FY 1998 SuperNOFA Guidebook

Persons with Disabilities

Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities. The Section 811 program is designed to enable very low-income persons with disabilities to live independently by increasing the supply of rental housing with supportive services. The program provides interest-free capital advances to nonprofit organizations to construct or rehabilitate rental housing with supportive services for very low-income persons with disabilities who are at least 18 years old. The advance remains interest-free and need not be repaid as long as the housing remains available for very low-income persons with disabilities for at least 40 years. The program also provides rental assistance for project residents. Residents pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross income in rent while Section 811 pays the difference between the monthly approved operating cost and the rent received from the tenant.

Section 8 Mainstream Program. The purpose of the Section 8 Mainstream Program is to enable very low-income persons with disabilities to rent affordable private housing of their choice. The Mainstream Program provides public housing agencies with funding for rental vouchers or certificates for persons with disabilities.

Section 8 Designated Housing. The purpose of the Section 8 Designated Housing program is to provide private market housing alternatives for persons with disabilities. The program provides funding for rental vouchers or certificates to public housing agencies to use in meeting the housing needs of persons with disabilities who would have been housed by the public housing agencies if occupancy in the designated public housing project were not restricted to elderly households. It also provides funding for rental vouchers and certificates to public housing agencies that continue to designate their buildings as "mixed" elderly and disabled, but can demonstrate a need for alternative resources for persons with disabilities. The public housing agency must demonstrate that the need for such resources are consistent with Consolidated Plan and low-income housing needs of the jurisdiction where the authority operates.

Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA)�Competitive. HOPWA is designed to provide housing assistance and supportive services for low-income people with HIV/AIDS and their families. Ninety percent of HOPWA funds are awarded through a formula and made available through the Consolidated Planning process. The remaining 10 percent is awarded through a competition. The competitive portion of HOPWA provides funds to States and local governments and qualified nonprofits. Funding may be used for a range of activities including housing information services; resource identification; project or tenant-based rental assistance; short term rent, mortgage, and utility payments to prevent homelessness; housing and development operations; and supportive services. Applicants may submit one of two types of applications: 1) Long-term Comprehensive Strategies or 2) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS). Long-term Comprehensive Strategies applications propose provision of housing and services in areas that did not qualify for the formula portion of HOPWA. SPNS applications propose the development and operation of model or innovative programs that can be replicated in other communities.

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