Pennsylvania Housing Choices

Decisions about where to live and with whom to live are important to all of us, but especially important to people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. According to the Center for Mental Health Services at the Department of Health and Human Services, "For people with severe mental illness, home can be a space to live in dignity and move toward recovery."

People with mental illness and co-occurring disorders often need assistance in locating decent affordable housing, making decisions on whether to rent or own, and determining the most appropriate and affordable options. The following is a summary of many of the housing options available to people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.

HUD Funded Housing Programs for People with Disabilities:

These are rental housing programs for people with disabilities. Many of these programs are targeted specifically to the needs of people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. The housing is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Appropriate services funded through various sources are available to the tenants.

Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities: Under the Section 811 Program, HUD provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop rental housing for very low-income adults with disabilities to provide on-going rent subsidies for the projects to help make them affordable. Projects may be targeted to a single disability and supportive services are available.
Permanent Supportive Housing for Homeless with Disabilities: These are programs for homeless individuals with disabilities, funded through the HUD McKinney-Vento Program. Many of these programs are targeted to people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. The housing can be site-based or scattered site leased units. The grant covers a portion of the following costs: acquisition and development, property leasing, supportive services and operations. Residents pay up to 30% of their income for rent. The applicant for these funds may be a public agency or a non-profit.
Shelter Plus Care: This is also a program for homeless individuals with disabilities funded through the HUD McKinney-Vento Program and administered by local housing authorities or units of local government. Under this program, the participants pay 30% of their income towards rent in either scattered-site units or at a particular site. The services are provided by local agencies but are not funded through the HUD grant.

Subsidized and Unsubsidized Housing without Services

People with mental illness and co-occurring disorders often choose to access the broad range of affordable housing options that are available to the general public. These include privately owned market-rate housing, government subsidized housing, and public housing.

Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA): There are several different types of tenant based rental assistance programs. Under each of them, the tenant enters into a lease with the landlord for a room, an apartment or a house and pays 30% of his or her income towards rent. The balance is paid through a subsidy program. The following are the most frequent funding sources for TBRA subsidies:
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Formerly called Section 8): These rental subsidies are available through a Public Housing Authority (PHA). Some communities have a "preference" for people with disabilities which enables people with disabilities, including those with mental illness to receive priority for obtaining Housing Choice Vouchers.
- Mainstream Section 8: These are a special allocation of Housing Choice Vouchers specifically for people with disabilities. Some Public Housing Authorities have applied to HUD for these additional vouchers to supplement their Housing Choice Voucher program. Like Housing Choice Vouchers, they are accessed through the Public Housing Authority.
- Local Funds such as HOME or Housing Trust Fund: Some counties and municipalities allocate a portion of their local resources for TBRA Programs targeted to specific populations, including those with mental illness. Information about local programs can be obtained through the local community development office.
Privately owned subsidized housing: This is site-based housing owned and operated by for-profit or non-profit developers. The housing is developed with various public funding programs, each of which has specific income criteria for the tenants. Residents typically pay 30% of their income for rent. A list of all privately owned subsidized housing is available on the PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) website at www.phfa.org.
Conventional Public Housing: This is site-based rental housing owned and operated by a Public Housing Authority. The residents pay 30% of their income for rent. Public housing can be specifically for families or elderly and disabled individuals. A list of all public housing facilities is available on the PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) website at www.phfa.org.

Recovery-Oriented Housing Approaches:

Recovery-oriented housing approaches are safe and secure, affordable and permanent. Support services are available when and where the consumer needs them, but remain optional.

Fairweather Lodge: The Fairweather Lodge is a housing and employment program that enhances the lives of adults with a mental health disability. The Community Lodge Program helps people reintegrate themselves into the community. Its goal is to provide emotional support, a place to live, and employment for its members. The program was developed by Dr. George Fairweather in California in 1963 as a result of extensive experimental research. In his studies, Dr. Fairweather found that people with serious mental illness are less likely to return to the hospital when they live and work together as a group, rather than live and work individually. His research also showed that the Lodge Program helps people stay in the community longer, provides more employment opportunities, and costs less than conventional treatment programs. For more information about Fairweather Lodges in Pennsylvania, please read our March 2002 Newsletter.
Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives: Housing cooperatives provide affordable housing with maximum community control. The co-op resident becomes not only a co-owner of the cooperative but also a vital member of the community. This approach provides housing choices that balance the individual's support needs with his or her desire to live within a broader community. For more information about housing cooperatives in Pennsylvania, please read our Summer 2002 Newsletter.