public Housing Authorities have waiting lists for both their housing vouchers and public housing units. In many states, people are in nursing homes because they cannot afford to rent an apartment or housing unit on their limited SSI incomes. Without either a housing voucher or a public housing units, many people in nursing facilities will continue to be institutionalized. The question that has been raised a number of times is whether or not your Public Housing Authority could target their vouchers and public housing units to help transition people out of nursing homes and other institutions? People have complained that their Public Housing Authorities, because they have waiting lists for housing vouchers and public housing units, have not been responsive and have presented a number of excuses to using their vouchers and housing units to end unnecessary institutionalization. Here are a number of points you should be aware of: 1. Yes, your Pubic Housing Authority can open its waiting list for one preference category of people - for example, people transitioning out of institutions. 2. Yes, it is possible for your Public Housing Authority to establish a preference for persons transitioning out of institutions, so long as the preference is not targeted towards people with a specific disability(e.g., MI, or PD) and the preference is not based on where a person resides (e.g., one particular institution). Other than those two, it can give the preference. 3. Yes, your Housing Authority's waiting list can be opened indefinitely for the preference group of people transitioning out of institutions. 4. A Public Housing Authority can limit the number of applicants who qualify for any specific preference. 5. In order for your Public Housing Authority to establish the preference for both its housing vouchers and housing units for persons transitioning out of institutions, the Public Housing Authority must prepare a revision of its administrative plan that states the new preference and complies with other HUD procedural hoops. Disability and elderly advocates: What are you going to do to ensure that your Public Housing Authority establishes a preference for persons transitioning out of institutions? Advocates have to make sure it does. This requires a strategy and some political clout. Do you have it? "Power concedes nothing without a struggle." Frederick Douglas.