Disabled individuals and families in federally assisted housing face multiple challenges in gaining access to housing units and services that meet their needs—despite legal frameworks meant to help them.

Created by the Older Americans Act in 1973, AAAs are part of the national Aging Network. AAAs are the local leaders that develop, coordinate, and deliver a wide range of home and community-based services.

As an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), AgeSpan engages in innovative partnerships with housing providers through the Massachusetts Supportive Housing Program (MSHP). Working with property managers at designated local housing sites, AgeSpan places staff as resident service coordinators (RSCs).

People with disabilities have a place to turn to find information on COVID-19. They can contact the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) to find vaccine locations, make appointments and arrange for transportation.

The Administration for Community Living’s Aging and Disability Network is a multifaceted service infrastructure for older adults and people with disabilities so they can find housing and obtain services like chore assistance, delivered meals, and transportation.

Trends in Housing Assistance and Who it Serves

Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients.

High-need, high-cost (HNHC) individuals are defined as people of all ages living with clinically complex needs and functional limitations who also incur high health care costs or are likely to do so in the near future.

All too often technology is blamed for the obesity crisis which is currently affecting 1.9 billion adults and 31.5 million children across the globe. However, for individuals with mobility issues caused by their weight, technology is far from a hindrance.

As the population ages, one of the greatest challenges facing state officials is how to organize and pay for long-term services and supports (LTSS) for low-income elderly and disabled adults—the most complex, expensive, and fastest-growing group covered by Medicaid.

Because mental health conditions can negatively affect employment, people with these conditions make up a large share of federal disability program participants.

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is an important, means-tested source of income for the families of children with disabilities.

Housing is considered a social determinant of health, with poor housing conditions being associated with poor health. Veterans with disabilities are more likely to experience a housing crisis because of combat experiences and employment instability.

Type the phrase “aging in place” into a Google search, and you’ll likely see pictures of wheelchairs fitting comfortably through home doorways, bathtubs and showers with zero-step entrances, and open floorplans to facilitate seamless movement from room to room.

This annotated resource compilation is intended to help state and local agencies access information and resources needed to better understand the federal legal protections and requirements associated with datasets collected by federal agencies or as part of a federally funded program.

Housing complex would integrate residents with special needs into the larger community

A whole host of factors — such as friends, housing and transportation — affect a person’s health and how much they need the social safety net. It’s time the government’s big health insurance programs took this reality into account, some lawmakers and policymakers are starting to argue.

SNAP is the first line of defense against senior hunger and frees up funds for health care and housing.

The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) wins a 2017 Award of Excellence in Client and Resident Services for creating the Health Navigators (HN) program, which provides mental health education, resources, and doctor referrals.

In response to the heightened interest in the relationship between work and the health of individuals and communities, CMCS has clarified that Medicaid funds cannot be used to pay beneficiaries’ wages, but can pay for employment counseling as an optional benefit—to help people get jobs.

Some seniors and people with disabilities receiving home- and community-based services (HCBS) could lose their Medicaid eligibility and have to go into nursing homes to get needed care if Congress adjourns without extending “spousal impoverishment” protections that are set to expire on December 31.

People with mental health disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the population of people who experience homelessness. Of the more than 550,000 people in America who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, 1 in 5 had a mental illness.

Studies have consistently documented high rates of obesity and tobacco use among individuals with serious mental illness.

In the first session of this series, Foothold Technology Director of Client Services, Paul Rossi and Senior Advisor, David Bucciferro, along with Sue Augustus from CSH, bring us back to basics of all things Medicaid.

This short document provides basic information to help housing and homeless assistance providers advocate with their families and youth for appropriate educational services, from birth through higher education.