Author Archives: Patti Uplinger

Support Housing Now

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Dear Housing Now Supporter:

There is a housing crisis in Sacramento and the surrounding areas. People continue to be priced out of the rental market. COVID-19 is affecting all types of people with different incomes. Just recently, through my connections, I was able to locate housing for a colleague’s family! They were looking for three to four months with no luck. Imagine how much more difficult finding housing is for individuals and families living with I/DD… They need our support now more than ever.  

Housing Now has been busy advocating for more housing and assistance programs for people who are at risk of homelessness. That includes people with I/DD who are on limited incomes and do not have access to subsidized housing. Even more difficult is finding housing that is affordable and in a safe and decent neighborhood. 

Housing Now has been sponsoring financial education workshops with grant support from Banner Bank. These workshops are very popular and are greatly needed. Check the website for upcoming dates for workshops. Housing Now is educating people who currently live in housing, on how to make sure they remain stable and don’t lose their place of residence! Our goal is to educate over 150 individuals and families in 2021 through these workshops. 

Housing Now continues to be an affiliate of the Lanterman Housing Alliance (LHA) http://www.LantermanHousingAlliance.org. LHA is in the process of taking steps to address recommendations identified in the Strategic Housing Framework for people with I/DD. 

In this current housing market, during this pandemic, the voice of Housing Now is imperative. It is time for our annual membership drive. Housing Now depends on your membership dues and donations to continue our work and be an effective resource in the ten-county area served by Alta California Regional Center. Please consider the application at the end of this letter.

The benefits of renewing or becoming a member of Housing Now: 

  • Housing Now provides housing referral services to member agencies and their clients.
  • Housing Now provides education about community living options to people who need support, their families, SLS and ILS community facilitators, ACRC service coordinators and our member agencies, in order to enable our clients to make informed decisions about living independently. 
  • Housing Now keeps our members up to date on important housing issues and what is new in the housing field.
  • Members are listed on the Housing Now website www.HousingNowResource.org
  • Members will be notified of upcoming housing events throughout the year.

Housing Resources: nlihc.org

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The National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes.

Check out their website for resources and information: nlihc.org

COVID-19 Information: nlihc.org/coronavirus-and-housing-homelessness

Housing Choice Voucher Information: nlihc.org/explore-issues/housing-programs/vouchers

Public Housing Information: nlihc.org/explore-issues/housing-programs/public-housing

Current Research: nlihc.org/explore-issues/housing-programs/public-housing

Help LHA Advocate to Increase Access to Housing for People with I/DD

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The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the housing insecurity of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Many in this community who have been historically denied access to safe, stable, and affordable housing were then faced with a new challenge: comply with the “Safer at Home” public health mandate while living in inadequate, unhealthy, or overcrowded housing conditions. Some even found themselves homeless during this unprecedented crisis.

Still, it’s a growing problem that’s being largely ignored in policy discussions statewide around housing. And while California has a robust service system for people with I/DD, too often affordable housing access is left out of the conversation. 

That’s why the Lanterman Housing Alliance (LHA) is rallying our stakeholders to ensure that people with I/DD can access housing systems more effectively. There are more than 350,000 individuals with I/DD living in California—and many of them are direly in need of housing options due to aging parents, wanting to live more independently, or the closure of licensed group homes—resulting in an extreme statewide housing shortage. Here’s what we can do together to increase access to affordable and appropriate housing for the I/DD community:

Call for policies and funding to help people with I/DD find housing. Let your elected officials know that increasing housing access for this community is an issue we all need to get behind.
Take action by sharing our post via email and on social media. Help increase awareness of this issue and educate friends, family, and allies. 
Sign up for our mailing list for up-to-date information and news.

There are a lot of ways we can support people with I/DD with housing access, including helping people with I/DD find affordable housing, pay rent and security deposits, move into a property, set up utilities, communicate with landlords, and advocate for their housing needs. All these services are necessary to secure housing. These services must be provided—fully funded—and maintained within existing service systems. Most importantly, new pilot projects of rent subsidy programs should be developed or expanded to ensure people with I/DD are quickly able to access the increasingly competitive rental units available in their communities. 

Thank you for taking action on this important issue, and for letting elected officials, friends, families, and allies know that access to housing makes all the difference for people with I/DD. 

Have you had trouble getting affordable housing?

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California does not have enough affordable, accessible, and inclusive housing. With the closing of developmental centers and a decrease in the number of congregate settings, California needs to invest in community-based integrated housing for people with disabilities.

The Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) is one of the largest funding sources in California for affordable housing. Despite the intention to include people with disabilities, there are no specific incentives for developers to include housing for people with disabilities in their projects.

The MHP Public Comment period is open now until May 5th at 5pm, and SCDD has made it easy for you to tell your housing story: https://bit.ly/housingcomments.

Tell the Department of Housing and Community Development that MHP guidelines should reflect the unmet housing needs of people with disabilities and support housing developments that serve people with disabilities.