1. ADRC HOUSING NAVIGATOR South Texas Development Council

2. HOME MODIFICATIONS & RESOURCES

3. HUD’S PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM Section 8 The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family’s choice were the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family’s present residence. Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local housing agencies, long waiting periods are common. In fact, a PHA may close its waiting list when it has more families on the list that can be assisted in the near future. The housing choice voucher program is designed to allow families to move without the loss of housing assistance. Under the voucher program, new voucher-holders may choose a unit anywhere in the US if the family lived in the jurisdiction of the PHA issuing the voucher when the family applied for assistance. A family that wishes to move to another PHA’s jurisdiction must consult with the PHA that currently administers its housing assistance to verify the procedures for moving. Tenants Obligations: the family signs a lease with the landlord for at least one year. The tenant may be required to pay a security deposit to the landlord. After the first year the landlord may initiate a new lease or allow the family to remain in the unit on a month-to-month lease. Landlords Obligations: to provide decent, safe, & sanitary housing to a tenant at a reasonable rent. The dwelling unit must pass the program’s housing quality standards and be maintained up to those standards as long as the owner receives housing assistance payments. Housing Authority Obligations: The PHA must reexamine the family’s income and composition at least annually and must inspect each unit at least annually to ensure that it meets minimum housing quality standards.

4. HUD’S PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM Section 202 & Section 811 Similar in the fact that they are both for the elderly & disabled. Attempts to maximize residents ability to maintain their independence while “aging-in-place”. These two sections supply affordable housing with supportive services such as allowing them to live independently but in an environment that provides support activities such as cleaning, cooking, transportation, etc. Section 202 “ages in place” but the concern is for the elderly. 62yrs+. Section 811 “ages in place” but the concern is for the disabled.

5. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS HTTP://WWW.TDHCA.STATE.TX.US/ HTTP://WWW.TDHCA.STATE.TX.US/ Office of Colonias Initiatives http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/ Colonias Self-Help Centers Program Counties covered: Starr, Webb, Maverick & Val Verde. On-site technical assistance to low and very low-income individuals & families in a variety of ways including housing, & community development activities, infrastructure improvements, & outreach & education. Texas Bootstrap Loan Program Designed to promote & enhance homeownership for very low income Texans by providing loan funds to purchase or refinance real property on which to improve existing or construct new residential housing. Program requires the borrower provide at least 65 percent of the labor necessary to build or rehabilitate the proposed housing or provide an amount of labor equivalent to the required amount by working through a State-certified owner-builder housing program. Amy Young Barrier Removal Program One time grants of up to $20,000 to persons with disabilities who need modifications to increase accessibility and eliminate hazardous conditions in their homes. Program beneficiaries must include a persons with disability, must have a household income that does not exceed 80% of the Area Median Family Income, and may be tenants or homeowners.

6. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in Texas Known as Section 504 Home Repair Program. It provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very- low-income homeowners to remove health & safety hazards. http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-repair-loans- grants/tx http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-repair-loans- grants/tx Qualification to apply: Be the homeowner & occupy the house Be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere Have a family income below 50% of the area median income For grants, be age 62 or older and not be able to repay a repair loan.

7. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans in Texas Also known as Section 502 Direct Home loan. This program assists low- and very-low- income applicants obtain decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability. http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-direct-home- loans/tx http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-direct-home- loans/tx Qualifications to apply: Be without decent, safe and sanitary housing Be unable to obtain a loan from other resources on terms & conditions that can reasonable be expected to meet Agree to occupy the property as your primary residentce Have the legal capacity to incur a loan obligation Meet citizenship or eligible noncitizen requirements Not be suspended or debarred from participation in federal programs

8. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Individual Water & Wastewater Grants in Texas http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-loan-grant- program/tx http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-loan-grant- program/tx Known as Section 306C. Provides funding for clean & reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, & storm water drainage to households & businesses in eligible rural areas. Qualifications to apply: Most State & local government entities Private non-profits Federally-recognized Tribes Rural areas & towns with fewer than 10,000 people Colonias

9. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Farm Labor Housing Maverick County Val Verde County Webb County Zavala County

10. FARM LABOR HOUSING Section 514 / 516 Farm Labor Housing http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/farm-labor-housing-direct-loans- grants/tx http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/farm-labor-housing-direct-loans- grants/tx This program provides affordable financing to develop housing for year- round and migrant or seasonal domestic farm laborers. It assists qualified applicants that cannot obtain commercial credit on terms that will allow them to charge rents that are affordable to low-income tenants. Borrowers must have sufficient qualifications and experience to develop and operate the project.

11. VETERAN'S BENEFITS ON HOUSING & HOME MODIFICATIONS

12. VETERANS HUD-VASH PROGRAM Home Improvements & Structural Alterations VA provides up to $6,800 lifetime benefits for service-connected Veterans/Service members & up to $2000 lifetime benefits for nonservice-connected Veterans to make home improvements &/or structural changes necessary for the continuation of treatment or of disability access to the Veterans/Service members home & essential lavatory and sanitary facilities. Modifications can include but are not limited to: ramps allowing entrance to, or exit from, the Veterans/Service Members primary residence; widening of doorways to allow acess to essential lavatory and sanitary facilities; raising/lowering kitchen or bathroom sinks and/or counters; improving entrance paths or driveways in immediate area of the home to facilitate access to the home by the Veteran/Service Member; improving pluming or electrical systems made necessary due to installation of dialysis equipment or other medically sustaining equipment in the home. For more information contact the nearest VA Medical Center near you.

13. VETERANS HUD-VASH PROGRAM Housing Grants for Disabled Veterans Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH) – VA may approve a grant of no more than 50 percent of the cost of the building, buying, or adapting existing homes or paying to reduce indebtedness on a currently owned home that is being adapted, up to a maximum of $67,555. Veterans & Service members must be determined eligible to receive compensation for permanent or total service connected disability. Special Home Adaptation (SHA) – VA may approve a benefit amount up to a maximum of $13,511 for the cost of necessary adaptations to a service member’s or veteran’s residence or to help him/her acquire a residence already adapted with special features for his/her disability, to purchase and adapt a home, or for adaptations to a family member’s home in which they will reside. Service Members and Veterans must be entitled to compensation for permanent and total-service connected disability. Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) – Eligible veterans & service members who are temporary residing in a home owned by a family member may also receive a TRA grant to help the Veteran or service member adapt the family member’s home to meet his or her special needs. For more information contact the nearest VA Center near you.

14. VETERAN’S LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES The VA provides institution based services (nursing home level of care) to Veterans through three national programs: VA owned and operated Community Living Centers, State Veterans’ Home owned and operated by the states, and the community nursing home program. Each program has admission and eligibility criteria specific to the program. VA is obligated to pay the full cost of nursing home services for enrolled Veterans who need nursing home care for a service- connected disability, or Veterans who have 70% or greater service-connected disability and Veterans with a rating total disability based on individual un-employability. VA provides nursing home care for all other Veterans is based on available resources. To learn more about the: VA Community Living Centers State Veterans’ Home Program Community Nursing Home Program Please visit the VA Center nearest you.

15. PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE Money Follows the Person Provides specialized health services to help individuals with several mental illness and/or the elderly transition from nursing facilities back into living in the community.

16. MONEY FOLLOWS THE PERSON The MFP initiative helps people who are receiving long-term services and supports in a nursing facility return to the community to receive their services without having to be placed on a community services interest list. Gives the elderly & disabled the freedom to choose where they want to live. It would allow us to take advantage of opportunities that other Americans take for granted - to take a walk when we want to, to choose what we want to eat, when we want to go to bed, to have a job, visit family and friends and be part of our communities. Cost in community is 2/3 on average cost of nursing homes or other equivalent institution. (compares nursing home costs to their waivers, and ICF-MR costs to their waivers.) http://www.dads.state.tx.us/providers/pi/mfp_demonstration/ Funded by Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.